Eva Hess Thaysen

Eva Hess Thaysen is Professor and Head of the Voice Department as well as Head of Artistic Research Studies at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. She has served as faculty at Florence's Bel Canto Institute since 2006 and conducted masterclasses globally including Beijing, Milan, and Vilnius.

Education

• Bachelor's in Comparative Literature, Hamilton College, New York (1980)
• Diploma in Vocal Performance, The Royal Danish Academy of Music (1989)
• Master's in Elite Voice Pedagogy, The Royal Danish Academy of Music (2008)

Research Focus

Her work centers on voice pedagogy, vocal diction standards, and artistic research methodologies. She has pioneered phonetic notation systems for Danish art song while exploring text-music relationships in Lied interpretation. Current initiatives include leading DKDM's three-year 'Diversity and Inclusion in Classical Music' theme and the 'The Hidden Language' artistic research project.

Publication Trends

Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent integration of performance practice with academic research, particularly in vocal diction (2023 book), Danish repertoire standardization (2021), and artistic knowledge production (2017). Publications bridge musicology, linguistics, and pedagogy with emphasis on Scandinavian vocal traditions.

Professional Leadership

She chairs The Danish Song Society (since 2000) and co-founded the biennial Copenhagen Lied Duo Competition (2015). Her board service spans Else Brems’ Rejsefond (2014-present), Sangfonden af 2013 (2011-present), and Music Confucius Institute (2012-2020). She serves on international juries including Bel Canto Institute competitions and EU project evaluations.