International Seminar on Female Composers in Opera, Copenhagen Nov 27-28th
”Her Perspective is both a celebration and a call to action: to expand the canon, to reimagine what opera can be, and to embrace the full range of its history.”
Her Perspective – The Forgotten History of Opera shines a light on the overlooked part of opera’s past – works composed by women. These operas, once celebrated but later forgotten, reveal stories, voices, and perspectives that have long been missing from our stages. By reviving them, we restore a more complete view of the operatic tradition, spanning from 1625 to today. Den Andra Operan, The Royal Danish Opera, and Aalto MusikTheater Essen have joined forces to increase awareness of historical female opera composers and their works. Over the course of two days, professionals from the opera industry, researchers, students, and opera audiences will come together for a program filled with lectures, discussions, musical excerpts, networking opportunities and a concert featuring unique operatic excerpts from works by female composers. Her Perspective also include a guest performance of Den Andra Operan’s Mazepa Revisited, featuring excerpts from Mazeppa, a 19th-century opera by Marie Clémence de Grandval.
When: November 27th–28th, 2025
Where: The Royal Danish Theatre, Operaen, in Copenhagen, Denmark
How: Tickets are available here The Royal Danish Opera price 195–915 DKK
Schedule
Thursday November 27th: Seminar 10am–4:30pm, Concert and Performance 6.10pm–9.30pm
Friday November 28th: Seminar 10am–3pm.
Both mornings at 9:00am an introduction to women in Opera will be held drop in, 300 YEARS IN 30 MINUTES
** Times and content is subject to change. The latest information will be sent to ticket holders and published on our website.
Tickets
Full package: 2 day Seminar, Concert and Mazepa Revisited, DKK 445–915.
Freelancers: DKK 465. To book this ticket, a special link is required. Contact denandraoperan@gmail.com to receive it.
Students and large group: DKK 445 (large groups non students min. 9 pax)
Her Perspective – Music Program Only (open to all and not a part of the seminar program): Friday 28th, 6:15pm–9:30, DKK 195–395
Her Perspective Concert and Mazepa Revisited, semi-staged opera.
Where to stay?
Seminar participants receive a discount of 10% at Copenhagen Strand, book via this link or button below. To find places to stay at a lower rate we suggest Airbnb or staying in Malmö, Sweden, close to the railway station.
Spekers
- Dr. Merle Fahrholz, Artistic Director of Aalto Musiktheater & Essen Philharmoniker
- Melania Bucciarelli, Professor and Initiator of WoVen
- Elisabeth Linton, Artistic Director at the Royal Danish Theatre
- Patricia Knebel, Dramaturg, Aalto Musiktheater
- Holger Schmitt-Hallenberg, Musicologist
- Henrik Schaefer, Conductor & Musical Director Folkoperan
- Deda Cristina Colonna, Stage director and Choreographer
- Lisbet Ahlgren, Musicologist
- Thomas Husted Kirkegaard, Musicologist
- Mårten Forslund, Stage director
- Sophie Helsing, Dramaturg
- Wilhelm Kvist, Music Journalist at Hufvudstadsbladet
- Louise Alenius, Composer
- Bente Rolandsdotter, Artistic Director of Den Andra Operan
- Hanna Fritzson, Musical Director of Den Andra Operan
- More speakers will be added.
Seminar program (work in progress fall 2025)
- How to revolutionize an Opera Repertoire – as a commissioner/Opera House
- Opera’s Unheard stories – New narratives & Perspectives
- A New Dawn – The next generation of female composers
- What are the specific challenges when staging (unkknown) operas by women composers?
- The Audience and the Operas
- Opera in disguise – composed by nuns
- International outlook: The WOVEN Project
- The Danish Opera composed by women
- Focus Tekla Griebel-Wandall and Nicoline Leth.
- Making forgotten Operas available
- From Archive to Stage; Elfrida Andrée’s Frithiof’s Saga (1898), Marie Clémence de Grandval’s Mazeppa (1892)
- And more
Music program: Concert & Mazepa Revisited
Her Perspective Concert
The first seminar day concludes with a concert featuring excerpts from Elfrida Andrée’s Frithiof’s Saga, Tekla Griebel Wandall’s Kong Hroars Skjalde and Louise Bertin’s Fausto. The concert is approximately 40 minutes long.
Performers: Gisela Stille, soprano | Elisabeth Jansson, mezzo-soprano | Johanne Bock, mezzo-soprano | Niels Jørgen Riis, tenor | Simon Duus, bass-baritone | Louise Schrøder, piano
***INTERVAL*****
Mazepa Revisited – semi-staged opera
Mazepa Revisited is an encounter with the hero, the legend, the icon, and the man—Mazepa, the mythical 18th century Cossack leader. Stage director Mårten Forslund and Den Andra Operan allow Clémence de Grandval’s opera Mazeppa (1892) to meet and interlace with excerpts from Ukrainian playwright Ljudmyla Starytska-Cherniachivska’s drama Mazepa (1925). A music-dramatic performance in which different narratives clash with one another—and with our own times. Mazepa Revisited premiered in Stockholm on August 14th and was received as a success by both audiences and critics. The performance is approximately 55 minutes long.
Performers: Emilia Utter, soprano | David Risberg, baritone | Conductor Henrik Schaefer. | Ensemble TBA.
Artistic team: Stage Director, Mårten Forslund | Set- and Costume design, Bente Rolandsdotter | Light design, Susanna Hedin | Dramaturg, Sophie Helsing | Producer, Agnes Rosenberg.
The Concert and Mazepa Revisited is included in the seminar admission ticket.
Contributions
Her Perspective has received support from The Nordic Culture Fund, Nordic Culture Point, the Signatur Foundation, the Swedish Arts Council and Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.