Sweden Restart for Opera at Dalhalla
Dalhalla, the spectacular outdoor arena just outside Rättvik in the Province of Dalecarlia in Central Sweden, has had a number of ups and downs since the inauguration in 1994. Original intended for opera, the closed-down lime-stone quarry has been forced to open up also for other kinds of music and the last few years opera has been set aside – to the annoyance of the opera-lovers. This year has seen a revamp and this week the new organization will be presented at a conference in Stockholm.
A local event company – Rättvik Event under President Conny Gesar – will run the popular music and cooperate with the non-profit society The Friends of Dalhalla, responsible for the opera activities under the name of Dalhalla Opera. Artistic Director is Göran Eliasson, himself a singer and artist manager.
To celebrate this restart Dalhalla Opera arranges a magnificent Gala Concert on Saturday 11 August with a number of he most prominent Swedish singers, who perform without remuneration – in favour of the future opera activities. Patrik Ringborg conducts the Dalhalla Festival Orchestra (76 freelance musicians) and the Dalasinfonietta Choir as well as fifteen soloists in a programme that shows the whole spectrum of what Dalhalla Opera can offer. The evening will be rounded off with sparkling fireworks.
Among the soloists are Kerstin Avemo, Anna Larsson, Maria Keohane, Hillevi Martinpelto, Ingrid Tobiasson, Lars Cleveman, Karl-Magnus Fredriksson, Marcus Jupither and Michael Weinius.
Further information on Dalhalla can be found in my first review from the arena back in 2005 and on Dalhalla’s official homepage.
Göran Forsling