Fredrik Bjellsäter

Tenor

Fredrik Bjellsäter was born in 1992 in Vallentuna, Stockholm. He graduated from the Opera Academy in 2021 and also holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in voice from the Royal Danish Academy of Music, which he completed in 2018. He made his debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 2018 in the role of a messenger in Il trovatore.

At the Royal Danish Theatre, he has performed roles such as Remendado in Carmen, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd, Raoul de Saint-Brioche in The Merry Widow 2.0, Spoletta in Tosca, the Prologue and Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw, Beppe in Pagliacci, Goro in Madama Butterfly, and Tenor in Don Juan’s Inferno.

What can opera do?
Opera can penetrate through and beyond our mental barriers and psychological defenses. It can touch us in a very special way, without us as an audience fully understanding why. Opera explores life’s greatest themes—love, anger, grief, and jealousy. These are themes that we often conceal and suppress in modern society, yet they are emotions we all feel. In opera, nothing is hidden. Everything must come out, set to some of the greatest music ever written.

It can also be incredibly fun and entertaining, depending on the opera you experience. So, in my opinion, opera can do it all.

The most unusual thing you have experienced on stage?
In a production of La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) at Opera Hedeland in 2016, where I sang in the chorus, we had a horse on stage.

The stage was covered in sand and mud, where we—the “crowd”—had to crawl around. The count entered majestically on his horse, riding around while singing his aria. Suddenly, the horse lifted its tail… and there was horse manure all over the stage—exactly where we would have to crawl in two minutes. So what now?

A colleague on the other side of the stage and I made eye contact—we had a kind of telepathic understanding. We both exited the stage, grabbed two shovels, and, while trying to stay in character, began shoveling horse manure off the stage. All the while bowing and acting submissively near the nobleman. A task not mentioned in the contract—but as I recall, we were rewarded with an ice cream for our efforts…

In which direction should opera develop between tradition and renewal?
Opera absolutely needs to evolve in a relevant and accessible way. The great themes are timeless, so you can freely change time, place, and setting to enhance understanding and accessibility.

At the same time, I think it is important not to forget its roots and to remember that opera is already an extreme art form in its current state. So perhaps not too many radical leaps too quickly.

However, I also think it is very important to support the many talented contemporary composers and directors who are interested in opera—to encourage them so that new repertoire is created and a market for new opera can grow.

Who is your favourite singer?
There are so many fantastic singers who excel in many genres, but if I had to choose one who has always inspired me, no matter what he sang, it would be Nicolai Gedda.

What is your favourite opera?
It depends on my mood. If I’m looking for entertainment, I’ll go see The Barber of Seville, and if I’m in a more emotional mood, La bohème or Tosca.