Grete Pedersen appointed as professor in the practice of conducting and principal conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum

The Yale Institute of Sacred Music is delighted to announce the appointment of Grete Pedersen as the new principal conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum and professor in the practice of conducting at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) and Yale School of Music. Pedersen’s legendary career as artist, pedagogue, and cultural leader extends across four continents, making her one of the most respected conductors on the choral and orchestra scene today.

Beginning on January 1, 2026, Professor Pedersen will join the ISM’s robust choral program, working alongside professors Jeffrey Douma, director of the Yale Glee Club and Yale Choral Artists and coordinator of Yale’s graduate program in choral conducting; and Felicia Barber, director of the Yale Camerata. She will focus her time on oratorio and early music, as well as contemporary repertoire. 

Professor Pedersen joins Yale from the Norwegian Academy of Music where she served for over thirty years on the conducting faculty and mentored countless students from all over the world who have since gone on to leadership positions in music. In 2025, she ends a thirty-five-year tenure as artistic director of the renowned Norwegian Soloists’ Choir, one of Europe’s leading performing organizations. She led this ensemble in hundreds of performances at home and abroad and made dozens of recordings with them, receiving numerous prizes including Gramophone Record of the Year, the Diapason d’Or, the Choc de la Musique, and the Spellemann Prize. She was also founding conductor of the Oslo Chamber Choir which she led for twenty years. 

Pedersen has been a leader in the historically informed performance movement and has appeared as guest conductor of the Freiburger Baroque Orchestra, Oslo Bach Ensemble, Norwegian Baroque Orchestra, the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, Lautten Company, Berlin, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco, among others. She appears frequently as conductor with leading choirs and orchestras alike, including the German Radio Choirs, the BBC Singers, The Swedish Radio Choir, Danish Radio Vocal Ensemble, Croatian Radio choir, Irish Chamber choir, and the Netherland Chamber Choir. Orchestras include Ensemble Allegria, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra and other leading Norwegian orchestras, Oslo Sinfonietta, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Croatian Radio Orchestra. Future engagements include a premiere with one of the leading United States’ orchestras at the end of 2026 and a concert with the Netherlands Bach Society.

In addition to her work in the music of the 17^th and 18^th centuries, she is equally a champion of new music, having commissioned and recorded hundreds of new works throughout her career including the music of James MacMillan, Lasse Thoresen, and Stefan Schleiermacher. With a particular passion for oratorio, Professor Pedersen’s presence will allow this aspect of the ISM voice program to blossom even more. Further, she has a passion for the folk music of diverse cultures. 

Pedersen was initially trained at the Norwegian State Academy of Music as an organist and church musician and held positions in this field for thirty years, and during these studies she added a year of theological training to her portfolio. In her youth, she was also a member of the national women’s football (soccer) team of Norway, and is, additionally, an avid sailor. 

In 2022, she was appointed as the artistic director and principal conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival where she leads a two-week series of concerts, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and lectures to celebrate the works, inspiration, and ongoing influence of Johann Sebastian Bach. 

In 2019, Pedersen was appointed Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for her outstanding achievements in the arts and was awarded the distinguished Lindeman Prize to honor her significant contribution to the musical life of Norway. She records with BIS Records, one of the leading record labels for classical music in northern Europe. 

“We are absolutely delighted that Professor Pedersen will join us at the ISM,” said Director Martin Jean. “She will continue and expand the strong foundation laid by her predecessors—Simon Carrington, founder and conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum; his successor, David Hill, who retired in spring, 2024; and professor emerita, Marguerite Brooks, founder of Yale Camerata—who together grew the Yale choral program to be one of the most prominent in North America. She is of equal renown as a choral and orchestral conductor, a dedicated pedagogue, and possesses a deep love of sacred music and understanding of its theological roots. Her particular expertise in oratorio as a space with choral and instrumental music comes together in sacred storytelling, making her an ideal person to take up this role.”

In addition to Professors Douma and Barber, Professor Pedersen also joins Professor James O’Donnell, conductor of the Yale Consort, a professional ensemble in the ISM dedicated to making music in its liturgical context. We also look forward to a continued association with Maestro Masaaki Suzuki whose residencies at the ISM have inspired generations of students and audiences. 

Read more about Yale Schola Cantorum and view upcoming concerts. 

Until Professor Pedersen officially takes up her role on January 1, 2026, Professor Stefan Parkman will continue to train graduate conducting students and lead Yale Schola Cantorum through the fall 2025 semester.