Young singers, instrumentalists and conductors have worked intensely for several days, guided by their coaches, at the Summer Academy Opera by the Fjord 2024. They are now ready for the staged concert with highlights from Das Rheingold by Wagner, as well as a selection of famous arias.

You'll meet the opera personalities from Das Rheingold, interpreted by the singers. 26 young instrumentalists will play in the academy orchestra together with top professionals from renowned opera and symphony orchestras in Scandinavia and Vienna, who also will be their section leaders and mentors. The concert master is Maxim Brilinsky, 1st violinist from the Wiener Philharmoniker.

WHAT IS THE SUMMER ACADEMY?
The summer academy Opera by the fjord is aimed at students who are currently in education, or who have recently graduated. Our top team of coaches all have experience from renowned opera houses and symphony orchestras.

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 simply vocal training.

The conductor students will get a tailor-made mentoring in the specialist skills required to be an opera conductor, and two repetiteur students are also joining.

26 young instrumentalists will play in the academy orchestra 2024 together with top professionals from renowned opera and symphony orchestras in Scandinavia and Vienna, who also will be their section leaders and mentors.

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

FACULTY / ARTISTIC TEAM 2024

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

Stage director:
 Ivar Emil Tindberg, Norwegian stage director, writer and composer

Vocal coaches:
Solveig Kringlebotn, soprano and professor at the Academy of Opera in Oslo and Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo
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 Finnish National Opera in Helsinki

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:
Karl-Heinz Schütz, solo flute Wiener Philharmoniker
Audun Halvorsen, principal bassoon in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (DR SymfoniOrkestret)
Brass:
José Luis Cortell, principal horn alternating, the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki
Timpani and percussion:  Manuel Hofstätter*, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

*Hofstätter is our guest musician, and not a coach at the academy

Opera by the fjord - Summer Academy 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.