Receiver of The Crown Prince Couple’s Stardust Award 2022
The Léonie Sonning Talent Prize 2021 - The Wilhelm Hansen
Foundation‘s Prize of Honor 2020
Josefine Opsahl (b. 1992) is a ‘boundary defying and remarkable Danish composer and artist’ (The Strad 2022) who integrates aesthetics across eras of music, art, performance, spaces and communities. Extending her background in Classical music into contemporary medias of expression, she melts down barriers and genres resulting in ‘a truly original and contemporary expression that is remarkable for Josefine’s young age’ (HRH Crown Prince of Denmark 2022).
With an emphasis on tradition and renewal, tactility, movement
and virtuosity, she has established herself, her works and performances with her main instrument, the cello, as leading forces on
the international scene. She has received numerous awards for
her work – latest The Crown Prince Couple’s Cultural Stardust
Award 2022, the Léonie Sonning Talent Prize 2021 and Wilhelm
Hansen Foundation‘s Scholarship of Honor 2020.
Her recent major works count two operas, music for two new
ballets with The Royal Ballet in Copenhagen (DK) and symphonic works. Her latest opera “HJEM” was praised for Josefine’s radical and uncompromising style, and she was hailed to be “ a fearless” and “outstanding opera composer” (Politiken and Magasinet Klassisk), “Josefine Opsahl has created a very significant work - a hugely successful modern opera that not only seems relevant, but practically crawls under the skin of the audience’ (Gaffa), while her first opera ”DrømmeDøden” was announced to be ‘a musical sensation’ by Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (SE). In the Spring of 2023 she had the premiere of her own Concerto for Cello and Orchestra as well as her US solo debut at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC). She has a close collaboration with The Royal Danish Ballet and her newest work for ballet will premiere at Gamle Scene at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in March 2024.
Her new orchestral work ‘A Mass of Stars Block the View’ premieres in the Elbphilharmonie (DE) with Berlin Academy of American Music in 2024 and in 2025 her new works ‘EKKO Opera’ (Cph Opera Festival), dance theatre performance ‘Shah Mat’ (Uppercut and Holstebro Dance Theatre) and the symphonic opera installation ‘YEAST’ (Kunsthal Spritten and Aalborg Symphony Orchestra) premieres alongside a number of chamber works for Kuhmo Festival (FI), National Sawdust (US) ans Nordklang (CH).
Josefine’s works have been performed and she has toured throughout Europa, The United States, in China, Brazil and Argentina and her album releases have received stunning reviews and awards, recently the Round Glass Music Award (US) and the Danish Radio P2’s Listeners’ Prize. Her solo debut album, ‘Atrium’ released with Dacapo Records in August 2022 received rave reviews in international newspapers and magazines stating that ‘It’s evocative hip music’ (Gramophone Magazine 2022) and ‘Her music is both technically refined and emotionally charged’ - (Dagens Nyheter 2022).
Josefine Opsahl has given lectures in Shanghai, at Kungliga Musikhögskolan in Stockholm (SE), The
Royal Danish Academy of Music and The Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, The Royal
Danish Academy of Fine Arts and The University of Copenhagen (DK). She studied classical and contemporary cello playing at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (DK) and Northwestern University (IL,
USA) and holds an Advanced Postgraduate Soloist degree within Contemporary Creative Art. Josefine
is signed with the internationally renowned Karsten Witt Music Management (DE) as well as The ACT
Agency (DE) and collaborates with publisher Edition Wilhelm Hansen who takes care of her compositional works and project.
http://josefineopsahl.dk