Application for
BIRGIT NILSSON MASTER CLASS
August 2-8, 2026 2026
in Birgit Nilsson Hall at Ravinen Kulturhus
in Båstad, Sweden
As part of the Birgit Nilsson Festival 2026, a master class will be held from 2 – 8 August with the multi-award-winning German baritone Matthias Goerne. The teaching will focus on opera and concert arias, as well as German Lieder; ; English-language repertoire may also be includedThe master class will conclude with a student concert on 7 August at 3:00 p.m. at Ravinen Kulturhus.
Master class participants will receive free admission to all other events during the festival, including the closing outdoor performance of Wagner’s The flying dutchman on 8 August.
Location:
Birgit Nilsson Hall, Ravinen Kulturhus, Kattviksvägen 231, 269 91 Båstad. Sweden
Dates:
2 – 8 August 2026
Arrival: 2nd August
Master Class: 3rd – 6th
Closing concert: 7th August
Course Leader:
Matthias Goerne
Applications:
Applicants are asked to submit a brief description of themselves and their qualifications, a complete CV, a current audio- and video link (preferably including both opera and lieder repertoire, with at least one work in German), and a preliminary repertoire list to masterclass@birgitnilsson.com.
Applications must be received by 1 April at the latest. Decisions on admission will be announced on
1 May.
Target group:
Professional singers and singers who are about to graduate from a music or opera academy/ conservatoire. The group is limited to 8 participants.
Course fee:
14.000 SEK
Breakfast and single room accommodation 2 – 9 August at the Apelrydsskolan, Båstad, plus lunch included in the course fee. Selected participants must make a part payment of 2.500 SEK by 15 May at the latest (non-refundable). The remaining fee must be paid by 15 June.
Language:
The course will be in English.
Audience:
Class open to public audience: 4 – 6 August
We work actively with social media.
Matthias Goerne, baritone
The German baritone Matthias Goerne is one of the world’s most versatile and internationally sought-after singers, and a regular guest at leading festivals and concert halls. He has collaborated with some of the world’s finest orchestras, conductors and pianists.
Goerne has appeared on the world’s foremost opera stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, Teatro Real in Madrid, the Opéra de Paris, and the Vienna State Opera. His roles range from Wolfram (Tannhäuser), Amfortas (Parsifal), and Wotan (Die Walküre), to Orest (Elektra) and Jochanaan (Salome), as well as the title roles in Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Alban Berg’s Wozzeck. Matthias Goerne’s artistry is documented on numerous recordings, many of which have received prestigious awards.
As a vocal pedagogue and mentor to advanced singers, Goerne focuses his teaching on musical interpretation, textual understanding, and artistic integrity rather than singing technique. He has held an honorary professorship in singing and interpretation at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf.