Opera by the fjord - Summer academy 2023

HOW TO APPLY

Please fill in this application form

Please note that all who apply for our summer academy are obliged to pay an application fee of NOK 300 via Vipps (Norway) to Bergen National Opera nr 132655 or via  PayPal (link) when you submit your application. See also the application form.

Conductors:
We have places for 3 conductors.

Age for conductors: 18-35

Deadline: 29th of January 2023

In the application form you are required to include 1-2 recordings, and a link to your CV.

ABOUT YOUR VIDEOS
Please note that you only can include video-LINKS (not password protected) which lead to web sites like YouTube. We cannot accept video files which have to be downloaded.

ABOUT OPERA BY THE FJORD
Bergen National Opera follow up the success of our pilot project in 2021 and that of 2022. We are delighted to launch a new summer academy from Saturday 24th June to Saturday 1st July 2023. The academy's grand finale is a concert at Oseana by Bjørnafjorden south of Bergen, where Act 4 from La bohème (Puccini) and a reduced version of Die Fledermaus (Strauss II), directed by Ivar Tindberg, will be performed. There will also be a separate aria concert with orchestra where all singers will have a solo number.

The singers, conductors and repetiteurs start 24th June, before the musicians in the orchestra join on Tuesday 27th June.

This summer academy is aimed at students who are currently in education, or who have recently graduated. Our top team of coaches have experience from renowned opera houses and symphony orchestras.

Our academy is unique in that singers can 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 vocals.

The three 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 a concert.

In this year’s academy orchestra 25 young musicians will play together with 8 top professionals from renowned opera and symphony orchestras in Scandinavia and Vienna (see list below), who also will be their group leaders and mentors.

ARTISTIC TEAM

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

Vocal coaches:
Solveig Kringlebotn, soprano and professor at the Academy of Opera in Oslo and Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo
Kristin Okerlund, pianist and vocal coach from the Wiener Staatsoper
Hans-Otto Ehrström, pianist and vocal coach from Finnish National Opera in Helsinki

Orchestra coaches:
1st violin:  Maxim Brilinsky, leader of the 1st violin section, Wiener Philharmoniker
2nd violin: Miriam Bergset, Emsemble Allegria, freelance violinist
Viola: James Opie, co-principal viola, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm
Cello:  Kati Raitinen, solo cello, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra in Stockholm
Double bass:  Patrick Wilder, co-principal double bass, The Norwegian Opera & Ballet
Woodwind:
Karl-Heinz Schütz, solo flute Wiener Philharmoniker
Steffen Blindheim, solo english horn and oboe, Malmö Symphony Orchestra
Brass:
Rune Brodahl, solo horn, The Norwegian Opera & Ballet

DATES AND PLACE
24th of June – 1st of July: Singers, repetiteurs and conductors
27th of June – 1st of July: Musicians of the academy orchestra

Place: Oseana Art and Cultural Center south of Bergen

Accommodation: The veteran ship M/S Sunnhordland. A short walking distance to Oseana.

The final concert: 6 PM/18:00 CET Saturday 1st of July

It is possible to stay the night to the 2nd of July, with breakfast before departure.

SCHOLARSHIPS
A means-tested scholarship is available for applicants. The scholarship could cover parts or all of the fee – and/or high travel costs. Please note: There are a limited number of scholarships.

FEE
Fee for conductors: NOK 5 000 (shared cabin) / NOK 8 000 (single cabin)
Includes tuition, accommodation and three meals a day.
Please note that the number of single cabins is limited, so there is no guarantee of a single cabin for all participants.

Opera by the Fjord - Summer Academy 2023 is presented by Bergen National Opera in collaboration med Oseana kunst- og kultursenter, and is supported by Grieg Foundation, Sparebankstiftelsen DnB, Talent Norge, Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebanken Vest and GC Rieber Fondene.