Norrland Opera
Encyclopedia
The NorrlandsOperan is a Swedish opera company in Umeå
, located in Norrland
, Sweden
. The ownership of NOP is divided between the Umeå Municipality
(40%) and the Västerbotten County
Council (60%).
NOP was established in 1974 as a regional opera ensemble. The NOP's first artistic director was Arnold Östman, from 1974 to 1979. NOP now has its own symphony orchestra and facilities for opera, dance, music and art as well as workshops and studios. NOP has four venues, with corresponding seating capacity:
NOP also houses the Vita kuben (White Cube), an exhibition space for contemporary art. In 1984, NOP took over the space of the former fire station in Umeå, which was originally built in 1937. After major renovations, the new venue opened in 2002, with a newly built theater and concert hall, combined with the old opera house. An assembly hall was subsequently constructed at the venue.
Past NOP artistic directors have included Magnus Aspegren. Past music directors have included Roy Goodman
(1995-2001), Kristjan Järvi
(2000-2004), and Andrea Quinn (2005-2009). The current managing director and artistic director of NOP is Kjell Englund, since August 2009. As of the 2009-2010 season, NOP's music director is Rumon Gamba
, with an initial contract of 3 years.
Notable recent productions and collaborations include:
NOP also assists with other arts organisations, such as the MADE performing arts festival and the Umeå Jazz Festival. In January 2007, at the Amplified Festival, during a performance by Mando Diao
, the temporary floor gave way, injuring over 25 people.
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
, located in Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The ownership of NOP is divided between the Umeå Municipality
Umeå Municipality
Umeå Municipality is a municipality in Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Umeå, which is also the county seat of Västerbotten County.-Administration:...
(40%) and the Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
Council (60%).
NOP was established in 1974 as a regional opera ensemble. The NOP's first artistic director was Arnold Östman, from 1974 to 1979. NOP now has its own symphony orchestra and facilities for opera, dance, music and art as well as workshops and studios. NOP has four venues, with corresponding seating capacity:
- Teatern (Theatre): 470 seats
- Konsertsalen (Concert Hall): 569 seats
- Black Box: up to 260 seats
- B-salen (B-Hall): 64 seats (primarily for childrens' shows)
NOP also houses the Vita kuben (White Cube), an exhibition space for contemporary art. In 1984, NOP took over the space of the former fire station in Umeå, which was originally built in 1937. After major renovations, the new venue opened in 2002, with a newly built theater and concert hall, combined with the old opera house. An assembly hall was subsequently constructed at the venue.
Past NOP artistic directors have included Magnus Aspegren. Past music directors have included Roy Goodman
Roy Goodman
Roy Goodman is a conductor and violinist, specialising in the performance and direction of early music...
(1995-2001), Kristjan Järvi
Kristjan Järvi
Kristjan Järvi is an Estonian-American conductor. Järvi is the younger son of Neeme Järvi, and the brother of conductor Paavo Järvi and flutist Maarika Järvi....
(2000-2004), and Andrea Quinn (2005-2009). The current managing director and artistic director of NOP is Kjell Englund, since August 2009. As of the 2009-2010 season, NOP's music director is Rumon Gamba
Rumon Gamba
Rumon Gamba , is an English conductor. He studied music at Durham University, and then went to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied conducting with Colin Metters, George Hurst and Sir Colin Davis. He became the first conducting student to obtain the DipRAM...
, with an initial contract of 3 years.
Notable recent productions and collaborations include:
- Demons of the Opera (2005, with local hard rockHard rockHard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
groups) - Porgy and BessPorgy and BessPorgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
(2006, Cape Town OperaCape Town OperaCape Town Opera is a professional opera company located in Cape Town, South Africa. CTO was founded in 1999 by the management and staff of the former South Africa Arts Council Opera...
) - Blog Opera (2007, a collaboration with local school children of different ages)
NOP also assists with other arts organisations, such as the MADE performing arts festival and the Umeå Jazz Festival. In January 2007, at the Amplified Festival, during a performance by Mando Diao
Mando Diao
Mando Diao is an alternative rock band from Borlänge, Sweden. The band got their breakthrough with the release of the album Hurricane Bar. Their main fan base is in Sweden, Germany, and Japan although their influence has recently spread to Western Europe, most notably the UK.-Origin:The roots of...
, the temporary floor gave way, injuring over 25 people.
Chief conductors
- Roy Goodman (1995-2001)
- Kristjan Järvi (2000-2004)
- Andrea Quinn (2005-2009)
- Rumon Gamba (2009-present)
See also
- Royal Swedish OperaRoyal Swedish OperaKungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
- Gothenburg OperaGothenburg OperaThe Gothenburg Opera, , is an opera house in Gothenburg, Sweden. In marketing, the name is often spelled as "GöteborgsOperan", which however is not grammatically correct.- History :...
- Malmö Opera and Music TheatreMalmö Opera and Music TheatreMalmö Opera and Music Theatre is an opera house in Malmö, Sweden. An opera company of the same name presents seasons of opera in this house....
- Drottningholm Palace TheatreDrottningholm Palace TheatreThe Drottningholm Palace Theatre is an opera house located at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, which has been described by Per-Erik Öhrn, the theatre’s former artistic director, as "the Swedish jewel in our European cultural heritage crown of centuries-old theatres".Currently the...