What a voice!

The music we love from opera and musicals

The Norwegian National Opera and Oslo Pride invite you to What a Voice! – a celebration of the power of song and the queer artistic legacy. Top-tier international and Norwegian opera soloists present iconic gems from operas and musicals, featuring music by Puccini, Bellini, Bernstein, Gershwin, and more.

Thanks to the support from Sparebankstiftelsen, we are able to offer this concert at a low price, making it possible for as many people as possible to experience top-quality opera at the Opera House.

The Most Beautiful Thing We Have

Our human voices are among the most fascinating and individual things we possess. When voices come together, they reveal both what we can create as a community and the beauty that lives within our diversity.

Classically Queer

The host for the evening is Per Sundnes, known from NRK radio’s Klassisk vorspiel, among other things. This concert will be a kind of classical pre-party for Oslo Pride 2025.

Opera history is full of outsiders, yearning souls, and voices that defy norms. In What a Voice!, we explore how music creates space for identity, desire, resistance, and the longing for freedom. Expect iconic arias and songs beloved by queer artists and audiences through the ages – from Casta diva to Summertime and Nessun dorma.

Opera for Everyone

What a Voice! is part of the Norwegian National Opera’s umbrella project Opera for Everyone, which aims to elevate, strengthen, and develop the connection between opera, singing, and public health. This project is made possible with the support of Sparebankstiftelsen.

Participants

Johannes Weisser, baritone
Astrid Norstad, mezzo-soprano
Atalla Ayan, tenor
Vuvu Mpofu, soprano
Paolo Arrivabeni, director

Opera Orchestra