Jens Bjørn-Larsen

Winning the first prize at the "Concours International d'Exécution Musicale" in Geneva in 1991 marked the beginning of an extraordinary career as a tuba soloist for the Dane Jens Bjørn-Larsen.

He has also been awarded the 1st Prize at The Nordic Soloist Competition, Grand Victor Borge Award, the Japanese Bunkamura Prize and the European Juventus Award.

Between 1987 and 2005, he held the position of principal tuba within the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2010, Jens Bjørn-Larsen became a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, after playing with them as a guest for several years.

“I remember the first experience I had with COE when I joined, playing Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. I came from another orchestra and even though, with that orchestra, I had played this piece about twenty times, suddenly, for me it was a completely new piece because I heard a lot of things in the orchestra which I had never heard before. Everybody was playing with enthusiasm and at a very high level.”

In 2002 Jens Bjørn-Larsen was appointed professor at the "Hochschule für Musik und Theater", Hannover, becoming the only full-time distinguished tuba professor in Europe.

Jens teaches at the Royal Danish Academy and is the International Visiting Tutor of Tuba at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He now regularly travels as a B&S and Melton Artist (brass-instrument makers), performing recitals, solo concerti with major orchestras and giving Masterclasses worldwide.