Vadstena Academy (Swedish: Vadstena-Akademien, full name Stiftelsen internationella Vadstena-Akademien), is a

music academy The Music Academy is a classical music training program in Montecito in Santa Barbara County, California. Overview The academy hosts an annual eight-week summer music festival, highlighted by concerts and workshops directed by famous composer ...

founded in 1964 by opera pedagogue Ingrid Maria Rappe (1915–1994) and based in the small city of

Vadstena Vadstena () is a locality and the seat of Vadstena Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden, with 5,613 inhabitants in 2010. From 1974 to 1979 Vadstena was administered as part of Motala Municipality. Despite its small population, Vadstena ...

in Sweden. The academy is a major commissioner of new operas and most of the new operas in Sweden are performed at Vadstena Academy.

Activity

The academy's mission is to conduct training courses, particularly in classical

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or with ...

, and to perform older and newly written

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

s or dramatic musical theatre. Musical drama performances are performed annually, usually in Vadstena's Old Theater or in the wedding room at

Vadstena Castle Vadstena Castle ( sv, Vadstena slott) is a former Royal Castle in Vadstena, the province of Östergötland, Sweden. History Vadstena Castle was originally built by King Gustav I in 1545 as a fortress to protect Stockholm from enemies approach ...

during the summer months. A considerable amount of research is carried out under the auspices of the academy about older music and drama, and many Baroque operas have been revived by the academy. Many singers have participated since the academy's inception, among them many who are now established on the international opera scene, i.a.

Nina Stemme Nina Maria Stemme (born Nina Maria Thöldte on 11 May 1963) is a Swedish dramatic soprano opera singer. Stemme "is regarded by today's opera fans as our era's greatest Wagnerian soprano". In 2010, Michael Kimmelman wrote of one of Stemme's perf ...

Malena Ernman Sara Magdalena Ernman (born 4 November 1970) is a Swedish opera singer. Besides operas and operettas, she has also performed chansons, cabaret, jazz, and appeared in musicals. She is a member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Ernman repres ...

Loa Falkman Carl Johan "Loa" Falkman (born 24 July 1947) is a Swedish opera singer, actor and artist. He was appointed hovsångare by H.M. the King of Sweden in 2003.http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt Swedish Royal Court official home page After studying ...

Anne Sofie von Otter Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano. Her repertoire encompasses lieder, operas, oratorios and also rock and pop songs. Early life Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was Göran von Otter, a Swedis ...

and

Tove Dahlberg Hanna Tove Dahlberg (born April 25, 1973 in Stockholm) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano opera singer, active on the international opera scene. In 2005 Dahlberg was one of a group of world-class musicians who were permitted to perform inside a buildin ...

. Vadstena Academy is a major commissioner of contemporary Swedish opera. Over 30 new works have premiered at one of Vadstena Academy's scenes. Nine Vadstena Academy operas have been televised by Sveriges Television and over 40 on radio by Sveriges Radio.

Organisation

The Academy has an office in Stockholm but most activities take place in Vadstena. Financing comes from Swedish government, county and municipal grants, as well as endowments, sponsors and box office revenues.

Artistic directors

* Ingrid Maria Rappe 1964–1968 * Arnold Östman 1969–1981 * Torbjörn Lillieqvist 1982–1985 * Per-Erik Öhrn 1986–1990 * 1990–1992 * 1992–2001 * 2001–

References

* * *

External links

Academy website

Database containing all Vadstena Academy's performances

The Vadstena Academy Summer Opera Festival
{{authority control Baroque music Opera houses in Sweden Music festivals in Sweden