The choral movement holds a prominent position in the Nordic countries,and choral singing is one of the top social activities in terms of the number ofpeople involved. While all these choirs need conductors and depend on choralleadership competence, we have limited knowledge of the existence and levelof available competence, qualitatively or quantitatively. Music academiesand universities are key providers of competence and capacity to meet thedemands of amateur and professional ensembles alike. This paper seeks toestablish a picture of university/academy-based education in choral conducting,with focus on the Scandinavian countries. Existing research is scarce, and theoverall aim of this initial effort is to provide a foundation for further research.We have pursued the following related research questions; which educationalprogrammes exist, what are their profiles in terms of the underlying thinkingand ensemble needs they serve, and what is the capacity in terms of number ofstudents? A variety of research data has been gathered, including curriculumreviews and interviews with conducting teachers and students from selectedinstitutions. Although we have been able to answer the research questionsto some degree, the study opens a series of new questions, which suggest anagenda for further research.