The Icelandic Opera

{{Short description|Former Icelandic opera company in Reykjavík}} '''The Icelandic Opera''' (''Íslenska óperan'') was an opera company based in Reykjavík that produced operas and concerts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://opera.is/en/|title=The Icelandic Opera's Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.opera-europa.org/en/members/icelandic_opera|title=Members – Opera-Europa|website=www.opera-europa.org|access-date=2018-07-30}}</ref> Its productions emphasized Icelandic artists, but regularly involved foreign artists as well. The company performed between October and May every year at the Harpa concert hall until 2024, their home venue since the hall's opening in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://opera.is/en/io/|title=About The Icelandic Opera}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://operabase.com/mkhouse.cgi?lang=en&house=sireo|title=Islenska Operan|website=operabase.com|access-date=2018-07-30}}</ref>

As of October 2017, the company had produced 85 operas.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://icelandreview.com/stuff/reviews/2017/10/26/ambitious-and-relevant-tosca|title=An Ambitious and Relevant ''Tosca''|last=Ćirić|first=Jelena|date=2017-10-26|work=Iceland Review|access-date=2018-01-18|language=en}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Founding and operations (1979–2023) === The company was founded in the late 1970s by opera tenor Garðar Cortes,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.reykjavik.com/gardar-cortes-the-godfather-of-icelandic-opera/|title=Gardar Cortes – the Godfather of Icelandic Opera|date=2014-12-19|work=Reykjavik.com|access-date=2018-07-30|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://opera.is/en/io/saga-islensku-operunnar/|title=Historical Sketch}}</ref> father of tenor Garðar Thór Cortes. He remained artistic director until Ólöf Kolbrún Harðardóttir, also an opera singer, took over in 1992.<ref>{{Cite book|title=World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Volume 1: Europe|last=Nagy|first=Peter|last2=Rouyer|first2=Phillippe|last3=Rubin|first3=Don|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=9781136402968|pages=461}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ismus.is/i/person/uid-ffc01bea-2171-40fb-8356-cac8b9c62592|title=Ólöf Kolbrún Harðardóttir|website=Ísmús|language=is-is|access-date=2018-07-30}}</ref> Steinunn Birna Ragnarsdóttir was appointed the new director of the company in April 2015.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/culture_and_living/2015/04/18/new_director_for_the_icelandic_opera/|title=New director for the Icelandic Opera|access-date=2018-07-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://opera.is/en/folk/steinunn-birna-ragnarsdottir/|title=Steinunn Birna Ragnarsdóttir|website=The Icelandic Opera|access-date=2018-07-30}}</ref>

The company's first performance was Leoncavallo's ''Pagliacci'' in March1979.<ref>Atladóttir, E. [https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/22035/1/ElmaAtladottir_MA_lokaverkefni.pdf "Íslenska óperan: aurar og eldsálir"] (Master's thesis), Spring 2015, Bifröst University.</ref> Since then, the company had performed classics by Mozart, Rossini, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini and others. For the first 30 years of its existence, the organization performed in the cinema {{ill|Gamla Bíó|is}} on Ingólfsstræti in downtown Reykjavík.<ref name=":0" />

=== Loss of funding and closure (2023–2024) === In 2023, the Icelandic government announced it would cease funding the Icelandic Opera after 2024 in order to establish a new national opera company, with plans to start operating in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ćirić |first=Jelena |date=2023-08-16 |title=Icelandic Government to Stop Funding Icelandic Opera Company |url=https://www.icelandreview.com/news/culture/icelandic-government-to-stop-funding-icelandic-opera-company/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Iceland Review |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zubenko |first=Iryna |date=2023-08-17 |title=From Iceland — The Icelandic Opera Claims The Funding Isn't Sufficient |url=https://grapevine.is/news/2023/08/17/the-icelandic-opera-claims-the-funding-isnt-sufficient/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=The Reykjavik Grapevine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Jonsson |first=Steindor Gretar |date=2024-02-19 |title=New National Opera to Launch Next Year |url=https://www.icelandreview.com/news/culture/new-national-opera-to-launch-next-year/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Iceland Review |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Salazar |first=Francisco |date=2024-02-21 |title=Iceland to Open New Opera Company |url=https://operawire.com/iceland-to-open-new-opera-company/ |access-date=2025-07-19 |website=OperaWire |language=en-US}}</ref> The new organization, Icelandic National Opera, is currently set to launch at the Harpa concert hall in 2026 as a division of the National Theatre of Iceland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adamsdóttir |first=Margrét |date=2025-07-07 |title=Althing approves the establishment of a national opera |url=https://www.ruv.is/english/447844 |access-date=2025-07-19 |website=RÚV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Michael |date=2025-07-16 |title=Iceland’s First National Opera Receives Green Light |url=https://www.icelandreview.com/news/icelands-first-national-opera-receives-green-light/ |access-date=2025-07-19 |website=Iceland Review |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{official|https://www.opera.is/en-gb}} * [https://www.operabase.com/companies/iceland/islenska-operan-621/en The Icelandic Opera], Operabase

{{DEFAULTSORT:Icelandic Opera}} Category:Defunct opera companies Category:Music organisations based in Iceland Category:2024 disestablishments in Iceland Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2024 Category:1970s establishments in Iceland Category:Musical groups established in the 1970s