Grete Pedersen, the new conducting professor and principal conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum

The Yale Institute of Sacred Music is delighted to welcome Grete Pedersen, who has now officially begun her appointment as 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 distinguished career as artist, pedagogue, and cultural leader spans four continents, establishing her as one of the most respected conductors in today’s choral and orchestral world.

As of January 1, 2026, Professor Pedersen has joined the ISM’s choral faculty alongside Jeffrey Douma, director of the Yale Glee Club and Yale Choral Artists and coordinator of Yale’s graduate program in choral conducting; Felicia Barber, director of the Yale Camerata; James O’Donnell, conductor of the Yale Consort; and Maestro Masaaki Suzuki, longtime principal guest conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum.

Professor Pedersen comes to Yale from the Norwegian Academy of Music where she served for over thirty years on the conducting faculty, mentoring generations of students who have gone on to leadership positions throughout the international music world. In 2025, she concluded a remarkable thirty-five-year tenure as artistic director of the renowned Norwegian Soloists’ Choir, one of Europe’s leading ensembles. Under her leadership, the choir performed extensively at home and abroad and produced dozens of award-winning recordings, receiving honors 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.

A prominent figure in the historically informed performance movement, Pedersen has appeared as guest conductor with ensembles such as the Freiburger Baroque Orchestra, Oslo Bach Ensemble, Norwegian Baroque Orchestra, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, Lautten Company Berlin, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco, among others. She regularly collaborates with leading choirs including the German Radio Choirs, the BBC Singers, the Swedish Radio Choir, the Danish Radio Vocal Ensemble, the Croatian Radio Choir, the Irish Chamber Choir, and the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Her orchestral engagements include Ensemble Allegria, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Oslo Sinfonietta, the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Croatian Radio Orchestra. With the Oslo Chamber Choir, which she established in 1984 and conducted until 2004, she created an innovative and new performance practice based on the historical tradition of Norwegian folk music. Since 2022, Pedersen has served as artistic director and principal conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival, where she leads a two-week series of concerts, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and lectures celebrating the enduring legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach.

In addition to her renowned work in 17th- and 18th-century repertoire, Professor Pedersen is a tireless advocate for new music, having commissioned and recorded hundreds of contemporary works, including compositions by James MacMillan, Lasse Thoresen, and Stefan Schleiermacher. With a particular passion for oratorio, her leadership will further strengthen this central dimension of the ISM’s voice program. She also maintains a deep interest in the folk music traditions of diverse cultures.

Trained originally as an organist and church musician at the Norwegian State Academy of Music, Pedersen served in this field for three decades and also completed a year of theological studies. In her youth, she was a member of Norway’s national women’s football (soccer) team and remains an avid sailor.

In recognition of her artistic achievements, Pedersen was appointed Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2019 and was awarded the prestigious Lindeman Prize for her outstanding contribution to Norway’s musical life. She records with BIS Records, one of northern Europe’s leading classical labels.