SUMMER ACADEMY 2024

Are you looking for practical experience on stage, input and inspiration from professionals from the world of opera and symphony?

Bergen National Opera is delighted to launch our fourth summer academy, from Saturday 22nd of June – Sunday 30th of June 2024, at Oseana by Bjørnafjorden south of Bergen. The academy's grand finales are two different concerts, where highlights from Die Zauberflöte by W.A. Mozart and from Das Rheingold by Wagner will be performed, in addition to the singers' own chosen arias.

Our summer academy is aimed at young opera singers, orchestra musicians, conductors and repetiteurs over 18 years old 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.

DATES 2024
Saturday 22nd of June – Sunday 30th of June:
Singers, conductors and repetiteurs

Tuesday 25th of June – Sunday 30th of June:
Orchestra musicians

PLACE
Venue for rehearsals and concerts:
Oseana Art and Cultural Center, south of Bergen.

Accommodation and meals:
The veteran ship M/S Sunnhordland. A short walking distance to Oseana. It is possible to stay the night to Monday 1st of July, with breakfast before departure.

CONCERT PROGRAMME 2024
Thursday 27th of June 6 PM/18:00 CET
Die Zauberflöte / The Magic Flute (highlights) by W. A. Mozart
– and individual arias.

Sunday 30th of June 6 PM/18:00 CET
Das Rheingold / The Rhinegold (highlights) by Richard Wagner
– and individual arias.

HOW TO APPLY
DEADLINE FOR THE APPLICATION
Wednesday 31st of January 2024 (The application forms are now closed.)

AGE AND ACADEMY FEE
See specific details below for each of the four different student categories:
Singers, orchestra musicians, conductors and repetiteurs.

The academy fee includes tuition, accommodation and three meals a day.

APPLICATION FORM
Please use our application form for your expertise or instrument at Bergen National Opera's page at Muvac.com
You will find them all listed there, under "Vacancies”. In order to apply, you first have to make a personal profile on Muvac. This is free of charge.

APPLICATION FEE
Please also note that all applicants 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. If this fee is still not paid four days after the application deadline, we will not take your application into consideration. The application fee will not be refunded.

YOUR APPLICATION VIDEOS
Please note that you only can include videoLINKS (not password protected) which lead to web sites like YouTube or Vimeo. We do not accept video files which have to be downloaded.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships will be offered to help with the cost of participation. The applicants who are selected and invited as an academist 2024, will receive information about how to apply for a scholarship.

GC Rieber Scholarship
In 2022, the GC Rieber grant was established with the aim of contributing to the artistic development of the recipients. The recipients of the grant in 2022 were two tenors from the west coast of Norway, Markus Bjørlykke and Ian Marcus Bjørsvik. The funds were used to cover expenses related to travel, accommodation, and course fees in connection with the artistic development of the recipients. The GC Rieber Study Grant for 2024 will be awarded to one or more performers who excel during the academy itself.

*** SINGERS (22 students) ***
Age for singers: 18-40
Academy fee for singers: NOK 8000

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 only vocal training.

In addition to a role in Die Zauberflöte or in Das Rheingold (highlights) each singer will get the opportunity to sing one of their favourite arias with the academy orchestra.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and video recordings of two different arias of your choice – preferably in different styles. In the “Questionnaire” at the end of the application form, you should also name three different opera arias which you would like to study and perform in concert. One of them will be picked out for you to be sung with the orchestra during one of the two academy concerts.

*** ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS (26 students) ***
Age for orchestra musicians: 18-30
Academy fee for orchestra musicians: NOK 2000

In the academy orchestra 26 young musicians will play together with 8 top professionals from renowned opera and symphony orchestras, who also will be their section leaders and mentors.

For the academy orchestra we have positions available for these instruments: 

violin (9)
viola (3)
cello (2)
double bass (1)
flute (1)
oboe (2)
clarinet (2)
bassoon 1)
horn (1)
trumpet (2)
trombone (1)
bass trombone (1)

In addition to the tutti rehearsals, group sessions are also planned, enabling you to dive into the orchestra excerpts from the opera literature with your section leader. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a mock audition (limited places) with the teachers as a "jury". This is a unique chance to get honest and constructive feedback before you participate in real auditions.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and a video recording of a solo piece of your choice – plus video recordings of 1 or 2 short orchestra excerpts from our repertoire-list. This list has specified details for each instrument, and also separate links to the PDFs with the music sheets needed:

https://bno.no/eng/akademi-repertoar

New note (added January 10th): It is up to each of you to decide if you wish to use piano accompaniment or not on the recording of the solo piece of your choice.

*** CONDUCTORS (4 students) ***
Age for conductors: 18-35
Academy fee for conductors: NOK 8000

The 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 concert.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and 1-2 video recordings as links.

*** REPETITEURS (2 students) ***
Age for repetiteurs: 18-35
Academy fee for repetiteurs: NOK 8000

As a repetiteur student you will have the possibility to work closely with the pianists and vocal coaches, and follow the conductors in the coaching of the singers.

In the application form you are required to include your CV, and 1-2 video recordings as links.

THE 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

QUESTIONS?
Do you have questions about our Summer Academy?
Please contact info@bno.no

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.

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