Operalaboratoriet at Den Norske Opera & Ballett

Here to invite composers to develop new expressions and concepts with Opera Lab's resources. Sometimes the experiment itself is the finished product, other times brought the project forward with the aim of a full-fledged production.

Pagliacci occupies rehearsal
This season we have selected to bet everything on one card: Opera Lab's resources into a project where an invitation has gone out to three reputable, but very different composers. These are Risto Holopainen and Olav Anton Thommessen. Their challenge is to compose each his musical commentary on the work which paralleling displayed on the main stage: Leoncavallos Pagliacci. Composers relate to their specific missions where Holopainen writes about jugglers in the music and the Thommessen tabloid murder.

Musical performers is Norway's oldest samtidsmusikkensemble Oslo Sinfonietta. Under artistic director and conductor Christian Eggen has established itself as a leader in its genre in the Nordic countries. The ensemble is organized as a musician pool with musicians from the Oslo Philharmonic, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Opera band and freelancers. Roles to be filled by singers from the National Opera's solistensemble.