Copenhagen Opera Festival
Copenhagen Opera Festival
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ARE YOU OUR NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR?

Overview
 
TitleArtistic Director (Kunstnerisk leder (DK)), Copenhagen Opera Festival
OfficeCopenhagen Opera Festival
Slagtehusgade 30
DK-1715 København V

www.operafestival.dk
Reporting toChairperson of the Board.
The role is a shared leadership with Exec. Festival Director, Rikke Frisk
Expected appointmentAugust/September 2026 – preferably with a gradual upstart during spring 2026 and full attendance during the festival 13th-23rd August 2026.
Employment conditionsThe Artistic Director will be employed part time = 6-7 months spread across the year.
It is possible to perform the role partially through hybrid work, but a high level of presence at the festival’s office is expected. Compensation and benefits to be negotiated individually.
Time schedule

Deadline for applications: 27th November 2025

First interviews with candidates will take place in person or on Zoom if necessary, between 15th and 17th December 2025.

Second interviews will be in person in Copenhagen 8th or 9th January 2026.
The appointment will be made by the Board by the end of January 2026, beginning of February 2026.
Further informationFurther information may be given by confidential dialogue with:
Board Chair Jeppe Brogaard Clausen: jbc@njordlaw.com +45 22 29 59 28
or Exec. Festival Director Rikke Frisk: rf@operafestival.dk, +45 26 75 56 20
ApplicationPlease send your application and CV in either danish or english via the closed and GDPR-secured application system at Pluss via following link.
Copenhagen Opera Festival

Foto: Ida Guldbæk Arentsen

About the festival

Copenhagen Opera Festival is a visionary, unifying and, above all, living festival that each summer enchants Copenhagen with a sumptuous feast of opera in all its forms. We are in constant dialogue with new voices that can challenge and inspire us as well as working with timeless classics that transcend both era and place. Ww present stories that reflect our society here and now, and respond to the city itself, transforming it into a stage of endless possibilities.

 

In short: the festival’s heart beats year-round to bring us all together within  the wild and wondrous world of opera.

 

Since 2009, Copenhagen Opera Festival has brought leading artists to the Danish capital, filling concert halls, theatres, streets, and canals with world-class singing and music.With an international outlook and a strong eye for local and national talent, we have year after year curated a diverse programme of performances, concerts, and events embracing the opera aficionado, the curious newcomer, and families alike.

 

In 2021, we launched The Festival Stage at Den Røde Plads — presenting top-class opera right at street level, entirely free of charge. The open-air  tent at the heart of Nørrebro attracts up to 10,000 audience members every year, hosting everything from communal singing and masterclass concerts to new productions, original ensembles, and the much-loved Opening Concert.

 

At Copenhagen Opera Festival, you can experience revitalised classics side by side with entirely new works. Our programme ranges from ambitious international productions to small-scale performances by bold, emerging talents who challenge and expand the boundaries of what opera is — and what it can be. In recent years, the festival has presented newly written and award-winning titles such as Nordkraft and Lisbon Floor, international collaborations like Sky in a Small Cage, and daring stagings of Puccini’s trilogy Il Trittico. Our family-friendly adaptation of Wagner’s Ring will tour across Denmark in the coming years, while major new works and national partnerships are already taking shape behind the scenes for future festivals.

 

Each year we invite an international opera star as Guest Artist of the Year, celebrate new Danish talent with the Opera Talent Award, and create platforms for independent artists and companies from the Danish and international opera scenes to meet and collaborate. Through workshops and engaging talks, we invite audiences behind the scenes — into opera’s codes and mysteries — exploring what happens when opera is presented in a prison, on a student truck, or in new digital worlds.

 

Key Figures

Annual turnover: DKK 9–10.5 million

Funding sources: Approx. 70 % from private foundations and donors, 20 % from public funds, 10 % from ticket sales and other revenue.

Audience numbers: In 2025, the festival attracted around 31,000 visitors.

Please find the festivals annual report 2024 here

About the Organisation

 

Copenhagen Opera Festival is organised as a foundation. The secretariat is small and comprises administration, artistic production, communications, partnerships, and technical coordination. The organisation expands significantly during the festival season with freelance artists, project-based staff, and volunteers.

 

The secretariat is headed by Exec. Festival Director Rikke Frisk. The Exec. Festival Director and the Artistic Director jointly constitute the festival’s leadership. The secretariat is based in Copenhagen’s vibrant Kødbyen district — a creative neighbourhood buzzing with events, cafés and cultural initiatives. Our small team works with professional focus and informal energy, in an environment that values individual flexibility, professional reciprocity, and genuine curiosity.

 

Current Board Members (as of 2025)

  • Jeppe Brogaard Clausen, Chair of the Board
  • Tonny Johansen, Deputy Chair
  • Marianne Willumsen, Board Member
  • Nikolai Weissert, Board Member

 

The hiring committee includes Jeppe Brogaard Clausen and Rikke Frisk. The final decision will be made by the full Board.

Copenhagen Opera Festival

Foto: Emillia Therese

Profile: Artistic Director (part time 50–60 %)

 

Artistic Background and Experience

We are seeking a visionary artistic leader with a strong understanding of opera as both classical and contemporary art form.

 

The ideal candidate will:

  • Be able to identify the key stories, artists, companies, and opera projects of the current moment, carrying the genre — with all its heritage — into the future and into contact with new audiences.
  • Have extensive knowledge of the international and Nordic opera scenes, including emerging trends.
  • Be both strategically visionary and practically creative — a leader who not only defines an artistic direction but also follows it through to realisation in production, casting, collaboration, and festival presence.
  • Proven experience in fundraising and maintaining dialogue with foundations and funding partners.
  • Have proven experience in developing artistic concepts and overseeing productions from idea to performance. 
  • Mentor artists, composers, librettists, and directors, supporting talent development.
  • Have a vision for combining tradition and innovation, presenting opera in both conventional and unconventional settings.
  • Understand diverse audiences and strategies for broadening engagement.
  • Have exceptional musical insight and understanding of opera and music drama
  • Have strong casting abilities and be able to sit in on audition panels.

 

Personal Qualifications

  • Strong international network within opera and the performing arts.
  • Excellent communication skills to represent the festival towards artists, partners, funders and public institutions.
  • Passionate about opera, artistic integrity, and creative exploration.
  • Leadership experience and ability to inspire, collaborate, and prioritize work effectively within a part-time structure.
  • Exceptional collaborative skills and the ability to thrive in a close and trusting partnership with the Exec. Festival Director, festival team, and external partners.
  • A true team player, bringing energy, direction, and shared purpose to a creative environment.
  • Ability to engage in an equal and constructive leadership partnership, where artistic vision and organisational development go hand in hand.
  • Genuine interest in broadening the scope of the artform, reaching different types of audiences with opera in many forms.

The Selection Process

First interview will be held between 15th and 17th December 2025

Second interview (8th or 9th January 2026): Shortlisted candidates will be asked to propose a draft programme of one festival season covering local, national, international scope, budget, partner potential, audience strategies, and alignment with festival strategy. Candidates are expected to demonstrate how these ideas can be implemented within a 50–60 % workload.

Final decision: The appointment will be made by the Board by the end of January 2026, beginning of February 2026.

 

 

Please send your application and CV in the closed and GDPR-secured application system at Pluss via following link.

Appendix - Job Description: Artistic Director

 

Overall Purpose

The Artistic Director holds overall responsibility for the festival’s artistic profile, programming, and creative vision — in close collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director. The position is part-time (50–60 %) and constitutes, together with the Exec. Festival Director, the dual leadership of the festival. The Artistic Director reports to the Chair of the Board.

 

The Artistic Director is both strategically visionary and practically involved: a leader who defines artistic direction while also engaging directly in production, casting, collaboration, and festival presence. The role requires in-depth knowledge of opera as an art Form, organisational understanding, leadership experience, and an international outlook.

 

Key Responsibilities

Artistic Direction and Programme Development

  • Develop and curate the festival’s artistic profile, programme, and identity in close collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director.
  • Ensure that all artistic activities reflect the foundation’s mission, values, and strategic goals.
  • Develop multi-year artistic strategies and new initiatives that strengthen the festival’s national and international standing.
  • Plan and curate the festival’s own productions and concerts.
  • Combine classical quality with innovation, relevance, and artistic renewal.
  • Always consider the audience - both existing and new groups - in programming and production.
  • Actively engage with new trends and developments within opera, music theatre, and performing arts.
  • Ensure ongoing evaluation of the festival’s artistic projects and audience reception.
  • Strengthen the festival’s national and international position as an attractive collaborator and stage for new voices, formats, and partnerships.
  • Build and maintain relationships within the opera community and ensure the festival’s continued artistic growth.

Collaboration, Organisation and Production

  • Participate in the festival’s leadership and collaborate closely with the Exec. Festival Director on strategy, communication, and planning, including participation in the prioritization of resources, schedules, and staffing.
  • Take part in production development from concept to performance and collaborate with the Creative Producer on rehearsal planning, production, and contracts.
  • Participate in the development of the festival’s communication and PR in close collaboration with the communications and press team.
  • Contribute to the development of internal processes, staff development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration within the organization.
  • Help foster an inspiring and professional organizational culture focused on collaboration, respect, and artistic curiosity.
  • Maintain artistic contact with composers, directors, librettists, agents, singers, ensembles, and institutions.
  • Coordinate with major partners and industry stakeholders regarding eg. repertoire and content.
  • Be visibly present throughout the festival and represent COF at concerts, performances, and events both nationally and internationally.

Casting and Talent Development

  • Conduct casting for all COF-led productions and concerts.
  • Hold annual auditions and identify emerging talent nationally and internationally.
  • Liaise with agencies and institutions on artist development.
  • Serve as a mentor for singers, composers, librettists, and directors.
  • Opera Talent of the Year decisions

Fundraising and Budgeting

  • Overall responsibility for fundraising and securing the festival’s finances in collaboration with the festival director.
  • Prepare and monitor festival and production budgets in collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director.
  • Contribute to grant applications, project descriptions, and presentations in collaboration with the festival’s fundraiser.
  • Attend meetings with and contribute to communication with foundations, partners, and other stakeholders.

Framework and Conditions

  • The Artistic Director enjoys a high degree of artistic freedom within agreed strategic and financial frameworks.
  • Working hours vary throughout the year and include flexible scheduling in line with the festival’s annual cycle.
  • Hybrid work arrangements can be negotiated, but a high level of presence at the office, including full attendance during the festival is expected.
  • The Artistic Director is expected to represent the festival professionally in all relevant contexts.
  • Close collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director on joint decisions and priorities is essential.
  • The Artistic Director may maintain other artistic engagements, provided these do not conflict or compete with Copenhagen Opera Festival.
Copenhagen Opera Festival

Foto: Victoria Mørck Madsen

ARE YOU OUR NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR?

Copenhagen Opera Festival

Foto: Ida Guldbæk Arentsen

Overview
 
TitleArtistic Director (Kunstnerisk leder (DK)), Copenhagen Opera Festival
OfficeCopenhagen Opera Festival
Slagtehusgade 30
DK-1715 København V

www.operafestival.dk
Reporting toChairperson of the Board.
The role is a shared leadership with Exec. Festival Director, Rikke Frisk
Expected appointmentAugust 2026 – preferably with a gradual upstart during spring 2026.
Employment conditionsThe Artistic Director will be employed part time = 6-7 months spread across the year.
It is possible to perform the role partially through hybrid work, but a high level of presence at the festival’s office is expected.
Compensation and benefits to be negotiated individually.
Time scheduleFirst interviews with candidates will take place in person or on Zoom if necessary, between 15th and 18th December 2025.
Second interviews will be in person in Copenhagen early January 2026.
The appointment will be made by the Board by the end of January 2026, beginning of February 2026.
Further informationFurther information may be given by confidential dialogue with:
Board Chair Jeppe Brogaard Clausen: jbc@njordlaw.com +45 22 29 59 28
or Exec. Festival Director Rikke Frisk: rf@operafestival.dk, +45 26 75 56 20
ApplicationPlease send application and CV to …

About the festival

Copenhagen Opera Festival is a visionary, unifying and, above all, living festival that each summer enchants Copenhagen with a sumptuous feast of opera in all its forms. We are in constant dialogue with new voices that can challenge and inspire us as well as working with timeless classics that transcend both era and place. Ww present stories that reflect our society here and now, and respond to the city itself, transforming it into a stage of endless possibilities.

 

In short: the festival’s heart beats year-round to bring us all together within  the wild and wondrous world of opera.

 

Since 2009, Copenhagen Opera Festival has brought leading artists to the Danish capital, filling concert halls, theatres, streets, and canals with world-class singing and music.With an international outlook and a strong eye for local and national talent, we have year after year curated a diverse programme of performances, concerts, and events embracing the opera aficionado, the curious newcomer, and families alike.

 

In 2021, we launched The Festival Stage at Den Røde Plads — presenting top-class opera right at street level, entirely free of charge. The open-air  tent at the heart of Nørrebro attracts up to 10,000 audience members every year, hosting everything from communal singing and masterclass concerts to new productions, original ensembles, and the much-loved Opening Concert.

 

At Copenhagen Opera Festival, you can experience revitalised classics side by side with entirely new works. Our programme ranges from ambitious international productions to small-scale performances by bold, emerging talents who challenge and expand the boundaries of what opera is — and what it can be. In recent years, the festival has presented newly written and award-winning titles such as Nordkraft and Lisbon Floor, international collaborations like Sky in a Small Cage, and daring stagings of Puccini’s trilogy Il Trittico. Our family-friendly adaptation of Wagner’s Ring will tour across Denmark in the coming years, while major new works and national partnerships are already taking shape behind the scenes for future festivals.

 

Each year we invite an international opera star as Guest Artist of the Year, celebrate new Danish talent with the Opera Talent Award, and create platforms for independent artists and companies from the Danish and international opera scenes to meet and collaborate. Through workshops and engaging talks, we invite audiences behind the scenes — into opera’s codes and mysteries — exploring what happens when opera is presented in a prison, on a student truck, or in new digital worlds.

 

Key Figures

Annual turnover: DKK 9–10.5 million

Funding sources: Approx. 70 % from private foundations and donors, 20 % from public funds, 10 % from ticket sales and other revenue.

Audience numbers: In 2025, the festival attracted around 31,000 visitors.

Please find the festivals annual report 2024 here

About the Organisation

 

Copenhagen Opera Festival is organised as a foundation. The secretariat is small and comprises administration, artistic production, communications, partnerships, and technical coordination. The organisation expands significantly during the festival season with freelance artists, project-based staff, and volunteers.

 

The secretariat is headed by Exec. Festival Director Rikke Frisk. The Exec. Festival Director and the Artistic Director jointly constitute the festival’s leadership. The secretariat is based in Copenhagen’s vibrant Kødbyen district — a creative neighbourhood buzzing with events, cafés and cultural initiatives. Our small team works with professional focus and informal energy, in an environment that values individual flexibility, professional reciprocity, and genuine curiosity.

 

Current Board Members (as of 2025)

  • Jeppe Brogaard Clausen, Chair of the Board
  • Tonny Johansen, Deputy Chair
  • Marianne Willumsen, Board Member
  • Nikolai Weissert, Board Member

 

The hiring committee includes Jeppe Brogaard Clausen and Rikke Frisk. The final decision will be made by the full Board.

Profile: Artistic Director (part time 50–60 %)

 

Artistic Background and Experience

We are seeking a visionary artistic leader with a strong understanding of opera as both classical and contemporary art form.

 

The ideal candidate will:

  • Be able to identify the key stories, artists, companies, and opera projects of the current moment, carrying the genre — with all its heritage — into the future and into contact with new audiences.
  • Have extensive knowledge of the international and Nordic opera scenes, including emerging trends.
  • Be both strategically visionary and practically creative — a leader who not only defines an artistic direction but also follows it through to realisation in production, casting, collaboration, and festival presence.
  • Proven experience in fundraising and maintaining dialogue with foundations and funding partners.
  • Have proven experience in developing artistic concepts and overseeing productions from idea to performance. 
  • Mentor artists, composers, librettists, and directors, supporting talent development.
  • Have a vision for combining tradition and innovation, presenting opera in both conventional and unconventional settings.
  • Understand diverse audiences and strategies for broadening engagement.
  • Have exceptional musical insight and understanding of opera and music drama
  • Have strong casting abilities and be able to sit in on audition panels.

 

Personal Qualifications

  • Strong international network within opera and the performing arts.
  • Excellent communication skills to represent the festival towards artists, partners, funders and public institutions.
  • Passionate about opera, artistic integrity, and creative exploration.
  • Leadership experience and ability to inspire, collaborate, and prioritize work effectively within a part-time structure.
  • Exceptional collaborative skills and the ability to thrive in a close and trusting partnership with the Exec. Festival Director, festival team, and external partners.
  • A true team player, bringing energy, direction, and shared purpose to a creative environment.
  • Ability to engage in an equal and constructive leadership partnership, where artistic vision and organisational development go hand in hand.
  • Genuine interest in broadening the scope of the artform, reaching different types of audiences with opera in many forms.

The Selection Process

First interview will be held between 15th and 17th December 2025

Second interview (8th or 9th January 2026): Shortlisted candidates will be asked to propose a draft programme of one festival season covering local, national, international scope, budget, partner potential, audience strategies, and alignment with festival strategy. Candidates are expected to demonstrate how these ideas can be implemented within a 50–60 % workload.

Final decision: The appointment will be made by the Board by the end of January 2026, beginning of February 2026.

 

 

Please send your application and CV in the closed and GDPR-secured application system at Pluss via following link.

Appendix - Job Description: Artistic Director

 

Overall Purpose

The Artistic Director holds overall responsibility for the festival’s artistic profile, programming, and creative vision — in close collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director. The position is part-time (50–60 %) and constitutes, together with the Exec. Festival Director, the dual leadership of the festival. The Artistic Director reports to the Chair of the Board.

 

The Artistic Director is both strategically visionary and practically involved: a leader who defines artistic direction while also engaging directly in production, casting, collaboration, and festival presence. The role requires in-depth knowledge of opera as an art Form, organisational understanding, leadership experience, and an international outlook.

 

Key Responsibilities

Artistic Direction and Programme Development

  • Develop and curate the festival’s artistic profile, programme, and identity in close collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director.
  • Ensure that all artistic activities reflect the foundation’s mission, values, and strategic goals.
  • Develop multi-year artistic strategies and new initiatives that strengthen the festival’s national and international standing.
  • Plan and curate the festival’s own productions and concerts.
  • Combine classical quality with innovation, relevance, and artistic renewal.
  • Always consider the audience - both existing and new groups - in programming and production.
  • Actively engage with new trends and developments within opera, music theatre, and performing arts.
  • Ensure ongoing evaluation of the festival’s artistic projects and audience reception.
  • Strengthen the festival’s national and international position as an attractive collaborator and stage for new voices, formats, and partnerships.
  • Build and maintain relationships within the opera community and ensure the festival’s continued artistic growth.

Collaboration, Organisation and Production

  • Participate in the festival’s leadership and collaborate closely with the Exec. Festival Director on strategy, communication, and planning, including participation in the prioritization of resources, schedules, and staffing.
  • Take part in production development from concept to performance and collaborate with the Creative Producer on rehearsal planning, production, and contracts.
  • Participate in the development of the festival’s communication and PR in close collaboration with the communications and press team.
  • Contribute to the development of internal processes, staff development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration within the organization.
  • Help foster an inspiring and professional organizational culture focused on collaboration, respect, and artistic curiosity.
  • Maintain artistic contact with composers, directors, librettists, agents, singers, ensembles, and institutions.
  • Coordinate with major partners and industry stakeholders regarding eg. repertoire and content.
  • Be visibly present throughout the festival and represent COF at concerts, performances, and events both nationally and internationally.

Casting and Talent Development

  • Conduct casting for all COF-led productions and concerts.
  • Hold annual auditions and identify emerging talent nationally and internationally.
  • Liaise with agencies and institutions on artist development.
  • Serve as a mentor for singers, composers, librettists, and directors.
  • Opera Talent of the Year decisions

Fundraising and Budgeting

  • Overall responsibility for fundraising and securing the festival’s finances in collaboration with the festival director.
  • Prepare and monitor festival and production budgets in collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director.
  • Contribute to grant applications, project descriptions, and presentations in collaboration with the festival’s fundraiser.
  • Attend meetings with and contribute to communication with foundations, partners, and other stakeholders.

Framework and Conditions

  • The Artistic Director enjoys a high degree of artistic freedom within agreed strategic and financial frameworks.
  • Working hours vary throughout the year and include flexible scheduling in line with the festival’s annual cycle.
  • Hybrid work arrangements can be negotiated, but a high level of presence at the office, including full attendance during the festival is expected.
  • The Artistic Director is expected to represent the festival professionally in all relevant contexts.
  • Close collaboration with the Exec. Festival Director on joint decisions and priorities is essential.
  • The Artistic Director may maintain other artistic engagements, provided these do not conflict or compete with Copenhagen Opera Festival.

Copenhagen Opera Festival

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Program
Nyheder
Om os
Kontakt
Tidligere år

Engelsk

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