NorrlandsOperan

NorrlandsOperan in Umeå

The NorrlandsOperan (literally The Norrland's Opera; NOP), 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. Its chief conductors have been Roy Goodman (1995–2001); Kristjan Järvi (2000–2004); Andrea Quinn (2005–2009); and Rumon Gamba (2009–present).

History

Norrlandsoperan was founded in 1974 as a direct result of Swedish cultural reform the same year. The musical theater group Sångens makt constituted the core of the newly formed opera ensemble. The ensemble initially had to use temporary premises but soon found a more permanent home at Umeå Folkets hus (then housed in a building at the intersection Järnvägsallén/Östra kyrkogatan).[1] Norrlandsoperan's first director was Arnold Östman, who also was the artistic director of the opera in the years 1974-1979.

In 1984 Norrlandsoperan moved to the old fire station in Umeå, which was built in 1937 in a functionalist style and designed by Wejke & Ödeen. The fire station underwent extensive rebuilding and expansion, designed by Olle Qvarnström.[2]

In 2002 the newly built theater and concert hall, which is incorporated with the old opera house, was inaugurated. The new building houses a lounge with 480 seats, a large stage with side stages and orchestra pit, and a concert hall with 500 seats.[3]

Every year in May, since 2006, Norrlandsoperan has arranged the annual MADE festival on its premises, and outdoors on Operaplan.

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.[4] As of the 2009–2010 season, NOP's music director is Rumon Gamba, with an initial contract of 3 years.[5][6]

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.

During the opening week of the European City of Culture festival in Umeå in January 2014, Gamba conducted the NorrlandsOperan orchestra in the Konsertsalen in a complete Beethoven symphony cycle, where each of the nine symphonies was prefaced by the premiere of a new work by a contemporary composer.[7][8] The concerts were all broadcast on Swedish radio.[9]

Performance facilities

There are four venues, with corresponding seating capacity:

The building 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.

During a concert with the band Mando Diao on 27 January 2007 parts of the floor collapsed and about 50 people fell about 2.5 meters to the underlying basement floor. 29 people were taken to hospital for treatment of varying degrees.[10] In 2009 the former opera director was convicted in the District Court (Tingsrätt) for gross negligence, but was acquitted the following year by the Court of Appeals (Hovrätt).[11] The opera's technical director who also was charged was acquitted in court.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Petersson, Birgit (1986). Umeå Folkets hus och dess historia. Umeå: Umeå Folkets hus-förening. libris=506928.
  2. ↑ "Norrlandsoperan". Umeå Municipality. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  3. ↑ "Mycket opera för pengarna". Nordisk Renting. 15 November 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  4. ↑ Marianne Söderberg (2009-05-15). "Kjell Englund ny chef på Norrlandsoperan". Norrbottens Kuriren. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  5. ↑ "Rumon Gamba blir NorrlandsOperans nye chefdirigent" (Press release). NorrlandsOperan. October 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  6. ↑ "Rumon Gamba becomes Chief Conductor in Umeå" (Press release). NorrlandsOperan. October 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  7. ↑ Möte mellan gammalt och nytt i "Beethoven & Beyond"; report on Beethoven cycle with new works accessed 5 February 2014.
  8. ↑ List of Beethoven & Beyond concerts with dates and composers; page at NorrlandsOperan accessed 5 February 2014.
  9. ↑ sverigesradio P2 Live Beethoven & Beyond page, accessed 5 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "Flera balkar var deformerade". Dagens Nyheter. 28 January 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  11. ↑ "Hovrätten friar operachef". Västerbottens-Kuriren. 3 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "Döms för golvraset på Norrlandsoperan". Västerbottens-Kuriren. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  13. ↑ Wallin, Bertil (19 May 2009). "Domen låter orimlig". Västerbottens-Kuriren. p. 8.

External links

Coordinates: 63°49′41″N 20°16′08″E / 63.82806°N 20.26889°E