Pianist and conductor Erika Gundesen (ARCT, BMus, MPerf, ArtDip) began her initial studies in Calgary, Canada. She is a distinguished graduate of the University of British Columbia, where she studied with Jane Coop. She continued her studies with Caroline Palmer at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she was awarded a Masters in Performance as well as an Artist Diploma as a répétiteur.

Erika was an assistant conductor fellow at the Guildhall in 2017. She has competed as a finalist in the Canadian Music Competition as well as the Knigge International Piano Competition. Erika works as a répétiteur and conductor for opera and theatre productions in London, with a particular passion for contemporary repertoire.

She has worked as a music director and pianist for Virtually Opera, London Theatre Workshop, Vivo d’Arte, and for Pint of Wine Productions, as well as amateur societies including Geoids Musical Theatre and the Young Actors Theatre Islington. She has been a guest artist and coach at Opera North, New Sussex Opera, Opera Loki, Debut Opera, the Southbank Centre, Song in the City and the Finborough Theatre. She was also recently selected to participate in a special Women Conductors' Course as a collaboration between the Royal Philharmonic Society, the Royal Opera House and the National Opera Studio. Erika was a National Opera Studio Young Artist from 2017-2018, a Britten Pears Young Artist for 2019, and an Emerging Artist for Scottish Opera from 2018-2019.

www.erikagundesen.co.uk