Since 2010, Birgitta Svendén is CEO and Artistic Director at the Royal Swedish Opera. From 2005-09, she was Head of the University College of Opera in Stockholm. Born in Sweden, Svendén studied at the University College of Opera in Stockholm. After her studies, she joined the Royal Swedish Opera where she performed various mezzo-soprano roles such as Dorabella and Cherubino in Mozart’s respective operas Così fan tutte and Le nozze di Figaro, Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Fricka in Wagner’s Die Walküre, and Clarion in Richard Strauss’ Capriccio.
First and foremost she has made an international career primarily as a Wagner singer making her 1983 debut in Der Ring des Nibelungen under Sir Georg Solti. Besides performing as a regular guest at the renowned Bayreuth Festival, she has sung on many of the world’s great opera stages including: Opéra de Nice, performing roles such as Carmen and Erda; Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she starred in productions such as the Ring, The Queen of Spades, Rigoletto, and Die Meistersinger; and at Covent Garden in London as Erda. She has also appeared on stage in Milan, Zurich, San Francisco, Berlin, Munich, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Seattle, Helsinki, etc. In addition to her numerous opera performances, she has also been a frequent concert singer both domestically and internationally.
Birgitta Svendén was appointed Royal Court Singer in 1995. She is also a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and holds an honorary doctorate at Luleå University of Technology.
Join our passionate team and play a key role in the Concours’ great musical and human adventure!
