Music Director, Odense Symphony Orchestra

Music Director

Do you want to lead the artistic development of one of Denmark's largest and most active regional orchestras?

In Carl Nielsen's own city you will find one of Denmark's largest and most prominent symphony orchestras. For 80 years, the Odense Symphony Orchestra has been a driving force in Danish musical life and today is a modern cultural institution with strong traditions, high activity and great ambitions. Each year the orchestra draws around 68,000 concertgoers to more than 100 concerts and events and stands strong with substantial self-generated income and an artistic ambition level that reaches far beyond the island of Funen.

As the organizer of the internationally acclaimed Carl Nielsen Competition, the Odense Symphony Orchestra plays a central role on the international classical music scene and helps put both Odense and Denmark on the world map. At the same time, the orchestra is one of Funen's most important cultural institutions and a significant driving force in the development of the city’s and region’s cultural life through symphonic concerts, opera, talent development, music dissemination and innovative collaborations.

Odense Symphony Orchestra rests on a strong artistic tradition, but is simultaneously in constant development. The classical repertoire remains at the core of our work, while we deliberately work with new concert formats, strong partnerships and new ways to reach audiences. The ambition is clear: We want to be among the leading symphony orchestras in Denmark and at the same time be an open and relevant cultural institution for our entire external world.

Now we are seeking a music director who can lead the next chapter in this development. A leader with artistic vision, strategic perspective and strong leadership skills, who can further strengthen the orchestra's position and ensure that the Odense Symphony Orchestra remains among the most significant actors in Danish musical life in the future as well.

The job

Reporting to the board, the music director has the top management responsibility for all aspects of the orchestra's operations. The music director shall not conduct.

The music director's tasks include, among others

• Set a clear artistic direction and develop the orchestra's artistic profile based on the approved strategy, including drafting goal documents and framework agreements.
• Program planning in close collaboration with the program groups, including negotiations with Danish and international artist agencies.
• Development of concert experiences and public outreach that both retain the existing audience and reach new audience groups.
• Leadership and coordination of ongoing productions in collaboration with producers and production managers.
• Overall artistic and organizational responsibility for the Carl Nielsen International Competition in collaboration with the competition's organization.
• Budget planning and ongoing financial follow-up in collaboration with the administration manager.
• Internal and external communication, including contact with funding authorities, partners, foundations and sponsors.
• Strengthening the orchestra's efforts for children and youth and its role in the musical supply chain and talent development.
• Planning and organizing board meetings in collaboration with the chair and the administration manager.
• Daily management of the orchestra musicians, including responsibility for their professional development, wellbeing and good collaboration within the organization.

Qualifications

You must have

• Documented leadership qualifications and experience with personnel management, organizational development and implementing change processes.
• The ability to set a clear strategic and artistic direction and to build commitment around common goals.
• A strong overall artistic vision combined with the ability to operationalize it.
• In-depth knowledge of classical symphonic music and Danish musical life.
• Experience with artistic planning, including repertoire, conductors, soloists and artistic collaborations.
• Understanding of different audience groups and an eye for how artistic quality and audience development can reinforce each other.
• Strong relational skills and the ability to collaborate with musicians, staff, the board and external partners.
• Good political understanding and experience navigating the interaction between cultural institutions, public authorities, funding bodies, industry organizations and other stakeholders, as well as the ability to actively safeguard the orchestra's interests.
• Pronounced business understanding, where you are motivated to strengthen the financial foundation of the Odense Symphony Orchestra, and where you can cultivate sponsor and foundation collaborations.
• Knowledge of and experience with administrative systems, IT systems and business processes.

You should also be

• A visible, unifying and dialogue-creating leader with strong communication and negotiation skills, able to create engagement, trust and collaboration across the organization.
• Credible, respectful and passionate about your work.
• Resilient with the ability to make decisions and cut through when the situation requires it.
• Focused on a good working environment where artistic ambitions go hand in hand with respect, health and wellbeing.
• Willing to be highly present in the organization and actively participate in the orchestra's many concerts, events and representative duties in Odense and Funen, including evenings and weekends.

Odense Symphony Orchestra's values are quality, dialogue, innovation, diversity and responsibility. It is therefore important that the new music director can stand for these values and make them visible in leadership, artistic choices and collaborations.

The position is available for appointment on November 1 or as soon as possible thereafter, but we expect to take up duties on December 1. We are accepting applications on an ongoing basis, but your application must reach us no later than Sunday, October 18.

Please note the following dates

We will conduct two rounds of interviews. The first interview round will take place on Friday, October 23 , and the second interview round will take place on Tuesday, October 27 .

Between the two interview rounds Genitor will conduct a testing process including the personality test NEO-PI-3, the cognitive test IST-Screening and a follow-up interview of 1.5 hours, where we discuss your competencies based on the personality and cognitive tests. The follow-up interview will take place on Monday, October 26 .

In connection with the testing process on October 26, the selected applicants must meet separately with the orchestra's administrator. After the second interview round, candidates must also meet online with the orchestra's board on Wednesday, October 28 in the morning.

You apply for the position via the apply button.

The position is for a 5-year period with the possibility of renewal. Salary and other terms of employment will be set according to qualifications.

Questions about the position can be directed to the chairman of the board Dorthe Lund Kaack at tel. 41427179, the chairman of the appointment committee Steen Pade at tel. 24616094 or Genitor partner Tina Overgaard at tel. +31410582.

Odense Symphony Orchestra is one of Denmark's five regional orchestras, whose framework conditions are partly set in the Music Act and partly in outcome agreements with Odense Municipality and the Ministry of Culture. The total public funding was in 2025 just over 63 million DKK, with Odense Municipality as the largest contributor. The turnover in 2025 was 75.7 million DKK. The orchestra employs 66 full-time musicians and 18 staff in administration and production. Annually the orchestra hosts more than 100 audience events with a total audience of around 68,000

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