Göteborg Opera Orchestra

“The orchestra is very flexible,” says Mette Berntzen, Head of Orchestra at the Göteborg Opera. “The opera house has a broad repertoire and we play everything from baroque opera to musicals. The musicians have a good command of many different styles and adapt their way of playing to what is happening on stage.”

About two weeks before the premiere the musicians move out from the orchestral rehearsal room and begin to rehearse with the rest of the ensemble. The number of musicians in the orchestra pit varies.

“If it’s a great romantic opera, by Strauss for example, then all of us are in the orchestra pit. At other times there might only be about thirty of us. It depends altogether on what kind of performance it is,” says Mette.

The Göteborg Opera Orchestra gives concerts of its own on the main stage and also on tour. Some of the musicians are active as chamber musicians as well and also play in the opera’s foyer concerts. In the list of performances you can read more about what they have planned for this season.

Award-winning musicians

The Göteborg Opera Orchestra is the only orchestra to ever receive the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet's opera prize. They won with the following reason: 

The 86 musicians have managed to place their orchestra among the world’s absolute elite.