SUMMER ACADEMY 2025

Are you looking for practical experience on stage, input and inspiration from professionals in the world of opera and symphony?

The concert programme for 2025 is: Highlights from Don Giovanni, act 1 from Die Walküre – and the scene Im Walde from Hänsel und Gretel – plus the student's own favourite arias. The Swedish baritone Peter Mattei, renowned for his role as Don Giovanni at The Met and several other opera houses, joins the team for the first time – together with Solveig Kringlebotn and the Wagner-expert Albert Dohmen.

Our summer academy is aimed at young opera singers, orchestra musicians, conductors and repetiteurs over 18 years old who are currently in education, or recently graduated. Our top team of coaches have experience from renowned opera houses and symphony orchestras.

You are welcome to apply! The application forms are on Muvac (link).

DATES 2025
21-29 June for singers, conductors and repetiteurs
24-29 June for orchestra musicians

AGE LIMIT
18-35 years

PLACE
Venue for rehearsals and concerts:
Oseana Art and Cultural Center, south of Bergen.

Accommodation and meals (included in the academy fee):
The veteran ship M/S Sunnhordland. A short walking distance from Oseana.

CONCERT PROGRAMME 2025
Thursday 26th of June
Don Giovanni (highlights) by Mozart
Im Walde (2. Bild) from Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck
– and individual arias.

Sunday 29th of June
Die Walküre, Act 1 by Wagner
– and individual arias.

HOW TO APPLY

APPLY HERE (link to Muvac)

DEADLINE FOR THE APPLICATION
08 December 2024

ACADEMY FEE
Singers, orchestra musicians, conductors and repetiteurs: NOK 5000
Orchestra musicians: NOK 2500

The academy fee includes tuition, accommodation and three meals a day.

APPLICATION FORM
Please use our application form for your expertise or instrument at Bergen National Opera's page at Muvac.com
You will soon find them all listed there, under "Vacancies”. In order to apply, you first have to make a personal profile on Muvac. This is free of charge.

APPLICATION FEE
Please also note that all applicants are obliged to pay an application fee of EURO 26. The application fee will not be refunded.

YOUR APPLICATION VIDEOS
Please note that you only can include videoLINKS (not password protected) which lead to web sites like YouTube or Vimeo. We do not accept video files which have to be downloaded.

*** SINGERS (14 students) ***

Academy fee for singers: NOK 5000

Our academy is unique in that singers can rehearse and perform together with an orchestra, in a staged situation, as well as in concert arias. The training program is put into a larger context and will go beyond only vocal training.

The singers will get a role in Don Giovanni by Mozart or in Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck.

Sopranos will also have the possibility to apply for the specific role of Sieglinde, and male singers will also have the possibility to apply for the specific roles of Hunding and Siegmund in Die Walküre by Wagner. Please check the specific vacancy for each of these roles, and also see the information below.

In addition each singer will get the opportunity to sing one of their favourite arias with the academy orchestra.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and video recordings of two different arias of your choice – preferably in different styles. In the “Questionnaire” at the end of the application form, you should also name three opera arias in different styles that you would like to study and perform in concert. Each aria should not be more than 5 minutes long. One of them will be picked out for you to be sung with the orchestra during one of the two academy concerts.

Special information for those interested in the role of Sieglinde, Siegmund or Hunding: In the "Cover letter" in the specific application form for one of these roles you can please inform us if you only are interested in this role, or if you also are applying in general as a singer for our Academy: If this is the case (also applying in general as a singer), you do not have to fill in two different application forms. The specific application form for Sieglinde, Siegmund or Hunding will then be the only one you have to use.

*** ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS (33 students) ***

Academy fee for orchestra musicians: NOK 2500

In the academy orchestra 33 young musicians will play together with 8 top professionals from renowned opera and symphony orchestras, who also will be their section leaders and mentors.

For the academy orchestra we have positions available for these instruments: 

violin
viola
cello
double bass
flute - 2. flute also piccolo
oboe – 2. oboe also cor anglais
clarinet – 2. clarinet also bass clarinet
bassoon
horn
trumpet
trombone
bass trombone

In addition to the tutti rehearsals, there will also be group sessions, enabling you to dive into the orchestra excerpts from the opera literature with your section leader.

For cello players: By agreement, we will subsidise the transportation of your instrument.
For double bass players: By agreement, we will provide you with an instrument.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and a video recording of a solo piece of your choice – plus video recordings of 1 or 2 short orchestra excerpts from our repertoire-list. It is up to each of you to decide if you wish to use piano accompaniment or not when recording the solo piece of your choice.

The list has specified details for each instrument, and also separate links to music sheet PDFs. Please note that the PDF for your specific instrument is also to be found as a part of the application form on Muvac.

https://bno.no/eng/akademi-repertoar

*** CONDUCTORS (4 students) ***

Academy fee for conductors: NOK 5000

The conductor students will get a tailor-made mentoring in the specialist skills required to be an opera conductor. They will lead vocal as well as orchestral rehearsals, and also have the possibility to conduct pieces in concert.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and 1-3 video recordings as links.

*** REPETITEURS (2 students) ***

Academy fee for repetiteurs: NOK 5000

As a repetiteur student you will have the possibility to work closely with the pianists and vocal coaches, and follow the conductors in the coaching of the singers.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and 1-3 video recordings as links. One of the music pieces has to be an aria with a singer and you as the accompanist. And in addition the solo piece(s) of your choice.

THE FACULTY / ARTISTIC TEAM 2025
Directors and founders:
Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Artistic & General Director of Bergen National Opera, and Chief Conductor of Noord Nederlands Orkest
Sascha Goetzel, Music Director for Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and Principle Guest Conductor for Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra

Staging team:
 Ivar Emil Tindberg, stage director, writer and composer
Ann-Terese Aasen, assistant stage director, choreographer and stage director

Vocal coaches:
Solveig Kringlebotn, soprano and professor at the Academy of Opera in Oslo and Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo
Peter Mattei, baritone from Sweden, renowned for the title roles as Don Giovanni and Wozzeck at The Met
Albert Dohmen, bass-baritone from Germany, renowned for his Ring-roles Wotan, Alberich and Hagen at the Bayreuth festival 
Kristin Okerlund, pianist and vocal coach from the Vienna State Opera
Hans-Otto Ehrström, pianist and vocal coach from the Vienna State Opera

Orchestra coaches/section leaders:
1st violin: Maxim Brilinsky, leader of the 1st violin section, Wiener Philharmoniker
2nd violin:  Lucas Takeshi Stratmann, principal 2nd violin, Wiener Staatsoper
Viola:  James Opie, co-principal viola, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm
Cello:  Erik Wahlgren, solocellist, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm
Double bass:  Patrick Wilder, co-principal double bass, The Norwegian Opera & Ballet
Woodwind:
flute: TBA
Audun Halvorsen, principal bassoon in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (DR SymfoniOrkestret)
Brass:
Rune Brodahl, solo horn, The Norwegian Opera & Ballet

QUESTIONS?
Do you have questions about our Summer Academy Opera by the Fjord?
Please contact info@bno.no

The Summer Academy Opera by the Fjord is presented by Bergen National Opera in collaboration med Oseana kunst- og kultursenter, and is supported by Grieg Foundation, Sparebankstiftelsen DnB, Talent Norge, Vestland fylkeskommune, Sparebank1 SR-Bank og SR-stiftelsen and The GC Rieber Foundations.

Photos from the Opera at the fjord concerts 2021, 2022 and 2023: