THE SUMMER ACADEMY 2022 - Opera by the fjord
This years Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy was organized by Bergen National Opera between 25th June and 1st July 2022.
Bergen National Opera (BNO)'s main task is to produce opera at a high international level for a wide audience, from full-stage operas in Grieghallen to festivals and concerts, with world-class conductors, directors, and singers. They are a hub for outstanding artistic quality within the field of opera. Our main collaborating partners are the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Edvard Grieg Choir.
As an ambitious and flexible opera company, they are constantly on the lookout for skilled artists who can contribute to giving a new perspective to the opera repertoire. Bergen National Opera emphasize presenting important and exciting operas that have not previously been staged in Norway, together with an extensive program for children and young people.
Bergen National Opera are committed to developing future opera artists through our summer academy Opera by the Fjord and to offering participants engagements in our productions. Bergen National Opera has a duty to educate and play an active role in the development of talent and competence in the opera field and is firmly rooted in Bergen and Western Norway's artistic and cultural life and at the same time plans for broad national and international collaboration.
The academy is aimed at young singers, conductors, instrumentalists (orchestral musicians) and accompanists, who are either currently studying or have recently graduated.
Bergen National Opera offer young artists experience and knowledge of what awaits them in their further professional life - both through guidance and practice. It's an intense week - where a lot happens - and the participants are encouraged to use every moment to reflect and grow both as performers and as persons.
The teaching staff - skilled pedagogues, coaches, orchestral musicians, and conductors - are all drawn from large opera houses or symphony orchestras in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway.
In this year's academy, many of the 42 students were from Norway. In addition, there were students from Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, China and Japan. In total they welcomed 2 repetiteur students, 3 conducting students, 13 singing students and 25 instrumentalist students.
In their own way, all four professional groups are stimulated and strengthened during Opera by the Fjord, not least:
The singers get to sing with an orchestra, both in staged opera and as concert singers. The teaching is placed in a larger context, touching on more than purely vocal aspects.
The conducting students receive a complete training package, with both guided singer and orchestral rehearsals, as well as responsibility for their own repertoire at the closing concert.
In this year's academy orchestra, 25 young instrumentalists played together with 10 professionals, who also acted as group leaders. There are many academies for instrumentalists, but few where the orchestra plays together with singers.
The instrumentalists receive individual instruction in orchestral excerpts from the operatic literature, plus the offer of a mock audition, with all the teachers as "jury". This gives the students a unique chance to get honest and constructive feedback, which they can actively learn from and work with, before they go out into the job market and participate in real auditions.
The accommodation on board the veteran ship MS Sunnhordland, which was docked a short distance from Oseana, is also part of the overall experience of Opera by the Fjord. All students are accommodated on board, and in addition the boat functioned as a social meeting point for both teachers and students and other personnel associated with the academy. The veteran ship - together with Oseana and the location in Os - gives the academy its unique ambience.
Opera by the Fjord was first organized as a pilot project in 2021. Thanks to Grieg Foundation the academy is now an annual event, and this year's academy was also expanded in terms of the number of days, program and participants – adding accompanists in this year’s program.
In addition to a concert program consisting of arias, duets and ensembles, the comic one-act Gianni Schicchi was also rehearsed and presented, in collaboration with the experienced director Ivar Tindberg. The performance, on the closing day, Saturday 2nd July, was completely sold out with a long waiting list for returned tickets. The response from the audience was overwhelming.
Feedback from this year's academy
Following the summer academy, BNO has collected feedback from both students and teaching staff in the form of an anonymous survey. Among the students and teachers, there is a great satisfaction both in general with the academy as a whole and the professional benefit they feel that the participants have achieved during the intense week of the academy.
What worked well at this year´s academy and why?
“The rehearsals were well managed, the tutors have helped me a lot and I learnt much also from the conductors, although indirectly”
“For the orchestra, I think that the number of participants vs coaches was perfect for each of us students to have good connection with the coaches to closely observe and learn. And the team of coaches were amazing! The mock audition was also an incredible opportunity, to try the audition atmosphere and to get feedback from the professional musicians”
“Mentorene var veldig gode og inspirerende, gøy repertoar og hyggelig kurs. Jeg var veldig glad for tilbudet om Mock-audition”
“De ærlige tilbakemeldingene var gull”
“Working alongside the tutors was fantastic. I loved the whole ethos of the course, and the unique location and living on the boat. It was a fantastic experience musically and with my colleagues”
“Jeg synes det var en veldig god stemning på kurset. Det var lave skuldre og rom for at jeg som sanger kunne utfolde meg og prøve ut ting. Jeg veldig godt premisset om at vi alle måtte være fleksible og tilpasse oss ifht. prøver etterhvert som dagene gikk”
“Alla var underbara, kompetenta, lustfyllda och välkomnande! Ledarna skapade god stämning och det var självklart att alla ansträngde sig till sitt yttersta för att få så gott resultat som möjligt.
“Really great having the musicians from Vienna Phil. there. They contributed with a whole lot of experience and knowledge and playing together with them and for them was very fun, educational and helpful”
“Bra repertoarvalg av opera, var veldig gøy å kunne få spille den. Var også veldig bra håndtering av smittesituasjonen da det ble opplyst om og tatt hånd om raskt, fint at alle ble testet såpass fort”
“I felt awesome at the rehearsals”
“Synes samarbeidet mellom solistene, dirigentene og orkesteret fungerte godt fordi prøvene var veldig godt fordelt”
“Mesteparten fungerte bra grunnet veldig bra planlegging og rask informasjonsspredning! I tillegg var innholdet veldig gøy og lærerikt og dirigentene inspirerende! Det eneste blir vel at vi som instrumentalister føltes som en ganske separat gjeng sosialt”
“Everything really, it was a very nice experience”
“Det var veldig spennende å jobbe så tett på dirigenter, ettersom man ikke gjør det så mye på studiene. Veldig inspirerende å få et innblikk i hva de som dirigenter legger vekt på.
“Very great coaches, teacher, conductors. Audition for agents was a good opportunity to see how it works outside. Feedback rounds were very helpful to understand what to do better and how to improve”
“The ambience was fantastic, nice repertoire and great musicians”
“Det var veldig kjekt å kunne jobbe med og samarbeide med unge dirigenter og repetitører og dette fungerte veldig bra på kurset. Også samarbeidet med de profesjonelle dirigentene og coachene”
“Videoanalyse, konsert, tilbakemeldinger fra lærerne, sosial opplevelse, atmosfære, middag med sponsorene. Det var et trygt miljø hvor man kunne lære, forbedre ting og møte fantastiske musikere og kolleger”
Other comments from the students:
“I would just like to say thank you for such a wonderful experience, the tutors and especially the mock audition was incredibly valuable. I will most definitely be applying again next year”
“Veldig unikt og spennende kurs!”
“Dette kurset har dessuten en meget hyggelig pris! Jeg har allerede anbefalt det til mange andre”
“I am very thankful for every member of the academy. I really enjoyed it and got very great experience for the future”
“Tusen takk for i år! Det var, som i fjor, en stor glede å være med!”
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