Following a week of approximately 20 events, the grand finale of this year’s festival will be a concert performance of Richard Wagner's powerful opera, The Flying Dutchman. On August 8, Båstad’s Tennis Stadium will be transformed into an open-air opera stage, with world-class soloists, the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and a chorus of local singers from across Skåne, under the direction of Hungarian conductor, Henrik Nánási. The Flying Dutchman, a tale of the sea, storms, and maritime legend, will be brought ashore for a…
Making waves with The Dutchman and Sea in the leading roles
Baritone Luthando Qave, who grew up in South Africa but has lived and worked in Sweden for several years, will receive the 2026 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium of SEK 250,000 (approx. USD 27,000). Together with pianist Magnus Svensson, Luthando will give his Stipendium recital on 7 August at Birgit's Church in Västra Karup, as part of this year's Birgit Nilsson Festival. The Stipendium, founded by Birgit Nilsson in 1969, forms part of the legendary soprano’s legacy, and is awarded annually to…
Luthando Qave Named 2026 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium Recipient
A star-studded array of international guests and artists gathered in Stockholm on October 21 to pay tribute to the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the first festival to be awarded the prestigious Birgit Nilsson Prize. At the official ceremony His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the Prize to Sophie Joissains, Mayor of Aix-en-Provence and Paul Hermelin, Chairman of the Board of the Festival. The accompanying musical Gala was led by conductor Susanna Mälkki and featured the Royal Swedish Philharmonic, Royal Swedish Opera Choir, court singers Peter Mattei and Daniel Johansson, and young rising Swedish star soprano Matilda…
Festival d’Aix-en-Provence receives the Birgit Nilsson Prize 2025 in Stockholm
A scenic open-air production of Richard Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman will be the finale at the Birgit Nilsson Festival 2026, with world-class singers, the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and choirs across Skåne – at the Tennis Stadium in Båstad on August 8. Leading roles will be sung by Christopher Maltman (The Dutchman), Elisabet Strid (Senta) och Günther Groissböck (Daland), Stanislas de Barbeyrac (Erik), Martina Dike (Mary) and Tobias Westman (Daland’s Steerman), with musical direction by Henrik Nánási. “The Flying Dutchman…
In Aida at the Tennis Stadium in Båstad conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi and the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra created ”a truly Verdian sound”, writes Opera with Opera News. The September issue is also strucked by the fact that several former Birgit Nilsson Stipendium recipients participated, in addition to this year's recipient Karolina Bengtsson in the role of the priestess. Christina Nilsson sang Aida ”with gleaming power” and with the Nile Aria as ”the highlight” of the evening, Fredrik Zetterström (Amonasro) was…
”Båstad is Birgit Nilsson's homeland, and when the foundation that bears her name decides to stage Aida outdoors, it knows how to do things, write the French opera web Forumopera in a very entusiastic review. Read more: https://www.forumopera.com/spectacle/verdi-aida-bastad/ … There will be a sound system, so that no vocal or orchestral detail escapes the spectators, the concentration of the audience and the quality of its silence allowed for a near-ideal reception of the work. And the Scandinavian nightfall is poetic in its poetry.…
With more than 20 events which ran from 3-9 August, the Birgit Nilsson Festival 2025 closed with a performance of Verdi’s Aida - a grand finale with a record audience – 3,469 people at the Tennis Stadium in Båstad. The week also offered everything from a Stipendium recital to a Master Class, concerts, talks, musical meetings, films and sing-alongs for the whole family! The planning for the BIRGIT NILSSON FESTIVAL 2026 is already in full swing and following the applause…
Birgit Nilsson Festival (August 3-9) is Skåne's largest summer festival for opera and classical music. Opera, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, talks, meetings, masterclasses. Plus a sing-along for the whole family with Rickard Söderberg, among others, and finally the grand finale at Båstad Tennis Stadium - Verdi's grand opera with our new world star, soprano Christina Nilsson in the title role. A central meeting place during the festival week is the Birgit Nilsson Museum at the farm where the great singer…
Opera and classical music in Birgit Nilsson country
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