Choir singers holding musical score and singing on student gradu

Young Nordic Opera Choir 2025

Young Nordic Opera Choir is a cooperation between Herning Opera Festival in Denmark, Reykjavík Opera Days in Iceland and Nordic Song Festival in Sweden.
The project is financed by the A.P. Møller Foundation with support by local sponsors from each festival and is set to run from 2023 – 2025. Each year the choir will consist of 30 singers between 18 – 35 years old, who is either professionals or studying at music colleges. The singers will be recruited from all the Nordic countries and will work with a different conductor each year. In 2025 the choir will be conducted by Icelandic conductor Ragnheiður Ingunn Jóhannsdóttir.

The purpose of the project
Young Nordic Opera Choir is a center for talented young singers and is meant to develop the talent pool in the Nordic countries. Here, the choir will be a catalyst for Nordic coherence, networking and exchange of experiences and knowhow. We create a platform for developing meaningful mentoring, cross country relations and network between professionals within classical music across the Nordic countries.

Who can apply?
When recruiting singers, we are collaborating with prominent talent environments, music colleges and the professional music industry, in the Nordic countries. The age limit for the choir is between 18 and 35 years at the time of application. Please note, that you have to be related to one of the Nordic countries – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Faroe Islands or Greenland. You must either be a citizen or be living in one of the countries.

Payment, board, and lodging
Costs for transportation, board and lodging will be covered. The singers who are recruited as students might share a room with another student singer doing some of the stays during the project. The participating singers will receive payment at two levels, either as a student or as a professional – based on the singers status at the time of application. We will recruit singers for each year of the project. You are welcome to participate for more than one year, but you must make a video audition for each call.

Activities in 2025
The choir will be attending three festivals in 2025; Nordic Song Festival in Sweden, Herning Opera Festival in Denmark and Reykjavik Opera Days.
The choir will accompanied by either orchestra or a concert pianist – varying by each festival.

The activity plan is as follows:
• January: Open Call
• February: All singers receive response to their application
• April – Maj: The singers receives the repertoire
• August 4th – 8th: Nordic Song Festival, Sweden – Rehearsals and Concert
• August 29th – 31th: Herning Opera Festival, Denmark – Rehearsals and Concert
• October 25th – 26th: Reykjavík Opera Days, Iceland

It will be possible to arrive a day prior to rehearsal start and depart the day after the concert if you are traveling from abroad.
It will be possible to explore other parts of the festival programs during all festivals. There will also be social activities.

Repertoire
The choir will perform both classic and new opera – primarily from the Nordic opera literature. In 2025 there will be commissioned a small piece written especially for the choir. Some singers will be offered smaller solo parties – these singers will be selected by the artistic team.

How to apply:
To apply for the Choir you must fill in an application form. In the form you must link to a video with an aria or song within the classical tradition at a length of maximum 5 minutes. You must also attach your resume and a picture which will be used in the projects PR if you are selected for the choir.

The team behind
The project is developed and managed by Den Jyske Sangskole and Herning Opera Festival.
The project management consists of:
Line Nordentoft, CEO
The project management is supported by the festival teams at Nordic Song Festival and Reykjavík Opera Days.
Ditte Maria Mølgaard, Artistic Manager

Application deadline February 11th 2025