Jørn Fossheim finished his diploma as a pianist at the Norwegian Music Academy in 1996, and made his Oslo debut the same year, playing Rachmaninov’s 3rd concerto to critical acclaim. Since then, he has frequently been giving recitals and appeared as soloist with various orchestras in his native Norway, France, Russia, Japan, etc. He also graduated conducting from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, having worked with Alexander Polishchuk.

As a conductor and a pianist he performed and recorded with orchestras such as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Astrakhan Philharmonic; Burgas Opera and Ballet in Bulgaria; Chuvash State Opera and Ballet, Russia; Dnepropetrovsk Opera and Ballet; Kharkov Philharmonic Orchestra; Karelia State Philharmonic Orchestra; Lithuania State Symphony Orchestra; Philharmonisches Orchester der Staatstheater Cottbus; Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; Russian State Symphony Orchestra; St. Petersburg State Academic Orchestra; Westsächsische Sinfonieorchester, Leipzig, etc. Besides conducting symphonic programs, Fossheim has frequently been appearing as an opera conductor, having conducted in houses such as Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro São Carlos in Lisbon, Dnepropetrovsk State Opera, etc. In 2012 Jørn Fossheim was engaged as 1. Kapellmeister at the State Opera and Ballet of Karelia. From 2016, Fossheim has been the principal conductor at the State Opera of Buryatia, Russia.

 

In his native Norway, Fossheim is also known as an editor of music. He is one of the administrators of the state project Norwegian Musical Heritage, where he also serves as editor of the 20-volume edition The Collected Works of Johan Svendsen.