Helene Gjerris
As the President of the Royal Danish Academy of Music (RDAM), Helene Gjerris is responsible for leading, developing, and inspiring a relevant and modern contemporary education for future generations of classical musicians. She draws on her rich experience as an educator, performer, head of department and leader of projects.
Helene Gjerris was appointed as President of the Royal Danish Academy of Music (RDAM) in the summer of 2024, having previously served as a Professor of Voice and Head of the Vocal Department since 2016. She brings to the organization an extensive, multifaceted experience in leadership, administration, and production within artistic and educational contexts, as well as expertise in integrating creative and pedagogical ambitions with organizational structures.
Through her artistic career and educational experience, she has built a large international network and gained insight into the music industry, educational institutions, and important trends across many European countries.
Helene Gjerris has also worked with organizational and political development, having served as a member of the Ministry of Culture's committee for the reform of arts education programs.
BACKGROUND
As a voice professor and head of department, first at the Danish National Academy of Music and later at RDAM, Helene Gjerris had substantial roles in artistic and educational leadership, including artistic and practical oversight of projects such as chamber opera, chamber choir, chamber concerts, large interdisciplinary projects, inter-institutional collaborations, and the development of curriculum content and form.
During her tenure as Professor at RDAM, she has promoted positive development in vocal studies, fostering a culture that embraces all genres of classical vocal expressions – ensemble, choir, solo, opera, chamber music, and experimental forms. She has opened discussions about gender and classical voice and commissioned new operas with roles for singers with diverse profiles, all while maintaining a strong focus on the core classical repertoire. She has also played a key role in the development of the Opera Academy, where RDAM and the Royal Danish Theatre collaborate to educate future professional opera singers.
Over the past 20 years, Helene Gjerris has trained numerous singers who are now working professionally as choir singers, opera soloists, educators, and entrepreneurs, both nationally and internationally.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Helene Gjerris’s own career as a performer has been broad and versatile, exemplifying deep familiarity with the career paths and challenges that await many musicians after completing higher music education. She possesses a profound understanding of the importance of networking and collaboration across cultural and institutional boundaries. She has performed roles from the classical opera repertoire and has sung as an oratorio soloist and cultivated a repertoire in both Lied and chamber music. Additionally, she has performed roles in contemporary operas and music dramas.
She is a co-founder of FIGURA Ensemble, where she has spent more than 30 years working to develop the interpretation and presentation of classical music through new concert formats, chamber operas, cabarets, and improvisation. A recurring theme in her career has been collaborations with Danish composers, and she has released numerous recordings of contemporary Danish music.
Curiosity is a key element in Helene Gjerris’ practice and a significant driving force behind her work in artistic research. She has presented at international conferences on topics such as interdisciplinary collaboration, graphic notation, and the interpretation of text as music.
VISION FOR RDAM
As President, Helene Gjerris envisions a future for RDAM where artistic and pedagogical development strikes a balance between tradition and innovation – a music academy that prepares excellent, courageous, and generous graduates to enter society and embody the fact that live classical music is of undeniable value.
BOARDS, FOUNDATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
In addition to RDAM’s own foundations, Helene Gjerris serves on the following boards:
- Dacapo Edition·S
- Léonie Sonning Music Foundation
- Vera and Carl Johan Michaelsen’s Grant
- Aennchen and Eigil Harby’s Foundation
- Weyse Foundation
- Tytte & Lillemor Faurschou Memorial Grant
- Mary & John Hartwig’s Foundation
Aksel Schiøtz Prize, Gladsaxe Music Prize, Artist’s Prize of the Circle of Music Critics (Musikanmelderringen), Honorary Prize of Dansk Tonekunstner Forening (Danish Musicians’ Society), Reumert Talent Prize and Tagea Brandt Travel Scholarship.
Artistic development (KUV)
Per Nørgård’s Vocal Music - Study and analysis, concerts with students at the Danish National Academy of Music and RDAM, presentations to the public, recording of the CD Songs from Evening Land
- Danish National Academy of Music and RDAM, 2009-2013
Improving the performance of classical musicians through interdisciplinary exercises. Helene Gjerris and Bent Nørgaard - see article under ‘Publications’.
- Danish National Academy of Music 2012-2015
Interpretation of graphically notated vocal music – Concert lectures at RDAM and the Danish National Academy of Music with reviews, presentations and performance of John Cage’s Aria and Luciano Berio’s Sequenza III.
- Danish National Academy of Music and RDAM, 2014-2015
Musical text work - Examining and challenging the traditional recording and interpretation practices of classical vocal music.
- RDAM 2018-2021
Moderatorship / jury membership
- 2019: Screening jury at the Queen Sonja International Music Competition, Oslo
- 2004-: External moderator in Denmark and Norway
- 2018-: Assessment committees in Norway and Sweden
Representative duties, directorships
- 2017-: Vice-chair of the Dacapo/Edition-S Board
- 2017-: Member of the Board of the Weyse Foundation
Articles
Helene Gjerris and Bent Nørgaard:
Improving the performance of classical musicians through interdisciplinary exercises
- Article in special issue of Arts and Humanity in Higher Education, A&HHE Reflective Conservatoire Special Issue Aug 2016 “The Reflective Conservatory”
CD recordings
Axel Borup-Jørgensen
Sange
Helene Gjerris, Erik Skjoldan
Point
John Frandsen, Svend Hvidtfelt Nielsen, Peter Bruun, Karsten Fundal, Ivar Frounberg, Jens Hørsving
… to arrive where we started …
Figura Ensemble
Dacapo 8.224143
Friederich Hollaender
Ich weiss nicht zu wem ich gehöre
Helene Gjerris, Henrik Metz
CDK 1135
Niels Rosing-Schow
Alliages
Helene Gjerris, Jeanette Balland, Jesper Sivebæk, Hélène Navasse, Asbjørn Nørgaard, Andreas Borregaard, Svend Melbye, Mathias Reumert
Dacapo 8.226580
Per Nørgård
Sange fra aftenland - Helene Gjerris sings Per Nørgård
Helene Gjerris, Toke Møldrup, Johannes Søe Hansen, Ulla Miilmann, Tine Rehling, Anne Marie Fjord Abildskov, Lotte Wallevik, Jesper Lützhøft, Casper Schreiber
Dacapo 8.226060
Per Nørgård
Lygtemænd i byen; Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
Helene Gjerris, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen
Dacapo 8.226085
Peter Bruun
Breve til havet
Esbjerg Ensemble, Helene Gjerris, Peter Bruun, Frode Andersen, Petter Sundkvist
Dacapo 8.226553
Bo Lundby-Jæger
Kammermusik og sange
Ensemble Storstrøm, Helene Gjerris
Dacapo 8.226553
Peter Bruun
Miki Alone – Syv sange for en gal kvinde
Helene Gjerris, FIGURA Ensemble
Dacapo 8.226555
Christian Winther Christensen, Niels Rosing-Schow, Morten Olsen, Klaus Ib Jørgensen, Ivar Frounberg
A fall from the perfect ground
Ensemble Alternance, Helene Gjerris, Marie Kobayashi
Dacapo 8.226537
Jørgen Plaetner
Episodes and Collisions
Helene Gjerris, LINensemble
Dacapo 8.226520
Bruun, Brødsgaard, Rohloff
Preludes to Disaster
FIGURA Ensemble, Seattle Chamber Players
NEOS
Rued Langgaard
Antikrist
Various soloists, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Danish National Choir School
Dacapo 6.220523-24
Bent Sørensen, Per Nørgård
Den lille havfrue; Lygtemændene tager til byen
Various soloists, the Danish National Girls’ Choir, the DR Children’s Choir, the Danish National Choir and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.
Dacapo 8.226046
Per Nørgård
Nuit Des Hommes
Helene Gjerris, Helge Rønning, Bodil Rørbech, Fredrik Lindström, Markus Falkbring, Andreas Hagman, Aksel Kaare Trige, Gert Sørensen, Kaare Hansen
Dacapo 8.226011
Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen
Tonkraftwerk
Helene Gjerris, Erik Kaltoft, Aarhus Sinfonietta, Søren Kinch Hansen
Dacapo 8.226509
Sunleif Rasmussen
Surrounded
Helene Gjerris, Caput Ensemble
BIS-1278 CD
Franz Schubert
Schubert på dansk – 20 lieder
Helene Gjerris, Johan Reuter, Tove Lønskov
Naxos 8.554969
Finn Savery
I dag og i nat
Helene Gjerris, the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, the Danish National Girls’ Choir, the Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Frans Rasmussen
Point PCD 5136
Alban Berg
Lulu
Various soloists, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Chandos 257018
Kopenhagen Kabarett
Helene Gjerris, Mads Elung-Jensen, Kasper Højby Nielsen, Niels Bo Emgren, Jürgen Schoop, Henrik Metz
Exlibris ABC150
DVD/ Blu-ray releases:
Rued Langgard
Antikrist
Dacapo 2.110402 (DVD)/2.110409BD (Blu-ray)
