Björn Sagstad

Norwegian conductor Bjørn Sagstad (b. 1968). His formal training began at the music conservatory in Bergen. Further studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester included orchestra and opera conducting. He has participated in master classes in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and the Czech Republic, with teachers including Jorma Panula, Jin Wang and Tsung Yeh. Sagstad also studied composition at the music conservatory in Trondheim with Terje Bjørklund and Henning Sommerro. Lessons in strings interpretation with Professor Are Sandbakken at the Norwegian Academy of Music compliments his training. Bjørn Sagstad has worked as a freelance conductor with such groups as the Hong Kong sinfonietta, the Hong Kong Ballet, the Oulu Symphonic Orchestra (Finland), Musica Vitae (Sweden), Collegium Musicum in Bergen, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Trønderoperaen, the Opera in Kristiansund, Trøndelag Theatre, and all of the Norwegian, Swedish and Danish military bands. For the season 1998-99 he was principal conductor of the Norwegian Army Band Bergen. For the season 2003-2007 he was principal conductor/artistic director in the foundation Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.