Studying at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts: The Academy of Opera

Name: Dagfinn Andersen
Age: 29
Programme: Master’s, the Academy of Opera

Why did you choose the Oslo National Academy of the Arts?
I chose the Academy of Opera because of the outstanding educational staff and the superb facilities – something that has just gotten better and better since I started here. It’s really strange that there aren’t more people who apply here, and it’s particularly strange that there aren’t more foreign students.

My educational background includes specialising in music at high school and studying for a year at a folk high school where they taught singing. I was interested in both music and theatre, and it took some time before I found out how I could combine these two interests in higher education. But the answer turned out to be the Academy of Opera.

What were your expectations when you started?
I knew many people who studied here, so I knew what I was signing up for. I expected to be able to work a good deal on my singing and stage skills, and my expectations have absolutely been met.

What is the best thing about the Academy?
The most positive thing about the Academy is that it is so flexible. At the Academy of Opera you can choose your own singing instructor, and you can often have a say in how your week will look, since there are so few of us. It’s really good that there’s so much interdepartmental cooperation, with for instance the Academy of Opera cooperating with the set designers. We’re also spoiled when it comes to the quality of the practice rooms and the other facilities – I don’t think there are that many schools that can be compared with this one.

Who at the Academy has played the most crucial role for you in your studies?
That’s a tough question. Perhaps my singing instructors? I’m very happy that they work together as a team. Our drama instructors – in particular Stephen Hutton – as well as the directors have of course also been very important to me.

How would you describe life at the Academy to someone who’s thinking of applying?
It may be challenging to organise the time you have at your disposal, but at the Academy you’re allowed to work with whatever it is you fancy.

What are your dreams for the future?
My dream is to live as a practising opera soloist, preferably at the Norwegian National Opera. In fact, as luck would have it, I’m set to perform a role there already in September – but it will be very exciting to see whether I can continue to fill up my calendar. The job market for opera singers is pretty tough right now. Even though the competition among male singers is a little less stiff, there are still way too few jobs in relation to the number of opera singers. It’s easier to get a job if your voice is deep. I have a fairly ordinary voice – a baritone – but I feel that I come into my own with the theatrical elements. There has thankfully been more focus on this aspect in recent years.

What do you always have with you?
My mobile phone. It includes a piano app and access to all my notes. I also use it as a tape recorder to record a sample every time I sing. Opera singers should produce sound that is effective and that carries well acoustically, and it’s not always the case that what you yourself hear when you sing is the same as what the audience hears. That’s why it’s a good idea to hear yourself from the outside. It’s also fun to listen to old recordings of yourself, in a facepalm kind of way – but that does of course mean that you’ve developed.

Any comments on your graduation project?
For my final Master’s project I’m going to write about and perform extracts from Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin. The music itself is fantastic, but learning the entire text by heart in Russian – and with good pronunciation – is quite a challenge! But in fact, I wanted to challenge myself this way while I’m still at the Academy and still have access to so many highly skilled people. In many ways, however, the real exam for me was to perform the role of Don Giovanni in our final Master’s production, which we staged at the Opera in March.