Summer continues with an exciting array of festival appearances, opera premieres, and concert performances for Ascolta Artists. Throughout July, our artists take the stage at some of the season’s most distinguished festivals and opera houses, bringing a rich variety of repertoire to audiences.
The month opens with soprano Johanna Nylund, who returns to the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland as the Countess in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. Set in the spectacular medieval Olavinlinna Castle, the festival remains one of Europe’s most prestigious summer opera events. Performances take place on 3, 13, 16, 20 July.
On 4 July, soprano Yana Kleyn appears at Denmark’s Hindsgavl Festival in a unique concert programme featuring works by Modest Mussorgsky and Dmitri Shostakovich, presented together with pianist Tatiana Larionova. The carefully curated programme offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience this fascinating repertoire in an intimate festival setting.
Also on 8 July, Johanna Nylund returns to the Savonlinna Opera Festival for another important milestone of the summer, making her premiere as Anna in Verdi’s Nabucco. Further performances follow on 14 and 21 August.
Mid-July brings two exciting concert productions at Søholm Opera. Soprano Frederikke Kampmann appears in a concert performance of Hansel and Gretel on 17 and 24 July, while tenor Steffen Jespersen performs the role of Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the same dates.
Baritone Hrólfur Sæmundsson joins the Saaremaa Opera Festival in Estonia as Wotan in Wagner’s Das Rheingold, with the performance taking place on 18 July.
From 25 July, soprano Mathilda Bryngelsson appears at the Gräsington Opera Festival in the United Kingdom as Annina in Verdi’s La traviata, while also serving as cover for the role of Penelope.
The end of the month sees two Ascolta Artists sharing the stage in Puccini’s La Bohème at Opera på Skäret in Sweden. Soprano Maria Kjellsson performs Musetta, while soprano Kseniya Bakhritdinova appears as Mimì, with performances continuing throughout July and August.