About
Joachim Saxenborn is a Swedish conductor, concert-, and opera singer, composer, and vocal teacher with an international profile, educated at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Joachim Saxenborn is a Swedish conductor, concert and opera singer, composer, and vocal teacher with an international profile. He studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and is known for his artistic versatility—equally at home on the concert stage and in avant-garde musical theatre.
Saxenborn is the founder of Saxenborn Singers, a choir devoted to twentieth-century and contemporary repertoire. Since it's founding the ensemble has premiered major works by acclaimed composers including Stefan Klaverdal and Johan-Magnus Sjöberg. In 2022, he founded Ensemble Voyage, focusing on new a cappella music. In autumn 2025 he premiered Project 100, a chamber orchestra exploring a repertoire bridging Baroque elegance and contemporary expression.
He has performed at international festivals including Performatik Festival (Belgium), Festival Csillags Zene (Hungary), Gracelands Festival (Ireland), and Lund International Choral Festival (Sweden), and has appeared at events hosted by Swedish embassies and chambers of commerce in the Netherlands and Hungary.
His collaboration with visual artist Ulla von Brandenburg has resulted in major theatre productions across Europe. He leads a highly regarded choral education program in Sweden and has conducted numerous workshops for young aspiring conductors. He is also co-author of the book The Singing City.
Saxenborn is a lyric baritone with an artistic profile centred on the recital stage, alongside work in opera and contemporary music theatre. He has appeared at prominent festivals including Wiener Festwochen and Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, as well as Swedish festivals such as Frödingdagarna, Lindhagafestivalen, Margaretadagarna, Musik på Berga, and Palmfestivalen.
A committed collaborator in contemporary music, he has premiered new operatic works including Beredskapsarbetaren by Jonatan Sersam and Katharina och Martin by Johan-Magnus Sjöberg, composed for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Alongside his work in newly written opera, Saxenborn has also performed earlier repertoire, including Johann Gottlieb Naumann’s Osiris in Sweden and Denmark with the Malmö Lyric Opera Ensemble, as well as Monteverdi’s L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn.
He was a finalist and audience prize winner at the 12th International Nico Dostal Competition in Austria.
Saxenborn has composed and arranged numerous works for choirs of all levels. He created the scores for the contemporary art films Chorspiel and Baisse-toi montagne, lève-toi vallon by Ulla von Brandenburg, as well as for the performance piece Waheide – how do you pronounce your name? by Maria Lepistö.
His works have been exhibited or performed at festivals and venues including Performa 07 (USA), Gracelands Festival (Ireland), Performatik Festival and Atlas Museum (Belgium), Pilar Corrias Gallery and The Common Guild (UK), the Contemporary Art Centre (Latvia), and Lilith Performance Studio (Sweden).
A passionate and dedicated teacher with nearly three decades of experience, Saxenborn coaches singers and leads workshops and masterclasses, frequently collaborating with speech therapist and voice researcher Professor Viveka Lyberg Åhlander. During 2024, he contributed his expertise to a distinguished research team studying older adult voices.
April 2026
Saxenborn is the founder of Saxenborn Singers, a choir devoted to twentieth-century and contemporary repertoire. Since it's founding the ensemble has premiered major works by acclaimed composers including Stefan Klaverdal and Johan-Magnus Sjöberg. In 2022, he founded Ensemble Voyage, focusing on new a cappella music. In autumn 2025 he premiered Project 100, a chamber orchestra exploring a repertoire bridging Baroque elegance and contemporary expression.
He has performed at international festivals including Performatik Festival (Belgium), Festival Csillags Zene (Hungary), Gracelands Festival (Ireland), and Lund International Choral Festival (Sweden), and has appeared at events hosted by Swedish embassies and chambers of commerce in the Netherlands and Hungary.
His collaboration with visual artist Ulla von Brandenburg has resulted in major theatre productions across Europe. He leads a highly regarded choral education program in Sweden and has conducted numerous workshops for young aspiring conductors. He is also co-author of the book The Singing City.
Saxenborn is a lyric baritone with an artistic profile centred on the recital stage, alongside work in opera and contemporary music theatre. He has appeared at prominent festivals including Wiener Festwochen and Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, as well as Swedish festivals such as Frödingdagarna, Lindhagafestivalen, Margaretadagarna, Musik på Berga, and Palmfestivalen.
A committed collaborator in contemporary music, he has premiered new operatic works including Beredskapsarbetaren by Jonatan Sersam and Katharina och Martin by Johan-Magnus Sjöberg, composed for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Alongside his work in newly written opera, Saxenborn has also performed earlier repertoire, including Johann Gottlieb Naumann’s Osiris in Sweden and Denmark with the Malmö Lyric Opera Ensemble, as well as Monteverdi’s L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn.
He was a finalist and audience prize winner at the 12th International Nico Dostal Competition in Austria.
Saxenborn has composed and arranged numerous works for choirs of all levels. He created the scores for the contemporary art films Chorspiel and Baisse-toi montagne, lève-toi vallon by Ulla von Brandenburg, as well as for the performance piece Waheide – how do you pronounce your name? by Maria Lepistö.
His works have been exhibited or performed at festivals and venues including Performa 07 (USA), Gracelands Festival (Ireland), Performatik Festival and Atlas Museum (Belgium), Pilar Corrias Gallery and The Common Guild (UK), the Contemporary Art Centre (Latvia), and Lilith Performance Studio (Sweden).
A passionate and dedicated teacher with nearly three decades of experience, Saxenborn coaches singers and leads workshops and masterclasses, frequently collaborating with speech therapist and voice researcher Professor Viveka Lyberg Åhlander. During 2024, he contributed his expertise to a distinguished research team studying older adult voices.
April 2026