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The Norwegian soprano, May-Britt Forsberg Hovdenak, obtamed her Bachelor degree from the University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education ((Singing teachers Marit Storækre and Vesla Tveten; 1993-1997); her Master degree in Performing Art (opera) from the New Opera Academy, the Netherlands (1997-2000); her Master degree in Performing Art (classical singing) from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Netherlands (Singing teachers Maria Acda Maas, Meinhard Kraak and Marius van Altena, specialist in Baroque music; 1998-2001). She graduated with distinction. She also studied privatly with Vesla Tveten, Barbro Marklund and Elizabeth Mannion; and attened master-classes with Håkan Hagegård, Per Vollestad, Barbro Marklund, Sandy Oliver (The New Opera Academy), Anthony Legge, Cristina Deutekom, Graham Clarke, John McMurry, Patricia MacMahon, Elly Ameling, Margreet Honig, Tina Ruta (-italian coach at Covent Garden).
May-Britt Forsberg Hovdenak's opera performances include: La conversa 2 in Sour Angelica by G. Puccini (The University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education in Norway), 2nd woman in Dido and Aeneas by H. Purcell (The New Opera Academy, The Netherlands, with conductor Paul McCreesh), Venus in La dafne by M. de Gagliano (The New Opera Academy, The Netherlands, with Mike Fentross), Dorabella in Cosi van Tutte by W.A. Mozart (The New Opera Academy, The Netherlands, with conductor Kenneth Montgomery) and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart (The New Oera Academy, The Netherlands, with conductor Kenneth Montgomery); Opera excerpts: Marenka, scene 4 and 5 from The Bartered Bride by B. Smetana (The University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education in Norway), Tatyana's Letter scene from Eugene Onegin by P. Tchaikovsky (The New Opera Academy, The Netherlands) and Zerlina, 1. act scene IX, X, XVI- XX from Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart (The University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education in Norway). Chorister at The Norwegian National Opera, participated in Lohengrin, Francis Poulenc's Les dialogues des Carmélites and Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem; Opera cabarets Women and Men (Tour in Northern-Norway and performed in The Festival of North-Norway in 2004 and The Winter Festival in 2006).
May-Britt Forsberg Hovdenak is an active recitalist and has performed as a soloist in Russia, USA, Germany, The Netherlands and throughout Norway in works such as J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass (BWV 232), Mass in A Minor by F. Schubert, Magnificat by Antonio Vivaldi (Geilenkirchen, Germany), Oratorio de Noël by Camille Saint-Saëns (Geilenkirchen, Germany), Samuel by H. Gullichsen, “Messiah” by George Frideric Handel and Requiem by W.A. Mozart, Resurrexi by Knut Nystedt.
Recital repertoire includes: Song cycles Haugtussa by Grieg, Frauenliebe und Leben and Op. 77 by Robert Schumann, among several other songs by these composers. Her repertoire also includes several works by J.S. Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, Antonio Vivaldi, W.A. Mozart, Schubert, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninov, Benjamin Britten and modern composers such as William Walton, Samuel Barber, Previn, Sally Reid (Canada), Øystein Sommerfelt (Norway) and Eivind Buene (Norway). Solveig in Peer- Gynt by Edvard Grieg (The Karelian State Philarmonia in Petrozavodsk, Russia, May 17 2006 with conductor Oleg Soldatov).
In July 2006 May,-Britt Forsberg Hovdenak moved to Minneapolis in USA. She is studying new opera- and Lied repertoire with Elizabeth Mannion, and has worked with well-known musicians such as Fiora Contino and Thomas D. Rossin. She recently recorded the J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass (BWV 232) with Exultate Chamber Choir & Orchestra and gave a recital with Scandinavian songs in Minneapolis, USA. |
