When Louise Beck presented her first opera at Copenhagen Opera Festival in 2022, the audience was asked to bring ski wear and thermal suits. Den Sidste Olie (The Last Oil), about the colonisation of Greenland and the exploitation of nature, unfolded on the ice at Østerbro Skøjtehal. It marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration on newly written works that expand the frames and spaces of opera. Now that collaboration enters a new phase: from 1 September, Louise Beck will become the festival’s new artistic director.
Louise Beck is a scenographer, director and artistic director of the opera platform OPE-N (formerly OperaNord). For nearly three decades, she has worked to develop opera as a vibrant and contemporary art form – in site-specific formats and in dialogue with the repertoire. She has also made a clear mark in the debate on opera’s development conditions and sustainable structures.
»Over the years, I have followed Copenhagen Opera Festival’s tremendous efforts to make opera more accessible and to enchant an entire city with the art form’s stardust. Opera is an all-embracing and untamed art form that can include and move us all – and the festival has recognised this perfectly. Today, it is an indispensable platform where tradition and innovation, opera lovers and entirely new audiences meet. I look forward to helping strengthen and expand this dynamic platform,« says Louise Beck.
She intends to further develop the festival’s role as a key piece of infrastructure within Denmark’s opera ecosystem, where opera houses, the independent scene and new voices come together in committed collaborations – both during the festival and throughout the year.
»In Denmark, there is an enormous pool of talent and a wealth of both experienced and groundbreaking artists who are able and eager to develop the opera genre within the independent scene. Their creative drive and visions are absolutely crucial to the opera ecosystem, and with targeted support from Copenhagen Opera Festival, this strong field will be able to reach audiences across the country and help place Denmark on the international opera map,« says Louise Beck.
Beck succeeds Amy Lane and will take up the position on 1 September.
Copenhagen Opera Festival 2026 will take place 13–23 August in Copenhagen.
»I like when it's impossible to tell at first if something is black or white, or country or blues, or whatever.«
Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years and many celebrated recordings. From Aaron Copeland and Charles Ives to Bob Dylan and Madonna. Born in Baltimore, Bill Frisell played clarinet throughout his childhood in Denver, Colorado. His interest in guitar began with his exposure to pop music on the radio.
»Music has been a healing balm for me.«
John William Grant is an American singer, musician, and songwriter holding both American and Icelandic citizenship. He first came to prominence as a co-founder, lead vocalist, pianist, and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band The Czars. After releasing six albums between 1994 and 2006, the band disbanded, and Grant withdrew from music for four years before embarking on a solo career.
He returned in April 2010 with a critically acclaimed debut album recorded in collaboration with Midlake. Queen of Denmark was named Album of the Year 2010 by Mojo magazine and was also selected as one of the ten best albums of 2010 by The Guardian’s music critics and writers.