Artistene 2025

  • Vera Talerko - Soprano

    Latvian soprano Vera Talerko is celebrated for her "engagingly rich, full voice" and remarkable agility in coloratura passages. A laureate of several international vocal competitions, Vera has garnered accolades including the first prize at the International Stenhammar Music Competition in 2022. Her opera repertoire includes Pamina “Die Zauberflöte”, Adina “L’elisir d’amore”, Micaela “Carmen” and many other roles.Veras recent highlights include her debut in Stockholm Royal opera, Gothenburg opera, Prague National opera and a significant appearance at the Hamburg State opera in the world premiere of "Venere e Adone," conducted by Kent Nagano. This season, she continues to captivate audiences in Prague and will perform as Michaela in Carmen at the Stockholm Royal Opera.

  • Jonas Hacker - Tenor

    American tenor Jonas Hacker is celebrated for his “honeyed tone” and ability to bring characters to life, from Mozart to Britten. A finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, he has performed major roles like Alfredo in La Traviata and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. As an ensemble member at Bayerische Staatsoper, he sang a variety of roles, including Jaquino in Fidelio. Jonas has also performed Handel’s Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra and made his Carnegie Hall debut, now calling Oslo home as he continues his career.

  • Ian Spinetti - Tenor

    Born in Brasília, Brazilian tenor Ian Spinetti has been captivating audiences with his dynamic voice and engaging performances. After starting his vocal training in his hometown, Ian expanded his studies in Europe and the US, including a significant residency at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. His operatic debut came in 2019 as Jaquino in Beethoven's "Fidelio" at Burg Gars Opera. Ian is currently part of the Theater Bremen ensemble, where he has taken on diverse roles such as Prince in "The Love for Three Oranges" and Prior Walter in "Angels in America." Looking ahead, he is excited to perform as Rodolfo in Puccini's "La Bohème" and Cassio in Verdi's "Otello."

  • Jiří Rajniš - Baritone

    Czech baritone Jiří Rajniš has captivated audiences worldwide with his versatile voice and broad repertoire. He made his debut with the National Theatre in Prague in Die Kluge and Der Mond, and went on to perform roles like Don Giovanni and Eugene Onegin. Recently, Jiří debuted at La Scala in Salome and Rusalka. A former ensemble member at Semperoper Dresden, he has collaborated with top conductors and performed in renowned concert halls throughout Europe.

  • Eugenia Babich

    Eugenia is a mezzo-soprano based in Sweden. She has performed major opera roles, including Olga in Eugene Onegin and Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana, and is also a sought-after sacred music and concert singer, having performed in numerous European countries, such as Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, Germany, and Poland, among others. Eugenia has won several international singing competitions, including the first and audience prizes at the Wagner Singing Competition in 2022 in Gothenburg, which led to a performance at the Internationales Stipendiatenkonzert during the Bayreuther Festspiele 2023. Recently, she has appeared in major Scandinavian opera houses, including The Royal Danish Opera, Malmö Opera, and GöteborgsOperan. Eugenia has a master’s degree in opera singing from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, Poland

  • Hanne Marit Mordal Iversen & Revaz Abramia - Soprano & Pianist

    Emerging as a standout duo, soprano Hanne Marit Mordal Iversen and pianist Revaz Abramia blend exquisite musicality with a deep artistic connection. Their collaboration began in spring 2023, leading them to win a prestigious prize at the CNLB Concours International de Chant-Piano in Paris for their interpretation of German lieder. Both masters students at the Norwegian Academy of Music, they have been guided by prominent mentors including Matti Hirvonen. The duo's upcoming projects include a recital at the Kirsten Flagstad Festival, a CD recording of works by Ragnar Söderlind, and participation in the Acadèmie Francis Poulenc in Tours. They are also preparing for the physical rounds of the Wigmore Hall/Bollinger Competition in London.performed in renowned concert halls throughout Europe.

  • César Cañón

    César alternates his activity as a pianist with vocal coaching, teaching, and conducting. He is a full time repetiteur and conductor with the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. A native of Colombia, he enjoys an active career with engagements across the United States, in South America and Europe. His concert appearances include the Kennedy Center, the Norwegian National Opera, Detroit Symphony, and San Francisco Opera. César has been a guest performer and teacher at several universities in the United States, Colombia and Norway, and is a teaching artist of the Music Academy of the West. In addition to his work in Oslo, he is also a guest in the music staff of the San Francisco Opera and Vienna State Opera.

  • Gintare-Elena Macijauskait

    In 2015 the pianist completed her degree in solo piano and piano pedagogy at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater under the guidance of Arūnas Staškus, Irena Uss-Armonienė (Vocal Chamber Music) and Donatas Katkus (Chamber Music).

Artistene 2024

  • VERA TALERKO

    Latvian soprano Vera Talerko is a winner of Wilhelm Senhammar International Music Competition 2022. "Talerko has an engagingly rich, full voice that glides effortlessly up and down coloratura runs" according to bachtrack.com

    In the spring of 2023 Vera successfully appeared on the main stage of the Hamburg state opera in the world premiere of "Venere e Adone" (S.Schiarrino) conducted by Kent Nagano.

  • Emma Sventelius

    Emma Sventelius, born and raised in Lund in the south of Sweden, began to study music in 2011 at Vadstena Vocal and Piano Academy. After two years in Vadstena, Emma studied a Bachelor of Voice at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.

  • BERGSVEIN TOVERUD

    Norwegian tenor Bergsvein Toverud heralded for his, “clarion tenor”, recently completed a season as a Bonfils-Stanton Artist at Central City Opera in Colorado, USA where he covered and performed Romeo in Romeo et Juliette. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Bailey Apprentice Artist Training program at Palm Beach Opera in Florida, USA.

  • MATHILDA GOIKE

    Swedish mezzo-soprano Mathilda earned her classical singing degree at the Piteå Academy of Music.

    She trained under Katherine Osborne and won the "Kungliga Skytteanska Samfundet's award for young musicians" in 2022. Mathilda played Jo in Mark Adamo's Little Women, performed in Jan Sandström's Nightingale's premiere, and joined the chorus for Puccini's Suor Angelica while studying. In the summer of 2023, she starred in Verdi's Macbeth at Läckö Castle in Sweden.

  • TOMAS KILDIŠIUS

    Baritone Tomas realises an important part of his creative life in the Lied genre.

    He is a storyteller, therefore he pays special attention to articulation and clarity of the text and is being praised for his “incredible way of inhabiting the stage” by the press. “Flawless” is what the Neuss-Grevenbroicher Zeitung wrote about the singer’s pronunciation.

  • HANNAH EDMUNDS

    The soprano Hanna just finished her bachelor's at the University of Stavanger under professor Elizabeth Norberg-Schultz.

    Despite her young age, Hannah has already performed a number of concerts in Norway, as well as Italy. In 2021, she debuted in Sandnes cultural center as Nella in Opera Rogaland's production of Puccini's opera, Gianni Schicchi and repeated this role in Palermo, Sicily in the summer of 2022 during Opera Rogaland's tour.

  • CÉSAR CAÑÓN

    Equally devoted to instrumental chamber music as he is to art song and operatic repertoire, the pianist César Cañón alternates his activity as a pianist with vocal coaching, teaching and conducting.

    His concert appearances include the Kennedy Center, the Norwegian National Opera, Detroit Symphony, and San Francisco Opera’s Taube Atrium Theatre at the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera.

  • GINTARE-ELENA MACIJAUSKAIT

    In 2015 the pianist completed her degree in solo piano and piano pedagogy at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater under the guidance of Arūnas Staškus, Irena Uss-Armonienė (Vocal Chamber Music) and Donatas Katkus (Chamber Music).

  • OLESYA TUTOVA

    Olesya Tutova is a prize-winner of several international piano and chamber music competitions, she graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Olesya is an Opera Repetiteur and Head of Music at the Opera Academy in Oslo.

    She has been a pianist-accompanist at the International Stanislaw Moniuszko Vocal Competition (2013, 2016), the International Tchaikovsky competition (2015), the Queen Sonja International Music Competition (2019, 2023).