HER PERSPECTIVE – The Forgotten History of Opera

For most of opera’s 400-year history, women composers have seemed almost invisible. Yet, women have written operas since the art form's very beginnings. In recent years, the forgotten works of these composers are finally being rediscovered.

The initiative is a collaboration between Den Andra Operan in Stockholm, the Royal Danish Opera, and Aalto Theatre Essen. It brings together researchers, artists, and audiences for two days of presentations, conversations, and musical insights into the long-overlooked works of women in opera.

Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Opera Elisabeth Linton emphasises the importance of giving space to women composers: “Music history is full of male opera composers, and we are, of course, delighted to perform their works at the Royal Danish Opera. But women are largely absent, despite several having created major and successful operas. Their works are now being rediscovered, offering a far more nuanced understanding of what opera truly is. As artistic director, I find this both incredibly exciting and essential—it's about correcting the imbalance in how history has been written, uncovering why these women disappeared from the repertoire, and giving audiences access to a richer, more diverse operatic landscape.”

Experts from Denmark and abroad
Participants in Her Perspective – The Forgotten History of Opera include both Danish and international scholars and experts who will share new knowledge, research, and passion for the subject. Among them are:

• Thomas Husted Kirkegaard, Danish music researcher, who recently made a groundbreaking discovery that opens an entirely new chapter in Danish music history.
• Merle Fahrholz, Artistic Director of Aalto Theater and the Essener Philharmoniker, who, in conversation with Elisabeth Linton, will talk about her experiences staging operas composed by women.
• Bente Rolandsdotter (Artistic Director) and Hanna Fritzson (Music Director) from Den Andra Operan in Stockholm, who will present a “crash course” in 300 years of operas written by women.
• Wilhelm Kvist, music journalist, who will explore the current opera scene in the Nordic region with a focus on works by female composers, followed by a conversation with composer Louise Alenius about her artistic themes.
• Professor Melania Bucciarelli, founder of the WoVen Project, which explores women’s roles in 18th-century opera culture.

Music by Female Composers
The first day of the symposium concludes with a concert and a semi-staged performance of works by women opera composers. The programme features excerpts from operas by Elfride Andrée, Tekla Griebel-Wandall, and Pauline Viardot, as well as Mazepa Revisited — a semi-staged excerpt from Clémence de Grandval’s Mazeppa (1892), performed as a guest production by Den Andra Operan. Singers from the Royal Danish Opera and guest artists will appear in these rarely performed works.

The symposium Her Perspective – The Forgotten History of Opera takes place at Takkelloftet on 27–28 November and will be conducted in English.
The event is supported by the Nordic Culture Contact and the Nordic Culture Fund.

See the full programme and list of participants here

Additional Concert
The concert of music by women opera composers — including the semi-staged Mazepa Revisited — will be performed again on 28 November for audiences wishing to experience the music without attending the symposium. The additional concert also takes place at Takkelloftet in the Opera House.

If you wish to attend the symposium, please contact PR and Press officer Louise Pedersen at lope@kglteater.dk