Open Air Opera in Bergen

Music & culture

Jan 26

Who: Opera Bergen

What: Opera

Where: Bergen

Project period: 1989 – 2020

Web: Opera Bergen

Opera Bergen was founded in 1982 by Anne Randine Øverby and Tone Kvam Thorsen.

During the years, the aim has been the same; to produce opera performances at an international level, either alone or in cooperation with regional, national, and international cultural institutions.

Opera Bergen has, since its founding, produced more than 150 operas on different venues in Bergen: Grieghallen, Peer Gynt, The National Thatre, Logen Theatre, St. John’s Church, Arenum. Quite a number has been first performances ever in Norway or Scandinavia: In 2017 Opera Bergen gave the Scandinavian premier of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh. Earlier Norwegian premiers De Falla’s La Vida Breve (1987), Verdi’s Macbeth (1989), and Pizetti’s Murder in the Cathedral (1989).

The work list of Opera Bergen includes fully staged productions of standard and classical works, but also several more modern opera works: Korngold’s Violanta, Menotti’s The Medium, Libby Larsen’s Dreaming Blue, Brecht’s Die Sieben Todsünden, and Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. For a full view of productions, see https://operabergen.no/produksjoner/

Opera Bergen has made several international tours with opera and concert productions: Cairo Opera House and Asmara (1992), Ashkelon/Israel (1993), Prague and Vienna (1998), Beijing/China (2001 and 2008), Mumbai/India (2010). They have also established and developed the medieval castle in Bergen as an open-air stage for acoustic opera and contributed to bringing the art to a broad audience, locals and tourists in Bergen.

Opera Bergen has been supported by Grieg and Grieg Foundation since 1989.