Opera by the fjords

Oct 14

Oseana in Os and M/S Sunnhordland was filled with young singers and musicians when Bergen National Opera (BNO) premiered a unique summer academy, Opera by the fjord, August 16 – 21 August 2021. Singers, musicians and two aspiring conductors met for a new and unique opera academy in Norway funded by Grieg Foundation.

This academy for young elite talent, the future of opera. was the very first project for Eivind Gullberg Jensen, the new Artistic and General Director of Bergen National Opera as opera director in Bergen.

Ten young singers, fifteen young musicians and two aspiring conductors were guided by experienced opera musicians, excellent role models from the Royal Opera in Stockholm, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. In addition to insights into the life of an orchestral musician, they received one on one lessons in orchestral excerpts, and were trained to hold an orchestral audition, with constructive feedback.

The young musicians found it inspiring and exciting to take part in a concentrated opera rehearsal with the associated challenges such as listening to what is happening on stage, while simultaneously following one another as an ensemble. For the conductors, this was also a welcome chance to work with orchestra and vocals together, one of the most beautiful and demanding things one can do as a conductor.

We hope that this will become BNO's signature project in the years to come.

Kelly Sohyoung Lee (violin):

“Always diminuendo at the end of the note”

This might be one of the quotes the orchestra members have heard most often while working together. There are many positive aspects to participating in an academy like Opera by the fjord. Getting to know fellow musicians, expanding knowledge, sharing musical ideas. However, after experiencing many other international orchestra academies, I discovered one of the unique jewels that could only be provided by Opera by the fjord. We had some of the best instrumentalists in the world as our leaders, not to mention our world-renowned conductors.

I learned so much by watching how they work together during rehearsals. To be able to work right next to them was a truly amazing experience. We not only had orchestra rehearsals, but we also got a chance to have a masterclass with them and were able to receive one on one lesson with our section leaders. As a recently graduated violinist with many upcoming auditions, those individual sessions were truly valuable for my future.

Opera by the fjord is a friendly academy. We had an exclusive selection of students for the program that made each of our presence more valuable. Each one of us mattered and therefore, we were receiving full, undivided attention by our mentors and teachers. This makes a world of difference in terms of participation, and I truly think that this took the program to be another level.

I had a blast participating for Opera by the fjord 2021 and I sincerely wish that it could be prolonged for as long as possible. Thank you so much for all.

Eva Langeland Fence (soprano):

“This is a course and an experience I will cherish for a very long time!”

I travelled to Bergen and Os very excited about what this course was going to be like, and with high expectations of a fantastic week. I have to say, those expectations were really met. The week was a unique experience! Everyone from conductors, coaches and those in the administration welcomed us, it was wonderful.

It was inspiring to work so close to, and with, world-class conductors and coaches. We were all met with respect and encouraged to do our best. It was also inspiring to sing, and work, with the orchestra.

Singing with an orchestra requires a completely different focus than performing with a pianist and gaining experience in this aspect is a unique opportunity to get.

MS Sunnhordland was an unusual and cosy place to stay. The fact that everyone lived together, both the course participants and their mentors, made us a very close-knit group. Apart from the time we were at the cultural centre practicing or watching each other's training sessions, we were together for good meals, card games and swimming in the fjord.

Philip E. Steinland (bass baritone):

“Singing with an orchestra was incredibly fun, exciting, and an educational experience.”

In the summer of 2021, I participated as a singer at the summer academy Opera by the fjord. The Academy was new, and I was very excited about how it would be. I was most excited at the prospect of being able to sing with an orchestra. This is something I have not done much of before and which no other academy in Norway offers.

I had a wonderful experience of the academy. We were greeted by educators who were committed, skilled, patient and experienced in their field. They all had great enthusiasm for the academy and worked hard to achieve a good result.

Solveig Kringlebotn was our singing teacher. It was wonderful to have someone like Solveig who you could easily go to when there was something we were wondering about. I got a lot of help from her when it came to directing the aria that was to be performed at the show towards the end of the academy. It was clear that she had a lot of experience and came with good input. The Academy also had a vocal coach, Kristin Okerlund who works at the Vienna State Opera. It was incredibly exciting to be able to have a few hours with her. She was very experienced, confident, and had a lot of knowledge to bring.

The conductors of the academy were Sascha Goetzel and Eivind Gullberg Jensen. These were inspirational to work with. They worked thoroughly, both with rehearsals, the musical aspects and with conducting. They are both conductors who are internationally known and it was very exciting to work with professionals with such experience. In addition, there were two assistant conductors under the leadership of Eivind and Sascha, and it was also an

enrichment to see how they worked. Singing with an orchestra was incredibly fun, exciting, and an educational experience. The instrumentalists were very skilled, dedicated, and musical.

We all lived in the same place which made it easy to get to know. It was a very nice bunch where everyone was nice, encouraging, and cheerful to each other.

Sigrid Djønne (flute):

“After a particularly long and difficult corona year, it was incredibly nice to be able to take part in such an inspiring and fun course.”

I gained useful experience from the course. To be able to sit next to and play with professional musicians, and learn from their experiences, as well as to play under eminent and knowledgeable conductors, gives valuable insight that I take with me further in my dream of being able to work as a fulltime orchestra musician.

During this week I learned much more about playing in an opera orchestra, which is quite different to playing in a symphony orchestra.

Aside from the purely musical, I have become acquainted with an incredible number of great people throughout the week. We got to know each other very well in just one week and had especially nice evenings together on M / S Sunnhordland, with good food and superb hosts.

I am so happy to have been a part of the very first edition of BNO's summer academy, and I am also very happy to be able to play even more fantastic opera repertoire together with Bergen National Opera later this autumn.

I hope it will be possible for many more young musicians to join this summer academy in the years to come!

Guro Haugli (conductor):

“The Academy has helped me find my own identity and way of working.”

It meant a lot to me to be part of the Opera by the fjord. I'm a conductor and I graduated a year ago. Opera is a genre we have done little of in my study and is something I have long wanted to learn more about and gain more experience in opera conducting. When I saw that there were places available for conductors at the Opera by the fjord, I had no doubt that I would apply. Finally, an opera course in Norway, this was really right for me!

The course was well set up and we learned from each other. As a conductor, it is very useful to observe the feedback the singers receive from their teachers. It has helped me better understand the needs of the singers and really get an insight into how they work. One thing is to learn from the technical feedback, but also how they work to convey through both acting and presence on stage. It was really inspiring to see and something I've thought a lot about since I got home from the course. It was also very nice to have both Sascha and Eivind on the course and see them both conducting. There are so many ways of conducting and it is inspiring to see two such different conductors at work. This has helped me finding my own identity and way of working, while at the same time learning their specific tips. I think the

strength of the course lies in the fact that you get insight into so many different things. There are singers, musicians, and conductors alike and that everyone is there to develop. This is one of the few courses I have participated in where I have really felt that one can try and fail along the way and that one can work your way together during the course. It’s very important that the course ends in a concert!

I am left with lots of inspiration and joy working with opera repertoire and am already in the process of studying several operas. As an artist, it has really meant that I dare to dive into learning more opera repertoire and hope it will lead me back to an opera production soon.

Sakarias Tranvåg

“A truly unique experience”

As a singing student and participant at Bergen National Opera's first summer academy Opera by the fjord, I must say that this is a fantastic course that I hope can establish itself as an important summer academy in the Nordic countries. There is no similar course like it in either Norway or the rest of the Nordic countries where you can gain similar experience.

Through my 5 years of singing studies at both the Barratt Due Institute of Music and the Opera Academy in Copenhagen, I have not yet experienced anything comparable to this experience.

The combination of working so closely with conductors and coaches of the highest quality and getting the precious and rare experience of singing with an orchestra gave me a truly unique lesson. Opera is an art form where singing, orchestral music, directing and scenography are fused into one great artistic expression, and finally getting an arena and platform where young singers and musicians can actually get an insight into how such a production takes place is incredibly precious. I am convinced that investing in this summer academy is to invest the opera scenes of the future both nationally and internationally and stimulate general growth in cultural life.