Sofi Jeannin (born 6 September 1976) is a Swedish choral conductor and mezzo-soprano.
Born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and a French father, Jeannin grew up in Lindesberg, following her parents' divorce when she was age 8. [1] In her youth, Jeannin studied piano and singing. [2] She continued her musical education at the Conservatoire de Nice, where her instructors included Bertrand Dutour de Salvert. Jeannin additionally studied at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, where she also sang with the institution's vocal ensemble.
In the UK, Jeannin continued studies in choral conducting at the Royal College of Music (London), where her teachers included Paul Spicer. As a mezzo-soprano, she began to sing with London Voices in 2005. In 2005, Jeannin joined the faculty of the Royal College of Music Junior Department, teaching singing and choral singing, and has also taught at Imperial College. At the RCM, in November 2006, Jeannin conducted the UK premiere of Consolation I by Helmut Lachenmann.
From 2006 to 2008, Jeannin taught choral conducting at the Conservatoire d'Évry. Since March 2008, she has directed the Maîtrise de Radio France, with responsibility for amateur choir training, free choral instruction for young people, and work with the neighbourhood children of Bondy. [3] [1] In July 2015, she became music director of the Choeur de Radio France, [4] [5] the first woman to hold the title. Her tenure with the Choeur de Radio France was through the 2017-2018 season.
In January 2017, Jeannin first guest-conducted the BBC Singers in a concert at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge. In May 2017, the BBC announced her appointment as the next chief conductor of the BBC Singers, effective July 2018. [6] She is the first female conductor to be named to the post, [7] and the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of a BBC classical music ensemble. Jeannin made her debut at The Proms in August 2017. with the BBC Singers and the City of London Sinfonia. [8] In April 2022, the BBC announced the extension of Jeannin's contract as chief conductor of the BBC Singers through 2026. [9]
In March 2024, Ars Nova Copenhagen announced the appointment of Jeannin as its chief conductor, the first female conductor ever named to the post, with immediate effect, with an initial contract of 3 years. [10]
Jeannin received the medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians of London in 2005. Her other honours include:
The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras.
John Wilton Nelson is an American conductor. His parents were Protestant missionaries.
The BBC Singers is a professional British chamber choir, employed by the BBC. Its origins can be traced to 1924. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time professional British choir, the BBC Singers feature in live concerts, radio transmissions, recordings and education workshops. The choir often performs alongside other BBC Performing Groups, such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and is a regular guest at the BBC Proms. Broadcasts are made from locations around the country: London venues have included St Giles-without-Cripplegate, St John's, Smith Square and St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge.
Carmen: Duets & Arias is an album released in 2010 by Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli. The album is a collection of arias of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, including duets with Welsh bass-baritone, Bryn Terfel, Russian mezzo-soprano Marina Domashenko, and Italian soprano Eva Mei, from the French opéra comique.
Alain Altinoglu is a French conductor of Armenian descent, and an academic teacher. He is chief conductor of both the La Monnaie opera in Brussels and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and has conducted at international opera houses, halls and festivals. He teaches at the Conservatoire de Paris.
Ars Nova Copenhagen is a Danish vocal ensemble based in Copenhagen. The ensemble specialises in the interpretation of the polyphonic choral music of the Renaissance and new vocal music.
Mark Opstad is an Anglo-French choral conductor based in France. He founded and directs the Maîtrise de Toulouse, a critically acclaimed choir based at the Toulouse Conservatoire which has become one of the leading choir school model choirs In France. The choir was awarded the Prix Bettencourt for choral music from the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2017.
Kristiina Poska is an Estonian conductor.
The following events in Swedish music occurred in the year 2017.
Maîtrise de Radio France is the choir school of Radio France. The school and its choir were founded in 1946 by the composer Henry Barraud and the pedagogue Maurice David. Its first Director was Marcel Couraud. As a performing ensemble the Maîtrise choir has appeared on numerous recordings and in live concert performances, with a particular emphasis on choral works by French composers. It is one of the four permanent ensembles of Radio France along with the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre national de France and Chœur de Radio France.
Élisabeth Brasseur was a French choral conductor. In 1920 she founded a choir which has borne her name since 1943.
Denis Comtet is a French organist, pianist, choral conductor, and conductor.
Aurore Tillac is a French choir conductor. Since 2007, she has been directing the Choir of the French Army and the Republican Guard.
Joël Suhubiette is a contemporary French choral conductor. In particular, he conducts the chamber choir Les Éléments which he founded in Toulouse and with which he received a Victoire de la musique classique in 2006 and the Ensemble Jacques Moderne in Tours.
Yvonne Gouverné, née Yvonne Marcelle Gouverné, was a 20th-century French pianist by training, who went on to become an accompanist and choir conductor.
Michel Piquemal is a French choir conductor and conductor. He is also an operatic singer (baritone).
Bernard Tétu is a French choir and orchestra conductor. He regularly conducts numerous symphony orchestra and ensembles of contemporary and early music: the Orchestre de Bordeaux, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Orchestras of Auvergne, Brittany and Provence-Côte d'Azur, La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, the Orchestra of the Opéra national de Lorraine, the Philharmonie de Lorraine... He has also conducted orchestras abroad.
Françoise Lasserre is a French conductor, artistic director of the Akadêmia ensemble since 1986.
Ching-Lien Wu is a French-Taiwanese choir director and choral conductor.
Maxime Pascal is a French conductor.