(Photo: Gunilla Hovenäs) Tall and statuesque, Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby stepped onto the stage of Ravinen Kulturhus on August 6, 2026, in Båstad and immediately captivated the audience with a winning smile. The recipient of the 2024 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium appeared during the Birgit Nilsson Festival with her pianist Matti Hirvonen. Their program reflected this year’s festival theme, “The Sea,” {…}
The Göteborg Opera has announced its 2026-27 Season. In “Marital Secrets,” the company will present a double bill featuring “On the Harmfulness of Tobacco” and “Il segreto di Susanna.” Mattias Ermedahl and Carolina Sandgren star in Louise Ahlsell’s production. Performance Dates: Sept. 11-Nov. 8, 2026 Ida Falk Winland, Tobias Westman, and Orhan Yildiz lead Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Aivis Greters conducting and Silvia {…}
The Birgit Nilsson Festival has announced its 2026 season. Here is the a look at the vocal performances. Opera singer and actor Richard Hamrin, together with pianist Eric Skarby, takes the audience on a personal journey through the life and music of this magnificent and controversial prima donna. Performance Date: August 3, 2026 Two of Sweden’s most beloved opera stars {…}
(Photo credit: Henrik Halvarsson) The Royal Swedish Orchestra celebrates its 500th anniversary with concerts at the Royal Swedish Opera and an international tour. This article only features classical vocal events. Royal Swedish Opera Chorus soloists Matilda Sterby, Miriam Treichl, Michael Weinius, and Ola Eliasson perform works by Beethoven and Helander. Alan Gilbert conducts. Performance Dates: January 17 & 18, 2026 {…}
(Photo credit: Henrik Halvarsson) Royal Swedish Opera Choir and the Royal Swedish Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the Birgit Nilsson Prize gala on Oct. 21. Soloists were Matilda Sterby, Peter Mattei, and Daniel Johansson. Together with the choir, they performed under the direction of Susanna Mälkki. The program featured a piece from Kaija Saariaho and Sofi Oksanen’s “Innocence 2021” and the {…}
The Göteborg Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Liam Bonthrone, Hannes Öberg, Åke Zetterström, Ann-Kristin Jones, and Kristoffer Töyrä lead Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” Giancarlo Andretta conducts. Performance Dates: August 25-Sept. 19, 2025 Puccini’s “La Bohème” will star Ida Falk Winland, Matilda Sterby, Adam Frandsen, Orhan Yildiz, Sofie Asplund, Kristoffer Töyrä, and Kristian Lindroos. Giordano Bellincampi and Martyna Szymczak conduct. Performance Dates: Sept. 6, 2025-Feb. 4, 2026 Philipp Rosendahl directs {…}
(Credit: TACT/Askonas Holt/Intermusica/Natalia Jansen) It’s that time of the year. The end of the year. 2024 brought many debuts, many new productions, many competitions, many world premieres and many new young artists who are coming up in the world of opera. And that it is reason alone to celebrate. As the year comes to an end, here’s a look at {…}
(Photo credit: Lennart Sjöberg) Göteborg Opera is celebrating its 30th season with an exciting lineup of favorites, beginning with Sir David McVicar’s production of Bizet’s “Carmen,” with libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella by Proper Mérimée. This production was originally presented at Glyndebourne in 2002, and like most McVicar productions, it gets to the point {…}
On June 13, 2024, the Wilhelm Stenhammar International Music Competition held its finals at the De Geer Hall in Norrköping, Sweden. The first prize went to Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby, while the second prize went to South Korean soprano Celine Mun. The third prize was awarded to Swedish mezzo-soprano Mathilda Bryngelsson while the audience prize was given to South Korean {…}
Matilda Sterby has won the 2024 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium. The prize comes with 250,000 SEK (equivalent to euros 21.500) and will be awarded on August 9 when she performs in recital as a part of the celebrations for the Birgit Nilsson Days. In a statement, Sterby said, “It’s a dream to receive this Stipendium, because it means so much. First {…}
Sweden’s Göteborg Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Katarina Giotas headlines Bizet’s “Carmen” with Joachim Bäckström, Adam Frandsen, Luthando Qave, and Matilda Sterby. Aivis Greters and Martyna Szymcza alternate at the pit. Performance Dates: August 24-Oct. 12, 2024 Michael Weinius and Tomas Lind lead Verdi’s “Otello” with Jens Søndergaard, Adam Frandsen, Julia Sporsén, Carolina Sandgren, and Ann-Kristin Jones. Vincenzo Milletarì conducts the production by Rafael {…}
