The young Norwegian conductor Tabita Berglund will join Sondra Radvanovsky, SeokJong Baek and Simon Keenlyside for an opera gala at the 2025 Easter Festival with works ranging from Verdi to Girodano and Tchaikovsky. Find out more about the artist in the interview.
What expectations do you have of the Salzburg Easter Festival?
Tabita Berglund: Of course I've heard a lot about this city - it's the epicentre of classical music, so my expectations are enormous for that reason alone. I've had many teachers who have studied in Salzburg - many of the established Norwegian musicians have been influenced by this city, so I'm very excited.
The theme of the festival is »Wounds and Miracles«. Wounds are omnipresent in opera literature - especially in pieces such as »Macbeth« or »Andrea Chénier«. Are there miracles in the selection of the concert?
Tabita Berglund: Ah yes, many, I don't even know where to start. I can't choose a single piece, it's just not possible: this is music with so much tragedy and passion that I'm afraid the audience will have to choose their own favourites.
We will hear arias and duets that have to stand alone, torn out of the dramatic narrative. Why do you think they will still have an effect on the audience?
Tabita Berglund: What makes an opera so interesting is that a really good aria or a really good duet captures the essence of the emotion. And that comes through, whether in the context of the whole piece or if you only hear that one excerpt. However, I would still recommend that audiences read the background stories beforehand, although I am convinced that a well-written operatic aria is a jewel that always shines, no matter what the musical setting.
Which composer from the programme would you like to meet for a drink and why?
Tabita Berglund: Oh. Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky! He is one of my favourite composers, in a way the first composer I fell in love with musically. He opened my ears to another world and I still remember exactly how I played the symphonies in the orchestra as a cellist, or the Rococo Variations. That was simply a completely new experience for me, which also opened up the entire Russian repertoire to me. So I would really like to have a drink with him and find out all the secrets about him.
What is your plan for the future? Will Sibelius perhaps be followed by Bruckner?
Tabita Berglund: No, Bruckner is not my man. I play a lot of Nordic repertoire, but of course I also want to explore other areas. When I was younger, I was a ballerina for 15 years. I've been dancing classical ballet since I was four years old, so dance music is very close to my heart. Not just ballet music, but any music that inspires something in you to dance. So I'm immersing myself more and more in this kind of repertoire, and I really enjoy it.
Why did you change your plan and switch from dancing to creating music?
Tabita Berglund: I still move my body to the music! Conducting is really a privilege because you can not only move to the music, but also help shape the music. But what made me change? I never wanted to be a professional ballerina because you retire at 35, and as a conductor you never retire, you can work until you drop. (Laughs) I feel like I can bring everything I've learnt from playing the cello, chamber music, the orchestra and dance to conducting. So it's really just about tying up all the loose ends.
We meet you here at the Vienna Musikverein, one of the most sought-after concert halls in the world. Your career in the symphonic field is impressive - opera is rarely in your diary, why?
Tabita Berglund: I grew up with chamber music, chamber orchestras and symphony orchestras, so the logical path was to train in this area. The transition from being a cellist to conducting was also a natural one, in the symphonic repertoire. Perhaps I will conduct more operas. I don't know, we'll see ...
25
