Terje Mikkelsen's conducting has been described by critics as 'extremely impressive and dramatically powerful.' His control of sound, balance, and texture is described as 'masterful.'
After graduating from the Norwegian State Academy of Music, Mikkelsen obtained his diploma in orchestral conducting as a student of the renowned professor Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. In 1985, he began working with Mariss Jansons in both Oslo and St. Petersburg, establishing a close collaboration. Mikkelsen then embarked on his own musical journey, conducting orchestras in Eastern and Central Europe, Japan, China, and Thailand.
His musical appointments include the following prestigious positions: Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra - Conductor and Music Director, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra - Principal Guest Conductor, and then successively: Latvian National Symphony Orchestra - Music Director and Conductor, Thüringen Philharmonic - GDM, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - Principal Conductor, Moscow Radio Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra - Principal Guest Conductor, and a visiting professorship at the College of Music, Mahidol University in Bangkok.
He has built an impressive and extensive discography of approximately 50 recordings with various orchestras, including the Latvian National Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Thüringen Philharmonic, Ukrainian National Orchestra, Lithuanian National Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.
During his collaboration with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Mikkelsen conducted more than 70 concerts outside of Latvia in Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Thailand. With this orchestra alone, he has made more than 25 CD recordings. In 2009, Mikkelsen and the LNSO released two CDs of Norwegian music, which received enthusiastic reviews worldwide.
He is a much sought-after conductor, touring with orchestras such as the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Munich Radio Orchestra. Mikkelsen regularly performs with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra (Svetlanov Orchestra) and has given numerous concerts with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and many other renowned orchestras.
