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IN ENGLISH
WE ARE THE PEOPLE CREATING ELEKTRA IN UMEÅ 2014
ARTISTIC TEAM
Conductor Rumon Gamba
Artistic Concept & Director La Fura dels Baus,
Carlus Padrissa
Associate Director Esteban Muñoz
Choreographer Mireia Romero
Costume and Make-up Designer Clara Sullà
Lighting Designer Carles Rigual
SPFX Thomas Bautenbacher
Sound Designer Lars Wern
CAST
Elektra Ingela Brimberg
Chrysothemis Susanna Levonen
Clytaimnestra Ingrid Tobiasson
Orestes Thomas Lander
Aigisthos Magnus Kyhle
First Maid Margaretha Dalhamn
Second Maid/Trainbearer Agneta Lundgren
Third Maid Katarina Leoson
Fourth Maid Sara Olsson
Fifth Maid/Confidante Karin Andersson
Overseer Anneli Lindfors
A Young Servant Niklas Björling Rygert
Tutor/An Old Servant Lennart Forsén
N­ ORRLANDSOPERAN SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
TECHNICAL TEAM – LA FURA DELS BAUS
Technical Director Jaume Grau
Producer Ignacia Delpiano
Pyrotechnician Robert Stoiber
Riggers Anigami – Josep Padros, José Casals,
Antonio Tauste
Video BAF General de Catalunya – Joan Fericgla
& Raimon Boza
Costume Assistant Montserrat Pérez Ramos
Architect Xavier Arriola
La Fura dels Baus Manager Rosa Arnaiz
Designers of the Giants:
Elektra & Chrysothemis Roland Olbeter, Esterina
Zarrillo & Carlos de la Madrid
Orestes Jaume Grau
Chrysothemis & Aigisthos Carlus Padrissa
Builders of the Giants:
Elektra & Chrysothemis Masters
Orestes, Chrysothemis & Aigisthos Mobra
PRODUCTION TEAM –­ NORRLANDSOPERAN
CEO/Artistic Director Kjell Englund
Producer Britta Amft
Assistant Producer Joachim Stridsberg
Stage Manager Tarja Ylinen
Musical Rehearsals Tommy Gafvelin and Mattias
Holmström
Production Assistant Minna Lindahl
Text Operator Eva Blommé
Visual Interpreter Ingrid Gunnarsson Perneholm
TRANSLATION
Swedish Text Ankie Lagerborg
English Text Peter Kreiss
TECHNICAL TEAM ­NORRLANDSOPERAN
Technical Director Håkan Brohlin
SET DESIGN AND PROPS
Manager Jeanette Andersson
Prop Designers Emelie Eriksson, Sofia Stattin,
Linnea Öhrlund
Interns Tomas, Nygren, Moa Gröhn, Lin Larsson
Performance Prop Managers Jakob Petersson,
Peter Mollwing
WARDROBE
Production Costume Manager Susanne Lidgren
Costume Managers Maria Öhgren Hedberg,
Sandra Wahlström
Seamstresses Emma Olsson, Kitty Grenholm,
Rebecka Nygren, Terése Larsson, Lotta
Lundstedt
WIGS & MAKE-UP
Make-up Artist Sari Nuttunen
Second Make-up Artist Isabel Löfgren Roberts
Intern Fanni Jokimäki
CARPENTRY & METALWORK
Manager Thomas Olofsson
Carpenter Viktor Eriksson
SCENIC PAINTING
Scenery Manager Maja Johansson
Scenic Artist Olof Röckner
COSTUME TECHNICIANS
Production Manager Costume Technician Anna
Eliasson
Costume Technicians Ida Persson, Cornelia
Andersson, Herman Sundqvist Lindelöf, Ella
Bartos
LIGHTING
Manager Jonas Kristoffersson
Head of Lighting Emma Magnhagen
Lighting Technician Jessika Flodell
Spotlights Charlotte Vennberg, Daniel Eriksson,
Albin Bilar, Jessika Flodell
STAGE
Manager Erik Klingberg
Head of Stage Stefan Sandgren
Stage Technicians Anders Nyberg, Tom Eriksson,
Emmanuel Klingberg, Pär Granberg, Emil
Forsberg, Daniel Edin, Thomas Berglund
staff from Humpab
Stage and Orchestra Technician August Klingberg
Music Score Librarian Ingrid Modin Söderberg
Conductor’s Assistant Emil Eliasson
MARKETING DEPARTMENT
Head of Marketing Magnus Mikaelsson
Marketers Helene Säfström, Hanna Kangassalo,
Malin Lindberg, Michelle Stensson Larsson,
Frida Helgesson (intern)
Graphic Designer Carl Papworth
Reception & Box Office Manager Susanne Aschan
Usher Manager Sven Lundberg
Ticket Sales Bitte Lundström, Anton Karlsson,
Cecilia Hällqvist, Emma-Stina Wallberg
Receptionists Anette Molin, Emma Grundström
EXTRAS
Agnes Sundbom, Alicia Axelsson Borgström, Amanda
Engström, Anette Bergström, Anna Ruotimaa, AnnaLo Fjellström, Daniela Holmberg
Emma Anstey, Felicia Högnelid, Frida Sahlström
Hanna Sahlin, Ida Vestman, Ingela Hofsten, Irma
Olofsson, Isa Svensson Gabara, Josefin Åhlström
Riklund, Julia Larsson Olofsson, Linnea Öhlund,
Linnéa Jonsson, Maja Delborn, Malin Sehlstedt
Malin Näsbom, Mimmi Rosendahl Carlsson
Miriam Matson, Natalie Carrion, Rebecka Andersson,
Renée Nyberg, Sara Lahti, Signe Svallfors, Siri
Englund, Susanna Junyent, Susan Mokhtaria, Ulrika
Karlsson, Bo Linder, Petter Danielsson, Emma
Edström, Emrik Albrechtsson
Tage Nilsson, Jamilla Strömberg, Erik Jensen, Ludvig
Lindström, Terese Nilsen
THANK YOU
To the staff at Umestan Business Park, our ushers,
Hasse & Micke at Martinssons, Midgård School and
to Nordglöd the horse.
© Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd., London /
Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, Stockholm.
LA FURA DELS BAUS
Cecilia Sundkvist, Elin Ek
Special thanks to Pera Cussö, Bhagawati
Padrissa, Baydy Syllah, Paloma Méndez, Ferran
Sarri
In memoriam Agustí Grau & Gerard Mortier
The artistic directors of La Fura dels Baus are:
Miquel Badosa, Pep Gatell, Jürgen Müller, Alex
Ollé, Carlus Padrissa, Pere Tantinyà
Supported by Institut Català de les Empreses
Culturals and Instituto Nacional de las Artes
Escénicas y de la Música
SOUND ENGINEERING, DM AUDIO
­NORRLANDSOPERAN SPONSORS
CAR DRIVER
Mats Palmgren
CRANE DRIVERS
Niclas Nordensson, Anette Fredrik Conradsson
Roger Stenman
CATERING
Sound Technicians: Wincent Höberg, Daniek
Eriksson, Kristian Oscarsson, Marino Fererri
and Drew Black
ADMINISTRATION
Deputy CEO and Administrative Director Per Edlund
Secretary to the CEO Eivor Johansson
Planning Coordinator Elin Liljebring
Head Clerk/Controller Katarina Zingmark
HR Administrator Elisabeth Viklund
IT Manager Jonas Igasto
IT Technician Alexander Henriksson
House Technician Ingemar Hällgren Assistant John
Häggström
Cleaners Ulrika Fjellvind, Cecilia Vestman
ORCHESTRA ADMINISTRATION
Head of Music Department Marco Feklistoff
Balticgruppen, VK, Umeå Energi, UPAB, Bostaden,
Frövi skor and EY
PRODUCTION PROGRAMME MAGAZINE
Legally Responsible Publisher Kjell Englund
Texts Marketing Department & Elin Axelsson
Design Magnus Mikaelsson, Carl Papworth
Blood Photo Emil Nyström
Print Daily Print
WE WISH TO GIVE YOU
AN EXPERIENCE YOU’LL
NEVER FORGET
MECHANICAL GIANTS with singers standing inside
their chests. A fiery drama in a sea of blood. Elektra
is like nothing we’ve ever done before. For us it is
a monumental production, a massive undertaking,
and – we hope – an experience that will linger in our
collective memory for a long time to come.
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve seen loads of
opera before, or just a little, or none at all. There’s
something here to touch everyone and grab your
attention: the bloody theme of vengeance, the
expressionist music of Richard Strauss, the ­
soprano part that is regarded as one of the world’s
most challenging to sing, the magnificent scenes
featuring giants, blood, fire and water – against the
backdrop of the West Bothnian twilight.
We are proud to be able to put on this production
during celebrations to mark the European Capital
of Culture Year and N
­ orrlandsOperan’s 40th an­
niversary. Come and share the experience with us.
In Umeå, August 2014.
Kjell Englund
CEO & Artistic Director
Photo: Hanna Degerström
E LEKTRA EPITOMISES THE
FUNDAMENTAL
­ IDEA BEHIND
­EUROPEAN CAPITALS OF CULTURE
IN 1985, ATHENS was the European Capital of
Culture. It was the project’s debut. Many other
­
cities have borne this prestigious title since then.
However, the basic premise has remained the same
– the city as a forum that brings together the local
and the international, for a vast range of cultural
expressions and cultural practitioners from across
the globe.
­NorrlandsOperan’s Elektra appears to fulfil all
these fundamental elements under a single programme item.
It has all the components that form a European City of Culture, and on top of that it features a
theme that reflects Europe’s history.
Fredrik Lindegren
Artistic Director, Umeå 2014
Photo: Andreas Nilsson
Part of
In collaboration with
Principle sponsors
Supported by
La Fura dels Baus is
supported by
<< One of the moving metal giants that has been
transported from Barcelona to be part of Elektra.
CATALAN CREATIVITY
& WEST BOTHNIAN LIGHT
1979 saw the birth of one of the most innovative dramatic arts collectives in Europe, La Fura dels
Baus. With Barcelona as their base and the whole world as their arena, they create astounding
performances in mega format. And now it’s Umeå’s turn!
LA FURA DELS BAUS began their journey with
urban street theatre and by the 1980s they
had established themselves as a cult group
in Spain. Their international breakthrough
came when they staged the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games
in 1992, with Carlus Padrissa at the helm.
The performance Mar ­Mediterrani, Mar
Olímpic, captivated half a billion viewers around the world. Since then, the
group has continued to create spectacular, large-scale artistic projects
around the world, featuring breath­
taking stage solutions.
FLOATING CULTURAL CENTRE
One worth mentioning is the sixtymetre long and nine-metre wide vessel Naumon. She was restored by
La Fura dels Baus from a transport
barge into a floating cultural centre
and equipped for concerts,
performances, exhibitions
and workshops. The ship
sailed the world’s seas
putting on various performances in harbours, on the
deck or in the ship’s cargo
space, or at venues in the
­cities they were visiting.
The event Los Fusilamientos
de Goya (2008) was performed
and watched by half a million people during the two-hundredth anniversary of the Dos de Mayo Uprising
in Madrid.
La Fura and Carlus Padrissa’s later
projects also include the striking staging of Verdi’s Aida on the world-famous
outdoor stage in Verona (2013).
Elektra will mark La Fura dels Baus’ first
production in Sweden.
Photo: La Fura dels Baus
AN ELEKTRA SHOCK!
We asked Carlus Padrissa, director and charismatic frontman in La Fura dels Baus, to
say why you musn’t miss Elektra.
– BECAUSE THIS IS a once-in-alifetime experience! It’s completely
unique, even for us at La Fura dels
Baus, and we’ve put on a huge number of major events over the past
thirty years. But nothing like this !
– This is the first time the fate
of Elektra’s dysfunctional family
has been staged in this way, on
this scale, outdoors. We’re going
to have a stage that measures
two hundred metres in depth –
just imagine it! You could be in an
aeroplane and look down to see
Agamemnon’s grave spreading
out beneath you.
A BIT LIKE PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
– Elektra carries her past around on
her back. It’s an extremely heavy, large
and sprawling burden to bear, and the
enormous giant with unruly hair is an
expression of that very feeling. Elektra
is actually a bit like Pippi Longstocking – brave and
strong, with fiery hair!
Carlus Padrissa talks about the West Bothnian
twilight as something that lends added atmosphere.
It will provide the performance with a unique backdrop.
There’s plenty of symbolism here for those
who seek beyond the obvious. A forest at Midgård
School will burst into flames at each performance
and several thousand litres of blood will flow. Carlus
comments:
A TALE OF EUROPE
– It’s about much more than just Elektra’s vengeance. This is Europe! Agamemnon’s grave – the setting – represents our entire continent. As we created the performance we thought about all the wars
that have been played out here over the centuries.
The blood will be a reminder of the death and suffering that millions of people have experienced.
When we ask Carlus what feelings he wants to
evoke in the audience, he immediately replies:
– I want to give you an Elektra shock!
<< Carlus Padrissa, director of Elektra, describes N­ orrlandsOperan’s production of
Elektra as entirely unique, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
THE PLOT
THE STORY SO FAR: In order to get wind in his sails
on embarking the Trojan War, King Agamemnon
had to sacrificed his youngest daughter Ifigenia to
the gods. Upon his return he is murdered by his
wife Clytaimnestra and her lover Aigisthos. But
then Clytaimnestra becomes uneasy. What if her
three remaining children, Elektra, Chrysothemis or
­Orestes, want vengeance for their father’s death?
IT BEGINS. Maids are cleaning the palace courtyard and gossiping about how moody Elektra has
been since the murder of her father Agamemnon.
In solitude Elektra prays to her father and swears
to avenge his death. It was to this place, the palace
courtyard, that her mother and Aigisthos dragged
Agamemnon’s lifeless body after murdering him in
the bath.
Elektra’s younger sister Chrysothemis turns up
E LEKTRA – THE STORY
OF THE WORLD’S MOST
­DYSFUNCTIONAL
FAMILY?
and interrupts Elektra and begs her to stop thinking of vengeance. Can’t they just live happy, normal
lives ? Their mother approaches. Chrysothemis
leaves, Elektra remains.
A stranger approaches and asks for Clytaimnestra
and Aigisthos. He tells Elektra that he brings news
of Orestes’s death, but then whispers in her ear that
he is ­actually alive.
SACRIFICE A SINFUL WOMAN
Elektra’s mother Clytaimnestra begs her daughter
for help. She’s on the verge of collapse from worry
and wants to appease the gods with a sacrifice
of her own. Elektra asks her to sacrifice a sinful
­woman. “But what shall bleed”, asks the mother.
“Your own neck !” threatens Elektra.
Elektra, overwhelmed by her feelings, begins to tell
the stranger where to find her mother. He interrupts
her and asks: “Does Elektra not recognise her own
brother ?” – He is Orestes.
Her sister Chrysothemis returns with terrible
news: Orestes is dead. Elektra now demands
that ­Chrysothemis helps her kill their mother and
­Aigisthos, but Chrysothemis refuses. Elektra digs
up the axe that was used to murder their father.
Orestes now enters the palace and Elektra listens
breathlessly outside. Soon we hear Clytaimnestra’s
death cry. Elektra shows Aigisthos into the palace
and he soon meets the same fate.
Elektra’s struggle is over. She thanks the gods and
launches into a frenzied dance.
With a width of 40 metres and a depth of almost 200 metres, the stage construction that is taking shape at the old military command centre
Umestan is the world’s largest opera stage. Transforming a car park into a stage venue is something that requires special material, equipment,
skilled staff and a heavy dose of creativity and problem-solving expertise.
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
<<
Creating a 100-metre long shape of a man out of sand is one of the challenges that Erik Klingberg and his team of stage technicians had to get to grips with
during the work at Umestan. Here he is with Tom Eriksson and Anders Nyberg, strengthening the bank that will hold the volumes of water in place.
Photo: Britta Amft
<<
You can just make out the outlines of what will be
Agamemnon’s grave.
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
<<
An average day at the office? An articulated truck from Spain carries an unusual load of aluminium figures and several massive fibre glass body parts.
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
<<
The torso of one of the giants has just arrived
from Barcelona. Next stage: assembly and dressing.
<<
One of the three container towers that will be
filled with the blood that will flood the venue.
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
<<
21 trees that will be rigged with pyrotechnics
­during the performance have been planted in the
barrack square. One of them is being inspected
here to ensure that it will cope with the strain.
Photo: Britta Amft
S USSIE & ANNA
I N CATALONIA
<<
Anna has been desperately searching for a hat with
a bit of attitude and discovered these pirate creations in a shop window. Perfect in terms of style,
but since the sizes weren’t right they had to stay on
the manikins.
This is what Clara looks like in action. In
the photo she’s working on one of the soloist’s
dresses, in a slightly more manageable format
­
compared with the giants’ clothing. Or how about
a six-metre long dress?
<<
When Susanne Lidgren and Anna Eliasson
from N
­ orrlandsOperan’s Costume Department went on holiday to Spain, it wasn’t just to
eat tapas, drink sangria and experience some
culture. When they got to Barcelona they took
the opportunity to meet up with Clara Sullà,
costume designer for Elektra. Read on to find
out more about their experiences.
<<
Sussie poses in front of the chubby cat “El gat del
Raval”. The statue wasn’t made by Gaudi or ­Picasso
as many assume, but by the Colombian artist
­Fernando Botero.
<<
A must-photo for any travelogue – the airport.
The name needs to be clear, and there should preferably be part of a plane in it. We give ourselves a
four for this masterpiece.
<<
Clara with Elektra’s head and “wig”. The hair is
made of tubing and wire attached to fabric, which
means the wig can be taken off and reused. Just
over 200 metres of tubing were used to get the
right hairdo.
<<
Barcelona’s equivalent to N
­ orrlandsOperan, the
Gran Teatro del Liceu. Not as beautiful as in Umeå,
but the climate’s almost as pleasant.
Each dress took roughly 60 m2 of fabric to make,
which meant that although the actual sewing wasn’t
particularly advanced, it was time-consuming due
to the sheer amount of material.
<<
And here’s Clara, our fantastic costume designer
for Elektra. And as if creating incredible costumes
wasn’t enough, she also knew where the best
­restaurants were! Win-Win! >>
THE ULTIMATE
TEST OF STRENGTH
Expressive, intense and strong. Elektra is rock for the operatic stage.
“It’s an opera that plays on all our emotions,” says Ingela Brimberg,
one of Sweden’s foremost sopranos and ­NorrlandsOperan’s Elektra.
A SYMBOL OF vengeance and reckless fury, but
also a human being of flesh and blood. Ingela
Brimberg sees a multi-layered Elektra in Richard
Strauss’ opera.
– What she experiences in this extremely dysfunctional family is as much a psychological drama as
it is a classic tragedy about the desire for vengeance. There is a fascinating dynamic in the tale.
Particularly between the three women, Elektra, her
sister and mother, and how they play on one another’s emotions. It’s like a play by Lars Norén, but
more violent.
MUSIC LENDS STRENGTH
A woman obsessed by what has happened. Life
is passing her by. That’s how Ingela Brimberg describes her Elektra. At the same time she’s keen
to avoid too much speculation on the role. Elektra
is a timeless drama for the artists to portray and
the audience to interpret. There is passion and emotion in the music to lend support to the inexplicable,
according to Ingela.
“IT’S SCARY &
EXCITING AT THE
SAME TIME.”
– Even if she is a sick person, I don’t think it’s
difficult to understand her feelings. For me it’s
about being able to relate to the character. I don’t
need to be able to make sense of everything, just
as Elektra is a person who doesn’t make sense
of everything – and ends up doing things that
are incomprehensible.
YOU NEED TO BE FIT
Elektra makes demands
on her woman. The role
is one of the most challenging in the world of
opera, both theatrically and in terms of
singing technique. For
a dramatic soprano
like Ingela Brimberg,
Elektra is the ultimate
test of strength.
– You need to be fit,
­experienced and have
a big range. It’s not
exactly the kind of role
you’d do fresh out of school.
You have to really put your
all into it. Personally I’ve been
working on the role from the moment I was asked if I wanted to do
Elektra, says Ingela.
QUICK COURSE OF THERAPY
An open-air opera on a huge scale
places considerable demands on its
soloists: Ingela Brimberg will play
her Elektra six metres up in the
air. A challenge for a s­oprano
who’s afraid of heights.
– It’s scary and exciting at the
same time. I’ll just have to go
through a quick course of therapy
up there in the steel basket!
You can read more about Ingela
­Brimberg in her biography on page 16.
Photo: Malin Arnesson
POWERFUL,
INTENSE,
MAGNIFICENT
“When I first saw Elektra I think I literally sat on the edge of my seat, with my
hair on end for the whole piece – I can’t
even remember breathing, I was completely blown away,” says Rumon Gamba,
­­NorrlandsOperan’s principal conductor.
– WHEN RICHARD Strauss composed the opera Elektra he was really pushing the boundaries for what you can do with a symphony orchestra, says conductor Rumon Gamba, who
is now leading ­
NorrlandsOperan Symphony
Orchestra in their biggest ever production.
Strauss’ powerful and intense music is perfectly suited to a performance of this scale.
– Every detail of the opera’s plot is reflected
in the music. When combined with the incredible staging, all the emotions of the drama will
come to the fore, says Rumon.
ORCHESTRA INDOORS
Playing Elektra in the open air at Umestan is
a challenge that requires innovative solutions.
The symphony orchestra will be indoors next
to the stage area, to avoid the instruments being affected by weather conditions.
– Naturally it’s no easy task to coordinate
the orchestra with the singers within such a
large area. Not working the way we usually do
presents a challenge in itself. But there are no
comfort zones in this opera, and new technical solutions have raised it to another level!
ENDURANCE TEST
Elektra is considered to be one of the most
difficult, if not the most difficult opera for an
orchestra to play.
– It’s an extremely demanding piece for
each individual musician purely in technical
terms. It’s complicated, with many levels in
the orchestration and a lot going on at the
same time – on top of that it’s something of
an endurance test... And there is no more
demanding soloist role than that of
Elektra. She’s on stage without
a break for the entire performance, with long, difficult
singing sections, and
she’s competing with a
huge orchestra!
The role is being
played by Ingela
Brimberg. Read the
interview with her on
page 10!
Rumon Gamba,
Principal Conductor
at ­NorrlandsOperan >>
Photo: Malin Arnesson
THE INHUMAN
C OMPOSER
Richard Strauss was born on 11 June 1864 in Munich, and is one of the most influential composers from around the turn of the century. With his advanced and refined tonal language,
clearly inspired by Richard Wagner, Strauss himself has become an inspiration to others.
RICHARD STRAUSS wrote his first piece of music
as a six-year-old and then continued to compose
throughout the rest of his life. His final work, Vier
letzte Lieder, was completed just months before he
died at the age of 85.
He is probably best known to the wider public
for Also sprach Zarathustra, largely owing to Stanley
Kubrick’s use of it for the introductory fanfare in his
film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
As an opera composer his breakthrough came
with Salome in 1905. The opera, which is based on
Oscar Wilde’s drama of the same name, was positively received by audiences and critics alike, despite the expressionist, raw and aggressive music.
AUDIENCE FLED
However, Elektra, which premiered in 1909, provoked an entirely different response. The brutal,
dissonant harmonic language used by Strauss to
illustrate the plot was just too much for the audience, who fled the auditorium shrieking and nauseaus. Several of the soloists also realised that the
work was inhuman, and in particular the lead, with
its demanding vocal sections.
After Elektra, Strauss changed style completely
and instead began composing pieces that audiences of the time wanted to hear. Easy listening and
harmonious were the order of the day. But although
the later operas are still played a great deal, Elektra
is now considered to be his magnum opus.
STRAUSS 150 YEARS
This year, 150 years after the birth of Strauss, we
are marking this trailblazer through a large-scale,
open-air production of Elektra. Hurray!
N­ ORRLANDSOPERAN’S
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
­NorrlandsOperan’s Symphony Orchestra
usually numbers 47 musicians, but we
have brought in reinforcements for Elektra with an additional 27 people to cope
with performing the work in the required
manner. And it is these 74 individuals
who will breathe life into Strauss’ powerful music.
Violin 1
Karin Eriksson
Joel Nyman
Andreas Olsson
Hedda Heiskanen
Matias Malmqvist
Mikhail Zatin
Nicole Ladenthin
Violin 2
Pontus Björk
Kersti Wilhelmsson
Torbjörn Näsbom
Lars Warnstad
Åsa Hjelm
Johannes Paulsson
Anders Unnersjö
Photo: Malin Arnesson
What is now ­NorrlandsOperan’s Symphony Orchestra was initially a military brass band, formed in 1841. In conjunction with the founding of
­ orrlandsOperan in 1974, a string section was added, and in 1991 the orchestra took on its current form and formal status as a symphony
N
orchestra.
SO MUCH MORE THAN A
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
THE ORCHESTRA is currently made up of 47 professional musicians who, besides their own series
of concerts, also have an important role as the
opera orchestra for N
­ orrlandsOperan’s opera productions. The orchestra also goes on regular tours
both around the region and the county, as well as to
other parts of Sweden and abroad.
Sometimes sections of the orchestra are put
together to make up small ensembles for other
Violin 3
Fredrik Syberg
Per-Erik Andersson
Eva-Britt Molander
Ola Lindgård
Victor Mobäck
Håkan Svedell
types of assignments linked to the company’s
performances for children and young people, and
­NorrlandsOperan’s dance productions.
Grammy nomination
NorrlandsOperan’s Symphony Orchestra has re­
ceived international acclaim on several occasions
for its recordings. For the recording of Hilding
Rosenberg’s opera Lycksalighetens ö they and the
Viola 3
Viktor Olauson
Jaan Ader
Edward Tapceanu
Bård Ericson
Kjetil Laukholm
Cello 1
Martin Smith
Björn Risberg
Frida Bromander
Flute
Eva Oscarsson Ferner
Maria Åström
Pepita del Rio
Viola 1
Pär Lindqvist
Cello 2
Örjan Haage
Karin Bjurman
Ragnhild Qvale-Hammer Kristina Tereschatov
Kerstin Isakson
Viola 2
Nicolai Tchistiakoff
Double bass
Per Modin
Jan-Emil Kuisma
Sophie Bretschneider
Charlotte Petersson
Oboe
Johannes Ögren
Susanna Berger
Cor anglais
Martin von Bahr
Clarinet
Bengt Sandström
Tomas Agnas
Jonas Losciale
Jonas Olsson Hakelind
Bassoon
Annika Wallin
Emanuel Johansson
Maria Hellström
French horn
Trine Bjerke
Magnus Wretblad
Anders Kjellberg
Lene Aadalen Skomedal
P-O Winberg
rest of the ensemble were awarded the Swedish
Grammis music prize, and the CD Urban Concertos – Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, with
music by the American composer David Chesky,
was nominated for an American Grammy Award in
2008. The Symphony Orchestra’s current principal
conductor is Englishman Rumon Gamba, who joined
in autumn 2009.
Trumpet
Per Ivarsson
Malin Silbo Ohlsson
Jonas Larsson
Marcus Petersson
Michael Streijffert
Daniel Lind
Trombone
Peter Nygren
Daniel Hedin
Mathias Petersson
Tuba
Linus Mattsson
Timpani
Hans Lindbäck
David Kangasniemi
Percussion
Mats Lindström
Per Mikaelsson
Andreas Berglund
Harp
Pia Rosengren
Patrizia Carciani
IMPORTANT INFORMAT
Open-air performances create a very special atmosphere and of course we are reliant on the weather being good. N
­ orrlandsOperan will perform
the opera even in adverse weather conditions – provided the singers are able to sing.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Performance days 14.8, 16.8, 19.8, 21.8 and
23.8, with 24.8 as a reserve day.
Start time 9.00 p.m., entry from 6.00 p.m.
Duration approx. 100 minutes with no intermission
Venue Umestan Business Park ( old I 20 )
Language the performance will be sung in German
with Swedish and English subtitles.
TICKET OFFICE
We recommend that you purchase your tickets in
advance, either from ­
NorrlandsOperan’s Ticket
Office, or online at ­norrlandsoperan.se or ticnet.
se. There will be an onsite ticket booth at the venue at Umestan before each performance, open
7.00–9.00 p.m.
NB: There will be no admittance once the performance has started – purchased tickets will not be
refunded or repurchased. Cast changes may occur
and do not entitle ticket holders to a ticket repurchase or any other form of compensation.
VISUAL INTERPRETATION, WHEELCHAIRS,
HEARING LOOPS
The performance on 16 August will be visually inter-
preted in Swedish. Preliminary booking is required
and can be submitted to ­NorrlandsOperan’s Ticket
Office ( contact details below ). Limited space.
There will be hearing loops on rows 1–4 and in
the wheelchair sections. Wheelchair spaces will be
located to the front of the right and left hand sides.
You can reach ­
NorrlandsOperan’s ticket office by phone on 090-15 43 47 and via e-mail at
biljetter@­norrlandsoperan.se.
There will be no compensation if a performance
is interrupted more than 60 minutes into the
performance.
RESTAURANT & BAR
On the performance days 14, 16, 19, 21 and 23.8,
everyone who is buying or has already purchased
tickets to Elektra will have the opportunity to book a
three-course dinner at Rex Officersmessen. Further
information is available at www.rexbar.com.
Contact Rex Bar & Grill direct for table reservations by telephone 090-70 60 50 or via e-mail at
[email protected]. State Elektra-supé when booking.
In addition Rex Officersmessen will be running a
bar with refreshments in the grandstand area. The
bar will offer beer, wine, soft drinks, water, coffee,
snacks and simple meal alternatives. The bar will
be open from 6.00 p.m. on the performance days.
SVERIGES TELEVISION FILMING
The performances on 21.8 and 23.8 will be filmed
and broadcast by Sveriges Television. Audience
members at these performances accept that they
may be filmed and that they may appear in the
footage.
INTERRUPTED OR CANCELLED
PERFORMANCE
If a performance needs to be interrupted less than
60 minutes into the performance – or is cancelled
altogether – the price of the ticket will be refunded provided that the original ticket is returned.
The ticket can be returned up to one month after
the performance.
PLEASE NOTE:
No food or drink is permitted outside the serving
area. No umbrellas are permitted in the grandstand
as they block the view for those behind you.
AUDIENCE GRANDSTAND OVERVIEW
ACCESSIBILITY
There are places
for wheelchair
users and those accompanying them
right at the front of
sections A and F.
ROWS 22–27
A
Hearing loops are
available in rows
1–4
Visual interpretation
at performance on
16.8
B
C D E
17
F
ROWS 15–21
ROWS 8–14
72
ROWS 1–7
1
ENTRANCES TO
­GRANDSTAND
12
23
1
2
44
49
3
STAGE
66
77
4
5
88
TION ABOUT THE EVENT
UMESTAN OVERVIEW
a
Tow
P
b
Ers
oda
5
rds
P
4
2
3
1
6
a
Tow
rds
7
ci t y
ce n
t re
1. Entrance/ticket office
Entry from 6.00 p.m., ticket sales
7.00 – 8.45 p.m.
2. Audience grandstand
Can hold 2,000 people; see detailed plan on
left for sections, rows and entrances.
3. Stage
The venue for Elektra.
4. Toilets
Including disabled toilet.
5. Bar, Rex
Bar selling beer, wine, water etc., snacks and
fast-food options.
6. Rex Officersmessen
This is where the Elektra dinner is served.
Further information & reservations at
www.rexbar.com
7. Entrance to Officersmessen
Entrance for those going to Officersmessen
Pera
“A tsunami of blood will wash over the gravel pitch.” That was one of the director’s visions for
Elektra. Props designer Emelie Eriksson is one of the people making sure it becomes reality.
SHE TURNS WATER
INTO BLOOD
–IT’S MOSTLY about finding the right colour and
consistency for the fluid. But when I see it pouring
out of the containers, I’m sure it’ll be thrilling. Then
it will be blood.
Emelie Eriksson is a member of the props team
and together with the Props Manager Jeanette
­Andersson she has the responsibility for making
the props for N
­ orrlandsOperan’s biggest ever
­production, Elektra.
WANTED TO WORK WITH DOLPHINS
She originally wanted to be a dolphin trainer, but the
dream came to an end when she did work experience at a dolphinarium.
– The animals were happy, but I just couldn’t get
away from the fact that they were captive in a little
pool, when they could have been swimming free in
the ocean, she says.
Following studies in art and furniture upholstery,
she finally discovered her vocation on a set design/
prop making course in Skellefteå. After that she
worked for a while with tiny models and buildings
and settings for adverts and TV. Now she’s working
with a completely different format.
– We’re enlarging everything and constantly asking ourselves: ‘Can you see this at a distance of fifty
metres?’ If you can’t, then it loses its impact.
BLOOD-FILLED VEINS
The smallest parts that Emelie and her colleagues
work with are “blood-filled” tubes reminiscent of
veins, and debris that floats along in the gushing
blood. Then you have to think along more practical
lines when it comes to clearing up afterwards. It
needs to be easy to pick up or shovel aside.
– After all, someone has to tidy up after each
performance.
MINI TSUNAMIS
The set designers have been working on the blood
for a long time, including rigorous testing. Emelie
shows her “blood cart”, where bottles containing various dye solutions have been left to settle.
In some of them the dye particles have sunk to
the bottom, while in others the mixture still looks
convincing after a week or two. On the computer
she shows film clips of the various “mini tsunamis”
they’ve created out in the backyard of the opera
house.
– The blood needs to flow well, not sink into the
gravel too quickly. It has to look red, not pink, and
of course it should have the minimum impact on the
environment, she explains.
This August it’ll be time for the blood to flow for
real. And the straw to burn. Because blood isn’t the
only thing Emelie and her colleagues are working
on; props that burn are also on the agenda, and
testing has been just as rigorous.
– We’re involved in creating magnificent scenes,
to put it mildly. It’s going to be incredibly exciting
and nerve-racking to see the final performance. The
first time I guarantee I’ll be on tenterhooks. Maybe
by the second or third time I’ll be able to actually
enjoy it.
A huge number of tests have been needed to find
the right blood solution. It has to look authentic, flow
properly and have minimal environmental impact. >>
Photo: XX
<<
Emelie Eriksson carrying out one of her blood
tests. In August she’ll be on tenterhooks when
the blood gushes over the old barrack square
at Umestan.
GIVE BLOOD
SAVE LIVES!
Fake blood doesn’t work in healthcare.
They need more of the real stuff, all the
time. You can save lives by donating a little
of your own blood. Most people over the
age of 18, are healthy and weigh at least
50 kilos can be blood donors.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST AT GEBLOD.NU
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
When this year’s Blodomloppet ( blood donation awareness run ) kicked off in Umeå on May 27, ­NorrlandsOperan was on board.
Photo: Göran Jarmar
BLOOD, SWE AT & TEARS OF JOY
<< Just
like the run, the opera Elektra’s plot is
strongly associated with blood. Wearing “bloody” tshirts, N
­ orrlandsOperan’s lighting technicians Emma
Magnhagen and Jessika Flodell make their way
through the crowd.
NorrlandsOperan provided some of the entertainment on stage and the opera staff entered ten
teams. Per Modin, viola player in N
­ orrlandsOperan
Symphony Orchestra, walked around the course at
a brisk pace.
<<
It felt like the right thing to do to combine awareness
of vital blood donation with culture. And on top of that,
Clara West, N
­orrlandsOperan’s dance consultant,
thinks it’s fun to do something together. Behind her
is Helena Wikström, responsible for the art exhibition
space Vita Kuben.
<<
BIOGRAPHIES
ARTISTIC TEAM
Rumon Gamba, Conductor
British conductor Rumon Gamba was born in England in 1972. His career took off after completing
his conducting studies at the Royal Academy of
Music in London, and so far he has been involved
in assignments for the BBC’s orchestras and several concert and opera houses all over the world,
including the Munich Philharmonic, the National
Orchestra of Belgium, the Gothenburg Symphony
Orchestra and as principal conductor in Iceland
2002–2010. He has made a name for himself in
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan,
and conducted the New York Philharmonic and
BBC Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.
Rumon has won several awards and was made an
Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2002.
He specialises in film music and has a recording
contract with Chandos, which released his Grammynominated Korngold CD. His first time conducting
at NorrlandsOperan was in 2007 and Rumon, with
his enthusiastic, renowned conducting style, has
been principal conductor at ­NorrlandsOperan since
2009. He is now also principal conductor of Ålborg
Symphony Orchestra.
Carlus Padrissa, Director & Artistic Concept
Carlus Padrissa is one of six members of La Fura
dels Baus and a driving force in their monumental
performances from the 1980s onwards (find out
more on page 4). Carlus Padrissa’s huge capacity as a dramatic arts director has given him a
particular affinity with Wagner’s operas and the
Indian conductor Zubin Mehta, with whom he did
the entire Ring Cycle; The Rhine Gold, The Valkyrie,
Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. Other operas he
has directed include Turandot, Michael’s Journey
Around the Earth, Carmina Burana, The Trojans,
Roman Trilogy and Orpheus & Eurydice. Several
early collaborations with Àlex Ollé and sculptor
Jaume Plensa include La Atlántida and Le Martyre
de Saint Sébastien.
With Àlex Ollé he has also directed The Rise and
Fall of the City of Mahagonny, and DQ. Don Quijote en Barcelona. Other productions include The
Damnation of Faust, The Magic Flute, Bluebeard’s
Castle and Diary of a Missing Person. He has also
directed On the Marble Cliffs, Sunday from Light,
Babylon, Parsifal and Samson and Delilah (2013).
Esteban Muñoz, Associate Director
Esteban Muñoz studied performance, musicology,
and art history at the Ludwig Maximilian University in
Munich, completing a master’s degree in dramaturgy at the Bavarian Theater Academy. He began his
career as stage manager at the Teatro Municipal in
Santiago de Chile, where he later acted at assistant
director and production manager. He has worked as
assistant to such directors as Calixto Bieito, Michael
Hampe, Emilio Sagi, Christian Boesch, Rodrigo Navarrete, and Hugo de Ana, in productions of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Teatro del Lago (Chile),
Lausanne Opera, and at the Prinzregententheater in
Munich and numerous open-air opera productions.
Since 2011, he has worked closely with Carlus Pa-
drissa and La Fura dels Baus. He has frequently
been invited to the Bavarian State Opera, where he
principally works as an assistant director. Esteban
won 2013 the ProArte Price in Chile as Young Artist of the year. His last engagements ­include the
dramaturgy of Claude Vivier’s Kopernikus for the
Munich Biennale and Associate Director in Carlus
Padrissa’s production of Wagner’s The Rhine Gold
at the Houston Grand Opera, USA.
Mireia Romero, Choreographer
Mireia Romero studied classic and modern ballet in
Spain and complemented her training with gardening studies. She has performed in several dance
and theatre productions, and one of her major successes was her soloist role in Iago Pericot’s Mozart
Nude (1986–1987). From 1988–1998 she worked
as a TV production assistant with castings, advertisements, film and music videos.
Mireia began working with La Fura dels Baus in
1992, working as stage manager for the opening of
the Barcelona Olympic Games, the street theatre
troupe O Sona Boom in Rio de Janeiro (1994) and
The Damnation of Faust, the Hector Berlioz opera,
which was part of the Salzburg Festival (1999).
During her time as production assistant and assistant director at La Fura dels Baus she worked on
Fausto 3.0, The Ring Cycle, Carmina Burana, Orpheus and Euridice by Gluck, Turandot, The Oresteia, Babylon, Parsifal. In 2007–2008 she was also
production manager on the vessel Naumon and its
on-board performances.
Clara Sullà, Costume Design, Masks & Props
Clara Sullà is an artist specialising in textiles. She
was born in Barcelona and has a degree in art from
Universitat de Barcelona and a master’s from Wimbledon College of Arts in London. Her works have
been shown at art galleries in Spain, Austria, France,
the UK, Luxembourg, Brazil, Egypt and Mexico.
Clara Sullà has lived and worked in Vienna,
­London and Cairo. At the moment she is living and
working in Barcelona, where she designs and makes
costumes and props for the stage. Clara Sullà also
teaches art and creative techniques at the Faculty
of Education at Barcelona University.
Lars Wern, Sound Design
Lars has been working in the audio industry for
many years now and began at the end of the sixties by setting up sound systems for Swedish and
foreign artists. He has been involved in some forty
theatre productions and a great deal of classical
music, including twenty years with the Royal Philharmonic’s annual open-air concerts at Stockholm’s
Maritime Museum. Previous major productions for
GöteborgsOperan include Die Fledermaus, Carmen
and The Phantom of the Opera in arena format, as
well as A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music and more
at the opera house. Lars has also done opera productions for the Finnish National Opera and a considerable number of musicals for Stockholm City
Theatre. At ­NorrlandsOperan he was involved in the
production of West Side Story.
Thomas Bautebacher, pyrotechnician
Works around the world with mechanics and pyrotechnics for both stage and film. He laid the
foundations of his career at the beginning of
the 1980s working at the Salzburg Festival, the
Burgtheater in Vienna, La Monnaie in Brussels and
the Munich Opera.
Thomas has been working with La Fura dels
Baus for many years and collaborated with directors such as Carlus Padrissa, Mitko Gotscheff,
Martin Kusej and Andrea Breth. His love for opera
and theatre has continued to develop during his
time with La Fura. When it comes to special effects, Thomas’ motto is that anything is possible,
but it must also follow the dramaturgic thread.
He is currently technical director for Martin Kusej at
the Residenztheatre in Munich.
Carles Rigual, Lighting Design
Barcelona-born Carles Rigual has always been interested in dramatic art in general, specifically sound
and lighting techniques. In 1996 he began working
as a sound and lighting assistant, and that same
year he gained a place at the School of Techniques
for the Performing Arts at Institut del Teatre at the
university in Catalonia.
Having worked as technical director at Malic
Theatre, he began his first lighting design assignments in 2002. Since then Carles has continued on
his artistic path and worked for a number of different theatres and dance companies, including Erre
que Erre. Carles has been working with La Fura
since 2001 and designed the lighting for their opera productions Orpheus and Eurydice. Apart from
working with dramatic art, Carles also does lighting design for museums, with assignments such as
the Picasso exhibition for the Palau Foundation and
most recently the exhibition Avatar at Reina Sofia
museum in Madrid.
SOLOISTS
Ingela Brimberg/Elektra
Ingela Brimberg trained at the Academy of Music
and Drama at the University of Gothenburg. She
has performed the lead role in Tosca at GöteborgsOperan (awarded SvD’s Opera prize), at the Finnish National Opera and on tour in Denmark with the
Danish National Opera, Den Jyske Opera. She also
sang the lead in Aida and Amelia in A Masked Ball
at Malmö Opera, Ellen Orrford in Peter Grimes at
Sweden’s Royal Opera, Salome at the Teatro Verdi
in Trieste and Valentine in Les Huguenots at La Monnaie in Brussels (named best production of the year
in 2011 by German magazine Opernwelt).
She recently sang her first Senta in The Flying
Dutchman at concert performances under the direction of Marc Minkowski (also released on CD). In
spring 2014 she sang Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth in Toulon. At ­NorrlandsOperan Ingela Brimberg
has previously sung the lead in Jenufa.
Susanna Levonen/Chrysothemis, sister
Susanna is an employee of N
­ orrlandsOperan. In
2011 she was nominated Singer of the Year by the
magazine Opernwelt for her Sieglinde in Wermland
Opera’s production of Wagner’s Ring and she was
awarded fourth place in the annual top list produced
by the magazine Opus. Also in 2011 she sang Marie
in N
­ orrlandsOperan’s TV-broadcast Wozzeck, Amneris in Peter Konwitschny’s Aida at Vlaamse Opera
in Belgium, Eboli at GöteborgsOperan and was a
soloist in the TV-broadcast Thirteen-day Concert at
Stockholm’s concert venue Berwaldhallen.
Other guest performances include Magda in
Konsuln at Folkoperan, Salome at Malmö Opera and
Kassel City Theatre in Germany, Marie in Wozzeck
at the Pforzheim Theatre in Germany and Santuzza
in Cavalleria Rusticana at Gothenburg Concert Hall.
At N
­ orrlandsOperan her most recent role was the
lead in Carmen. Future roles include Marie Curie in
Mats Larsson Gothe’s new opera Blanche & Marie at
­NorrlandsOperan.
Ingrid Tobiasson/Clytaimnestra, mother
Ingrid Tobiasson is a dramatic mezzo-soprano and
Royal Court singer. She took up singing seriously
at the age of 30. Prior to that she was a Dalcroze
instructor, teaching dance, movement and relaxation techniques. During her training at Stockholm’s
University College of Opera she debuted in 1985 at
Folkoperan as Amneris in Verdi’s Aida, which was
also filmed. After several years as a freelancer with
engagements at Drottningholm Palace Theatre and
guest performances in Europe, Ingrid Tobiasson
became an employee of the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1988. Since then she has played some 60
roles, including Carmen, Clytaimnestra, Suzuki and
the Gatekeeper.
In 2012 the list was expanded to include La Frugola in a EBU-broadcast concert from Berwaldhallen. Alongside her opera engagements on the stages of Sweden and Europe, she has always found
time for her interest in singing romances and concerts. She now combines her singing engagements
with teaching. Ingrid Tobiasson’s favourite role is
Kundry in Wagner’s final opera, Parsifal.
Thomas Lander/Orestes, brother
Thomas trained at the Royal College of Music and
Stockholm’s University College of Opera and made
his opera debut at the Vadstena Academy in 1980.
After completing his studies he was invited to sing
Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro at the
Mozarteum in Salzburg, and he played the same
role at Staatsoper in Hamburg, which was followed
by a permanent contract at Volksoper Vienna. Up
until 1995 – 96 he was engaged by Niedersächsische Staatsoper in Hannover but since then he has
been working as a freelance opera and concert
singer in Sweden and across Europe, with Sweden
as his base.
Alongside his fixed engagements he has performed several guest appearances and roles,
many of which have been at ­
NorrlandsOperan;
The Tales of Hoffman, Turandot – which was also
filmed by SVT, The Flying Dutchman, the dancetheatre-opera My Heart Breaks, Peter Grimes and
the world premiere of Poet and Prophetess, which
was also performed at Cape Town Opera in South
Africa in 2008.
Magnus Kyhle/Aigistos
Magnus Kyhle grew up in Stockholm in a family of
musicians and trained at the Royal College of Music
and University College of Opera in Stockholm. For
the past 25 years he has been a member of the Royal Opera’s permanent soloist ensemble, where he
has appeared in over 1,000 performances in more
than 100 different roles. His most prominent roles
include Loge and Mime in Wagner’s Ring, Herodes in
Strauss’ Salome and Canio in Leoncavallo’s Pajazzo.
Magnus is the Royal Opera’s character tenor
and has sung all four tenor parts in over 100 performances of Mozart’s Magic Flute. Magnus has
also been employed by the Darmstadt and Salzburg
operas and made guest appearances in Germany,
Austria and Tokyo. Magnus Kyhle has worked with
a number of prestigious opera directors, including
Joachim Herz, Göran Järvefelt, Götz Friedrich, Michael Hampe, Hans-Peter Lehmann and John Cox.
Margaretha Dalhamn/First Maid
Margaretha Dalhman trained at both the University
College of Opera and the Academy of Dramatic
Arts in Stockholm, where she also studied Per
Sörberg’s clown techniques. She made her debut
at Ystad Opera in 1982 and then worked on most
of Sweden’s opera and theatre stages, including
the Royal Opera, Folkoperan, N
­ orrlandsOperan,
Stora Teatern, Wermland Opera, Riksteatern and
Drottningholm Palace Theatre. Roles include Ulrica in A Masked Ball, Filipjevna in Eugen Onegin, La
principessa in Sister Angelica, Erda and Flosshilde
in The Rhine Gold.
At ­NorrlandsOperan she has previously appeared
in Dancer in the Dark and Peter Grimes. She has
also participated in several musicals and put on
her own performances for national theatre associations. In 2012 she made her debut as an opera
clown with OperaRepubliken in the group’s production of Tosca. Last year she toured with the opera
clown concert Leve alla galningar! (Long Live all the
Lunatics!) for Scenkonstbolaget.
Agneta Lundgren/Second Maid & Trainbearer
Agneta Lundgren trained at the Royal Danish
Academy of Music in Copenhagen and the University College of Opera in Stockholm. She made her
debut as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte at the
Royal Opera in 1981. Since then she has sung roles
such as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro,
Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Pamina and First
Lady in The Magic Flute, Berta in The Barber of
Seville, Desdemona in Otello, Mimi and Musetta in
La Bohème, Tosca and Madame Butterfly, Orpheus
in the Underworld, Marie in Wozzeck and Larina in
Eugen Onegin. Agneta Lundgren has also appeared
at Drottningholm Palace Theatre. In spring 2014
she performed at ­NorrlandsOperan in the role of
Madame Larina in Eugen Onegin.
Katarina Leoson/Third maid
Katarina Leoson graduated from Stockholm’s University College of Opera in 1998 and made her debut at the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1996, as the
Third Lady in The Magic Flute. Since 2001 she has
been a member of the soloist ensemble at the Royal
Opera, where she has appeared in roles such as
Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Maddalena in Rigoletto
and Olga in Eugen Onegin – a role that she played
most recently at ­NorrlandsOperan in spring 2014.
Roles during recent seasons have included Carmen in a new production directed by Vincent Boussard, Pauline in The Queen of Spades, Fricka in The
Valkyrie and Ulrica in A Masked Ball. Katarina has
also sung at Finland’s National Opera and in spring
2014 she made a guest performance at Oper Frankfurt in the role of Lucia Vingradito in Rossini’s The
Thieving Magpie. Katarina Leoson has also made
guest appearances at the Royal Danish Theatre,
Drottningholm Palace Theatre and the Brooklyn
Academy of Music, on tour with Folkoperan. Katarina also sings on the concert stage.
Sara Olsson/Fourth Maid
Sara Olsson trained at the Royal College of Music
and the University College of Opera in Stockholm.
She debuted at the Royal Opera in 1994 in the lead
role in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and has since
become an employee of Operan. Her roles have
included the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro,
Pamina in The Magic Flute, Cio-Cio San in Madame
Butterfly, Mimi in La Bohème, Desdemona in Otello,
Gutrune in Twilight of the Gods, Marie in Wozzeck,
Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus and Micaela in Carmen. Sara Olsson has also sung many newly-written
works both on the opera stage and in concert settings, for example Franke-Blom’s opera H.P. Sara
has also sung at Vadstena Academy and Drottningholm Palace Theatre a number of times.
Karin Andersson/Fifth Maid & Confidante
Karin Andersson trained at the School of Music in
Piteå and the University College of Opera in Stockholm. She has sung solo parts with orchestras
and in opera houses, including Sveriges Radio’s
Symphony Orchestra, Nice Opera House, the
Royal Opera and Västerås Sinfonietta. She has
also appeared in opera roles at the Royal Opera in
Stockholm, Drottningholm Palace Theatre and at
­NorrlandsOperan. Karin Andersson was also seen
in one of the lead roles in the opera film Hotel Opera on SVT. Karin has been the recipient of several
scholarships, including the Christina Nilsson scholarship in 2011. Karin is a devoted Lied, romance
and oratory singer. In 2012 she made her debut as
an opera singer in N
­ orrlandsOperan’s production of
Carmen, in which she sang the role of Frasquita.
Anneli Lindfors / Overseer
Anneli Lindfors, soprano, began her training at the
Ingesund School of Music and then continued on
to Stockholm Operastudio and the University College of Opera in Stockholm, where she graduated
in spring 2010. During her studies she played roles
such as Marie in Wozzeck, Donna Elvira in Don
Giovanni and the lead in Tosca. Anneli made her
professional debut as Sieglinde in The Valkyrie at
Wermland Opera in 2011. Her international debut
came with the lead in Janácek’s Jenufa at Theater
Magdeburg the same year, where she also sang
Agathe in Der Freischütz.In summer 2013 she sang
Freia in The Rhine Gold in Dalhalla, to great acclaim.
Niklas Björling Rygert / A Young Servant
Niklas Björling Rygert’s musical path began with
Adolf Fredrik’s Music School. He trained at NBV
Teaterverkstad, Operastudio 67 and the University College of Opera in Stockholm. As a child he
was frequently engaged as an actor in productions such as Pippi Longstocking and Snow White
at Folkan, but also for his voice in various films,
for radio and TV. His opera debut took place in
1994 at Bergslagsoperan, as Spinkel in The Merry
Wives of Windsor. Niklas is permanently linked to
the Royal Opera in Stockholm since 1999, but has
also sung several roles at Folkoperan, Confidencen and Drottningholm.
He has also made guest appearances at the Madrid Opera, Frankfurt Opera and the Semper Opera
House in Dresden. In 2013 he performed in Parsifal
and Peter Grimes.
Lennart Forsén / Tutor & An Old Servant
Lennart Forsén trained at the Royal College of Music and the University College of Opera in Stockholm. He made his debut as the Archbishop in
­Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans at the Royal
­Opera in 1986.
He has since sung a number of roles there, including: Marke in Tristan and Isolde, Sarastro in The
Magic Flute, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Trulove in The
Rake’s Progress. He has also been engaged by Oper
Leipzig, Deutsche Oper am Rhein and made guest
appearances at the National Opera in Helsinki,
GöteborgsOperan, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and Oscarsteatern.
EXTRA IN ELEKTRA – A M
<<
Susanne Lidgren, head of costume at
­NorrlandsOperan, helps extra Tage Nilsson with
the costume he will be wearing when he brings the
giant structure of Chrysothemis to life.
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
Enormous steel giants will move across the stage area in Elektra. But they don’t move by themselves. The steel structures are controlled and brought to life by some forty extras – some of
them hanging uncomfortably at a height of several metres. Dressed in nude costumes.
“THIS IS A CHANCE
YOU ONLY GET ONCE IN
A LIFETIME!”
– IF YOU MOVE an arm of this size it’s obvious if
it’s going in the wrong direction, comments Tage
Nilsson, extra with special responsibility for the
­
­giant Chrysothemis.
extras will hang on the giants representing E
­ lektra’s
mother Clytaimnestra and her lover Aigistos.
– It immediately struck me that this is a chance you
only get once in a lifetime! says Tage Nilsson.
The job of finding extras has been going on throughout the winter months and industrious preparations
are now underway in the run up to opening night at
Umestan on August 14. The extras know they have
a demanding and enjoyable task ahead of them.
They learn the choreography during the weeks
prior to opening night, when the artistic team from
­Barcelona has arrived.
NORDGLÖD THE HORSE
It’s not just people and giants who will be inhabiting
the stage area during Elektra. Nordglöd the horse
will also be playing a key role in the performance.
– Noise, music, water, fire – there are plenty
of elements that can make a horse nervous. Our
­inquiries led us to a horse and rider that we feel
happy with. Nordglöd and Terese Nilsen will be
­
working step by step to familiarise themselves with
both the venue and the situation, says Britta Amft.
IN GOOD SHAPE
– The challenge for the extras is to carry out choreographed movements at a height of six metres.
Some are in uncomfortable positions, which is
why we’ve explicitly sought out people who are
physically fit, explains producer Britta Amft at
­NorrlandsOperan.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
Eight people have the task of moving the giants Elektra and her sister Chrysothemis forwards and backwards across the stage area, and moving their arms
at the right pace. Dressed in nude costumes, 32
TAGE NILSSON, EXTRA
Age: 61
Lives: in Umeå
Employment: Union representative, retiring soon
Interests: folk dancing, Lindy Hop, ballroom
dancing and theatre
Stage experience: Has performed in amateur
theatre productions in Robertsfors and at
Grotteatern, was involved in ­NorrlandsOperan’s
Fiddler on the Roof in 1992, has been dancing and
performing folk dances from the age of 20.
MAMMOTH UNDERTAKING
Props designer Emelie
Eriksson in conversation
with the vulture, played by
Anette Bergström
<<
Photo: Viyan Ateaa
A BIG THANK-YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
SKOR
Elektrasupé
PÅ MESSEN
3-rätters supé på anrika Officersmessen innan föreställningen
av Elektra? Bord kan bokas (sittning kl.18:00) via Rex Bar & Grill
för er som redan köpt biljett. Ange ”Elektrasupé” vid bokning.
Tel: 090-70 60 50 alt via mail: [email protected]
3- RÄTTERS SUPÉ 375:
500:- inkl. dryckespaket.
(Utvalda viner, förrätt och varmrätt.)
Se menyn: rexbar.com/
officersmessen/elektrasupe
I anslutning till föreställningen vid
”scenområdet” har vi ett enklare
bartält med öl, vin, läsk, vatten, kaffe,
snacks och ett fast-food alternativ.
REX
OFFICERSMESS
Vinn biljetter
till Elektra!
Livet vore trist utan kultur. Så tack
alla som skapar musik, teater,
konst, litteratur, dans och annat
som färglägger våra tankar.
Du som är hyresgäst hos Bostaden
kan vinna biljetter till Elektra!
Läs mer om utlottningen på vår
webb: www.bostaden.umea.se
Länge leve kulturen!
Ta med VK till stranden
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hela sommaren.
T
3 kronor* fö
rsta
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I sommar kan du läsa din tidning när du vill och var du än är. Njut av
skön läsning på stranden, i hängmattan eller i båten. Med VK Digitalt får
du e-tidningen måndag till lördag och alla nyheter på vk.se med
VK+. 3 kronor* första månaden. Beställ på vk.se/valfrihet
*Gäller juli–augusti 2014. Ord. pris 179 kr/månad.
BERÄTTARNÄT SVERIGE: FEST – FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN STORYTELLERS | BILDMUSEET: ÅTTA SAMISKA KONSTNÄRER, LEONOR FINI | BILL OLSSON: BILL 365 | BÅTMUSEETS VÄNNER:
KONSTEN SEGLAR IN II | CROSSING BOARDERS: CROSSING BOARDERS CAMP | DOCKTEATER MÅNSTJÄRNAN: MONSTER-KONSTER | EYP/EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIA MENT: INTERNATIONELLT UNGDOMSFORUM | FINSKA KLUBBEN: TEMADAGAR FÖR SVERIGEFINSKA KVINNOR I UMEÅ | FOLKETS BIO: MOVE FILMFESTIVAL | FOLKRÖRELSEARKIVET: UMEÅ – THE
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NORRLANDSOPERAN: ELEKTRA, JAZZFESTIVALEN, MADE-FESTIVALEN, SAMI CHINESE DANCE COMPANY, SPRING FORWARD FESTIVAL, 12 POINTS FESTIVAL, 8 ÅRSTIDSKONSERTER
POETRY SLAM SVERIGE: SM I POETRY SLAM | PRO VÄSTERBOTTEN: SENIORMÄSSA | PROFILTEATERN: HORROR AND ART, URSÄKTA SKULLE NI KUNNA SVÄLTA LITE TYSTARE, VI
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I HISTORIA OCH NUTID – TEORI OCH PRAKTIK I MÖTE | STUDIEFRÄMJANDET: ANONYM BUT CREATIVE, MOLNSKUGGA, AVALANCHE | SWEDISH CLEMENTI SOCIETY: BEETHOVEN
INSPIRES | SVENSK SOCIALPOLITISK FÖRENING: VERANDAN | SVENSKA INSTITUTET I PARIS: 66NORD – L'ATTITUDE SUÉDOISE | SVENSKA KYRKAN: FYREN | SÅNGKRAFT: A CHORAL
MIDSUMMER LIGHT'S DREAM – UMEÅ INTERNATIONELLA KÖRFESTIVAL | TANTTEATERN: DET ÄR ALDRIG FÖR SENT FÖR BALETTEN | TEATERCENTRUM: EUROPEAN OFF MEETING
KULTURCENTRUM BARN OCH UNGA: TEATERKALAS | TEXTILMEJERIET: STADEN | UMELAN: FROSTBYTE | UMEÅ FOLKMUSIKFÖRENING: FOLK- OCH VÄRLDSMUSIKGALAN | UMEÅ
GEOCACHING COMMUNITY (UGC): UMEÅ GEOCACHING CULTURE EVENT 2014 | UMEÅ KAMMARMUSIKFÖRENING: KAMMARMUSIKFESTIVAL | UMEÅ KOMMUN, HAGASKOLAN: TVÅ
SKOLFORMER TILLSAMMANS I GREASE | UMEÅ KOMMUNS FOLKBIBLIOTEK: GIVE ME FIVE | UMEÅ KULTURFÖRENING HUMLAN: UMEÅ OPEN GRAND SLAM OCH POPUP | UMEÅ
MUSIKOLA: EL SISTEMA OCH MUSIK FRÅN STUNDER DÅ LIVET VAR SOM ALLRA BÄST | UMEÅ SAMEFÖRENING: SAMISK VECKA, TRÁHPPIE, RUSSUOH VUÖLIEB! VÄCK UPP JOJKEN,
VIDDERNA INOM MIG – ETT SAMISKT ORATORIUM AV SVANTE HENRYSON | UMEÅ SKAPARPRIS: UMEÅ SKAPARPRIS | UMEÅ TEATERFÖRENING: NYCIRKUSFESTIVAL, VÄRLDSPREMIÄR
VI ÄR UMEÅ2014
Massor av projekt genomförs med finansiering av Umeå – Europas
kulturhuvudstad 2014. Hitta allt som händer på umea2014.se.
Missa inte de tre kommande årstidsinvigningarna:
Tjakttjagiessie/Höstsommar – Skördandets årstid, 30 augusti, Broparken (i samarbete med Nycirkusfestivalen)
Tjakttja/Höst – Drivkraftens årstid, 10 oktober (i samarbete med det nya "Kulturkvarteret" vid Vasaqatan)
Tjakttjadálvvie/Höstvinter – Vandrandets årstid, preliminärt 22 november (i samarbete med inviqninqen av Väven)
WORKS CULLBERGBALETTEN | UMEÅC AB: K-UNG | UMU: VOICES OF UMEÅ | VERKLIGHETEN: SURVIVAL KIT FESTIVAL | VISANS VÄNNER I UMEÅ/VISFESTIVAL HOLMÖN: JUBILEUMSKONSERT | VODA: VI OCH DOM ANDRA | VÄSTERBOTTENS LÄNS HEMSLÖJDSFÖRENING: NEXT LEVEL CRAFT – SLOYDIFY SOCIETY, VÅGA VÄVA | VÄSTERBOTTENS MUSEUM: ROCK ART
IN SÁPMI, SJDC/UMEÅ PHOTO2014 | VÄSTERBOTTENSTEATERN: NORRLÄNDSK PASSION | ÖGONBLICKSTEATERN: WITH MY EYES ONLY, FESTIVAL NORMAL UNLIMITED, POJKEN,
FLICKAN OCH MUREN | LISA LESTANDER: VÄSTERBOTTENS VISOR | UMEÅ FRITID UNGA: 2 DAYS IN UMEÅ | VICTOR HILLEBJÖRK: ”ATT CROWDFUNDA EN FESTIVAL” | JONAS LIDSTRÖM
ISEGRIM: SERIE -ANTOLOGI 2014 | ERSBODA SLÖJDFÖRENING: KULTURLÖPARE | NORRLANDSOPERAN: MUSIC 4 PEOPLE | LARS ÖBERG: VI OCH DOM – INTA RUKA | SIMON GRIND:
GRIND GALLERI; BRITTVINTER | KF KRASCH: DIGITALA SNÖÄNGLAR | EMMALO LUNDSTRÖM: TAG PLATS 2012 | UMEMETAL: FIKADÖDS | SENSUS STUDIEFÖRBUND: SOM JAG MINNS
DET – EN BERÄTTARFÖRESTÄLLNING OM JESUS SISTA VECKA | PETER MOLLWING: GÅRDAGENS MUSIK | TANTTEATERN: TANTTEATER | BENNY KARLSSON: GIRL POWER KULTURTEVE
2014 | UMEÅ UNGA FOLKMUSIKER: FOLKSKANDIA 2012 | SVENSKA VOLLEYFÖRENINGEN: SWEDISH BEACH TOUR 2014 | HIJVEN: ÅTTA ÅRSTIDER, ÅTTA FILMER | TEATERCENTRUM
NORR: PLANERING AV EUROPEAN OFF MEETING I UMEÅ 2014 | KONSULTFIRMA SARA RUDÄLV: KONSTEN GÅR PÅ RÄLS | KREATOR: CO-WORKING UMEÅ | KF VERKET: SAMTAL OCH
FILMVISNING OM KVINNORS ROLL I PUNKSCENEN | UMEÅ FOLKMUSIKFÖRENING: FOLKMUSIKEUROPA | KATARINA PIRAK SIKKU: JAG VILL BITA HUVUDET AV SKAMMEN | HÖRNEFORS
KULTURFÖRENING: NORRBYSKÄR – ETT MÄRKLIGT SAMHÄLLES FRAMVÄXT OCH HISTORIA | UMEBYGDENS NHR: TOLV | EMILIA HANSSON: CULTURE TRAD | JOHAN NYBERG: LEKSAM
TVÅPUNKTNOLL: BIO I BROPARKEN | FILIP JONSSON/HAMNMAGASINET: STAND UP AND SCREAM | UMEÅ SKAPARPRIS IDEELLA FÖRENING: UMEÅ SKAPARPRIS | HOLMSUNDOBBOLA KULTURFÖRENING: KULTUR I SKÄRGÅRDEN | KULTURSTORM: BARNS RÖSTER OM EUROPA | GRISBACKAKYRKAN: BLÅ FESTIVAL | KONCENTRAT KONSTCENTRUM I KIRUNA:
MARKANVÄNDNING | UMEÅ KAMMARMUSIKFÖRENING: MUSIK MINGEL MAT | UNITED AFGHANSK FÖRENING: AFGHANISTAN GENOM VÅRA ÖGON | ALTE SCHWEDEN: THE SINGING
REVOLUTION AND THEN WHAT? | FEMINISTISKT FORUM: FEMINISTISKT FORUM UMEÅ | UMEÅ DANSSKOLA: DEN FJÄRDE LAGEN – EN DANSFÖRESTÄLLNING | SÅHKIE: RUSSUOH
VUÖLIEB! / VÄCK UPP JOJKEN! | IRANSKA FÖRENINGEN: ELDFESTEN 2014 | MIDDAGSBJUDNINGEN: MIDDAGSBJUDNINGEN; MANIFEST, HOPP, UTOPI | QUEERFÖRVALTNINGEN: TEATER
SMUTS | IOGT NTO BUDBÄRARNA: KULTURUTBYTE UMEÅ – JURBARKAS BACKEN GOSPEL: GOSPELKÖR OCH STORBAND I UMEÅ 2013 OCH 2014 TANGO NORTEÑO: MIDNIGHT LIGHT
TANGO FESTIVAL | OBBOLA ÄR OCKSÅ UMEÅ KOMMUN: KULTURENS BILDNINGSVERKSAMHET NORR | REBECKA ADELHULT FEKLISTOFF: FÖRFLYTTNINGAR | SVENSK FORM
VÄSTERBOTTEN: PECHAKUCHA UMEÅ RIGA | WIKIMEDIA SVERIGE: UMEPEDIA | GRÖNA HUSET: SWEET SUSTAINABILITY | SVENSKA KYRKAN I UMEÅ: SUOMALAINEN MESSU | MAMA
AFRICA: KVINNOR SÅ IN NORDEN | SPAS RYSK KULTURFÖRENING: RYSK TEMAVECKA | ELIN BOMAN: HEMSÖKTA UMEÅ | KOMPANI NOMAD: MINIDANSRESIDENS I VILHELMINA | UMEÅ
STADS TRÄDGÅRDSSÄLLSKAP: HORTIKULTUR I VÄXTERBOTTEN | EVELINA SJÖSTRÖM: PROJEKT TRAILER/TRAILER GALLERY | UMEÅ BLUESFÖRENING: LADY SINGS THE BLUES | UGD
– UMEÅ FIGHTINGSPELSFÖRENING: NORDIC SHOWDOWN 2014/UMEÅ FIGHT CAPITAL 2014 | PAIN: PERFORMANCE I GLASHUSET | TEATER MYCEL: VINTAGE WEEKEND OCH VAUDEVILLE
2014 | HOLMÖ SOMMARTEATER: TEATERUTBYTE HOLMÖN – REPLOT | STUDIE FÖRBUNDET VUXENSKOLAN: KULTURELLT UTBYTE SVERIGE–EL SALVADOR | SARA LIDMAN-SÄLLSKAPET:
SARA LIDMAN – EN RÖST FRÅN DET NORDLIGA RUMMET UT I VÄRLDEN | HAMPUS BERGENHEIM: DIFFERENT BUT STILL THE SAME | PARADISE CITY KULTUR: KLUBB UNPLUGGED
MUFIDA KULTURELLA FÖRENING: INTERNATIONELL MODEVISNING | ELDFESTIVAL PÅ KULTURMEJERIET: FORMA UMEÅ KERAMIKFÖRENING | BOKCAFÉ PILGATAN: NORDISKT
FÖRFATTARSAMARBETE | MALIN TIVENIUS: WATERSCAPE/ANTIATLAS | BIRGIT LINDBERG: THE MIDNIGHT SUN | UMEÅ MUSIKKLASSER: JUBILEUMSKONSERT | GAIAPROJEKTET:
FEMCON2 | STICKFÖRENINGEN STICKARR: STICKLÄGER STICK2014 | SÄVAR SKOLA: STORNILA | KF KRETSEN – NERDCON: NERDCON | OBBOLA FK: KULTURMÖTEN I SKÄRGÅRDEN
2014 | ELISABETH HOLM: TVÅ KULTURER VID SAMMA VATTEN FÖRENAS I KÖRSAMARBETE MELLAN UMEÅ OCH RIGA | 090 HARDCORE: 090-HARDCOREFEST 2014 | ROSALI GRANKULL:
RARAS | HÖRNEFORS MANSKÖR: MANSKÖRER I SAMKLANG | UMEÅ ROLLER DERBY: RADICAL ROOKIE REBELLION | BJÖRNOLA LIND: ONE WATER MANY RIVERS | GALLERI MASKINEN:
MASKINEN ART BOAT | MIO LIDGREN/HUMLAN: ANTIMOBBNINGSFESTIVAL | VIKTOR NEUMANN: EXHIBITION: CULTURAL CAPITAL | BILDA: "ETT LJUS I MÖRKRET" | NINA BÄCKSTRÖM:
CYKELTUREN! SKARUME? | VADIM ALEXEYEV: HOUSE IN UMEÅ | UMEÅ GUIDEFÖRENING: LÄR KÄNNA DIN STAD | HELENA COT CULTURAL AGENT: WALLPEOPLE UMEÅ | IFK UMEÅ/VILDMANNAVALLEN: GRAFFITIMÅLA EN GAMMAL TRÄLÄKTARE PÅ EN NYGAMMAL FOTBOLLSARENA | SARA SJÖSTRÖM: BREVBÄRARNA | FÖRENINGEN KULTURSTORM: NO! VOICE | MED FLERA
Huvudpartner
Partners
Motorcentralen, VK, Ultra, Swedbank,
Umeå Airport, Företagarna Västerbotten
Med stöd av
Umeå genomför kulturhuvudstadsåret tillsammans med de fyra nordligaste svenska länen
och Sápmi som sträcker sig genom delar av Norge, Sverige, Finland och Ryssland.
ART
In the autumn our art exhibition space Vita Kuben
will be presenting three major projects: Survival Kit,
a collaboration between artists in Riga and Umeå,
offering some 30 different art experiences from
many parts of the world. Glasljud, the school kids in
Vännäs get to work with glass artist Camilla Caster.
Finally, Björnola Lind and Torkel Lundberg pay homage to the world’s mother rivers in the installation
One water – many rivers.
BLANCHE & MARIE
OPERA
On August 29, Umeå Teaterförening will be
opening its doors for the New Circus Festival.
Over ten days, Umeå will be taken over by exciting new circus troupes and street artists from all
four corners of the world.
Photo: Alban van Wassenhove
MARMALAD
DANCE
WAVES, VIDEO & JOYFUL REUNIONS
After the summer we’ll be getting going again with
Marmelad, a sweet piece by Claire Parsons for our
youngest viewers.
In Joseph & MM we meet two dance creators,
Alessandro Sciarroni and Ludvig Daae, who both
move between the digital and the physical space
with the aid of a film camera. In October we’ll be
showing two performances in collaboration with
Umeå Teaterförening: Virpi Pahkinen does her majestic Scarabé and then we are reunited with Peter Jasko and Anton Lachky from the popular Les
­SlovaKs, on this occasion each performing in their
own work, Solo 2009 & Mind a Gap.
In November it’s time for the premiere of Waves,
where Peter von Poehl’s newly-written music interpreted by N
­ orrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
UMEÅ JAZZ FESTIVAL
N­ ORRLANDSOPERAN’S
TOP TIPS!
NOVEL BY PO ENQUIST BECOMES OPERA
Blanche & Marie is based on a novel by PO Enquist, a
colourful portrait of the Nobel Laureate Marie C
­ urie
and Blanche Wittman, the woman who became the
face of the female condition hysteria. Mats Larsson
Gothe is the composer, Maria Sundqvist wrote the
libretto and Elisabet L
­ jungar is the director. World
premiere October 10.
WAVES
EUROPE’S TOP JAZZ IN UMEÅ
Umeå Jazz Festival continues to attract the top international jazz and improvisation musicians. And
naturally there is a particular focus on artists from
Europe during this special year. The festival takes
place October 21–26.
Photo: Almah Youri Lenquette
joins forces with choreography by Héla Fattoumi &
Eric Lamoureux (Manta, Masculines). Following that
Ingrid Olterman takes up several positions in the
public space with Movements’ Corner. Skånes Dansteater will be making a guest performance with us
in December with ...AND..., choreography by Björn
Säfsten and Philippe Blanchard.
MUSIC
FANTASTIC MUSICAL VISITS
In August we’ll be visited by Sveriges Radio’s Symphony Orchestra, Radiokören, Erik Westberg’s
Vocal Ensemble and soloists when they perform
Mahler’s Second Symphony at Idunteatern, under
the direction of Daniel Harding. In September we
will have guest performances from Norr­
botten’s
Chamber Orchestra, conductor Okko Kamu, and
soprano Maria Fontosh, whom we last saw in
Eugen Onegin.
EXCITING SEASONAL CONCERTS
­NorrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra will be performing a series of exciting seasonal concerts as
part of European Capital of Culture Year. August
sees the premiere of a work by Graham Fitkin and
there’ll be more new music by Berndt Egerblad and
Mats ­
Gustafsson in connection with Umeå Jazz
Festival. In November, conductor and pianist Howard S
­ helley is back to interpret Beethoven. The final
performance of the year will be a clarinet concerto
by our Composer in residence Katarina Leyman,
featuring soloist Stefan Harg. We sign off this celebratory year with Musical Magic, in which principal conductor Rumon Gamba has put together a
­tremendous programme.
CHILDISH IMPROVISATION
In September it’s time for splash, song and rhythm
in Zingazing by Ensemble Yria, for 1–5 year olds.
Alongside the jazz festival, the slightly older children
(5–9 years) are being invited along on C
­ atapluf’s
­Musical Journey together with improvisation musician Adriano Adewale.
RIVER STORIES
2014 is being highlighted as a special year beyond
Umeå as well. Throughout the European Capital of
Culture Year, River Stories is working with a series
of projects, performances and events that are touring Västerbotten and Finland.
And there’s more!
For the latest news, visit
www.­norrlandsoperan.se
Photo: Jose Figueroa
Image: ­NorrlandsOperan
AUTUMN 2014 AT ­NORRLANDSOPERAN
Love, passion and the devouring power
of radium radiation . The opera Blanche
& Marie is based on PO Enquist’s
novel The Story of Blanche and Marie.
The plot centres on two-time Nobel
­Laureate Marie Curie and Blanche
­Wittman, her friend and assistant.
World Premiere at ­NorrlandsOperan,
October 10, 2014.
August
14.8 OPERA/ELEKTRA
14.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE 16.8 OPERA/ ELEKTRA
16.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE 19.8 OPERA/ ELEKTRA
17.10 DANCE/SOLO 2009 & MIND A GAP**
21.8 OPERA/ELEKTRA
18.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE 23.8 OPERA/ ELEKTRA
22.10 – 26.10 FESTIVAL/UMEÅ JAZZ FESTIVAL 25.8 CONCERT/MAHLER SYMPHONY NO.2
25.10 CONCERT/CATAPLUF’S MUSICAL ­JOURNEY
Richard Strauss & La Fura Dels Baus – PREMIERE
Richard Strauss & La Fura Dels Baus
Richard Strauss & La Fura Dels Baus
Richard Strauss & La Fura Dels Baus
Richard Strauss & La Fura Dels Baus
Sveriges Radio’s Symphony Orchestra, Radiokören,
Erik Westberg’s Vocal Ensemble
28.8 CONCERT/FITKIN MEETS NOSO
­NorrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
September
4.9–6.9 NEW CIRCUS/KNEE DEEP
New Circus Festival, Umeå Teaterförening
6.9 DANCE/MARMELAD
Claire Parsons , for kids 2–6 years
10.9 DANCE/JOSEPH & MM *
Alessandro Sciarroni & Ludvig Daae
11.9 CONCERT/ SHELLEY INTERPRETS
­BEETHOVEN
Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist
Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist
Peter Jasko & Anton Lachky
Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist
www.umeajazzfestival.se
Adriano Adewale, for kids 5–9 years
23.10 CONCERT/EGERBLADH & GUSTAFSSON
­NorrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
22.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist
25.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist
November
21.11 – 22.11 DANCE/ WAVES Fattoumi, Lamoureux & Peter von Poehl – WORLD PREMIERE 21.11
­NorrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
27.11 CONCERT/LEYMANS CLARINET CONCERTO
­ orrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
N
Music by Leyman, Shostakovich & Pettersson
­ orrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
N
Music by Clementi, Schnelzer, Beethoven & Mendelssohn
29.11–30.11 DANCE/MOVEMENTS’ CORNER
14.9 CONCERT/ ZIGGAZING
December
Ensemble Yria, for kids 1–5 years
17.9 CONCERT/ SOIRÉE FRANCAISE
Norrbotten Chamber Orchestra with conductor Okko Kamu
& soloist Maria Fontosh
October
5.10 DANCE/SCARABÉ * **
Virpi Pahkinen
10.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE Ingrid Olterman
5.12–6.12 CONCERT/ MUSIK FRÅN STUNDER... Malin Jonsson, Daniel Lindström, Umeå Musikskola & ­NorrlandsOperan
Symphony Orchestra
6.12 DANCE/…AND…
Skånes Dansteater, Björn Säfsten & Philippe Blanchard.
11.12 CONCERT/MUSICAL MAGIC
­ orrlandsOperan Symphony Orchestra
N
Music by Coates, Ravel, Tjajkovsky & Stravinsky
Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist – WORLD PREMIERE
*Presented by Dansnät Sverige **In cooperation with Umeå Teaterförening
12.10 OPERA/BLANCHE & MARIE Subject to any additions, typing errors and changes to the programme.
Mats Larsson Gothe & Maria Sundqvist
THERE’S ALWAYS MORE HAPPENING! FOR THE LATEST NEWS, VISIT WWW.­NORRLANDSOPERAN.SE