From Loulou to Lammermoor
Linnéa Sjösvärd studied the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Opera at the Academy of Music and Drama and graduated in 2018. She did her international debut in 2021 at the Danish National Opera playing Loulou and Showgirl in the newly written operetta Inkognito Royal by Karsten Fundal.
Alumni portrait of Linnéa Sjösvärd
Tell us about how your artistic journey began. Who or what inspired you to take up opera?
What inspired me to take up classical music was the film 'The Fifth Element' where the diva Plavalaguna sings Lucia's mad aria from the Italian opera Lucia di Lammermoor. I think it was my first contact with opera and I remember being so delighted. During singing lessons with my vocal teacher Inga-Lill Modig I got to try singing opera for the first time and it was such a thrill. All of a sudden I felt like I was making music with my entire body. I was completely soaked in sweat the first time and was completely sold.
What have you been doing since you graduated?
Something I started doing very early during my education was to do a lot of church concerts and to contact cantors and organists to be able to do larger productions such as Requiem and Stabat Mater. In the last year of my education, I was a soprano soloist in Carmina Burana at Concert Hall in Gothenburg and played Janthe in Den Vampyr at Läckö Slott. Since then, I have freelanced in productions such as Hans och Greta at Norrlandsoperan, Inkognito Royal in Denmark and as a stand in singer in Trollflöjten at Stadsteatern in Gothenburg.
What are some of the accomplishments you’re most proud of in your career thus far?
Oh, definitely Lucia di Lammermoor at Skånska operan because I have dreamed of that role ever since I was a young girl. Skånska Operan is dependent on ticket revenues and must normally try to attract audiences with more famous operas than Lucia di Lammermoor. Therefore, it was a dream for director Ola Hörling to be able to do this particular opera. Fortunately for me, I was in the right vocal range, age and both vocally and physically ready to sing the role. It was a match made in heaven, because we got such great reviews.
What are the most challenging aspects of your current job?
Something that is challenging for many in this industry is the uncertainty. You have to constantly chase your next job because you rarely get permanent employment as an opera singer. Choristers, on the other hand, can have permanent employment but it has become increasingly harder and more common to get shorter contracts of one or two years, because the opera houses seem to prefer having rotation. For many, it is a challenge to balance opera life with family life.
What significance has the Academy of Music and Drama had to you on a personal level?
The most important part of my education was the contacts that were made. For example, I got to do an audition for my current agency, which has been very important to me in my opera career. Having an agency means that you get approval – that you qualify as an artist, which makes it easier to get auditions that maybe not everyone gets invited to. There are an incredible number of singers but not that many jobs.
You don't have to have the experience of killing your own children to play Medea.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone studying and pursuing a career in opera, what would it be?
To not just stay in the rehearsal room, but to also gather some life experience so that you can portray the complex emotions portrayed on the opera stage. It's not just about singing beautifully, but also about how you act and portray the role. At the same time, you don't have to experience exactly what the role is experiencing. You don't have to have the experience of killing your own children to play Medea. However, you need to understand the feeling of feeling pressured and dive deep into what happens when someone is pushed to their limit and loses their mind. Of course, it is important to find the right singing technique and learn different styles, but it is also important to be able to reach the people in the audience.
Do you have any exciting upcoming jobs or projects that you are looking forward to this autumn?
Amongst other things, I will sing a requiem written by Rebecca Dale – Requiem for My Mother – with a full orchestra and choir in Örgrytes New Church in celebration of All Saints' Day on the third of November. It's a project I'm really looking forward to because it's so rare that female composers get recognition.
Interview by Vendela Holmberg.
