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The Norwegian soprano, Berit Norbakken Solset, studied at Finnfjordbotn Vidaregåande Skole in Finnsnes, Norway (Class of 1997); and Nordnorsk Musikkonservatorium in Tromsø. She continued her studies at ; at the Norwegian State Academy of Music (Norges Musikkhøgskole) in Oslo and at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe.
Berit Solset made her opera debut as Woodmaiden in Henrik Hellstenius’ opera Ophelia - Death by Water Singing. Other opera appearances have included Susanna in W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Belinda in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Abel in Alessandro Scarlatti's Il primo omicidio, Adonis in A. Scarlatti's Giardino d’Amore, Ermione in George Frideric Handel's Oreste, Sigrun in the world premiere of Ragnar Rasmussen's Malleus Maleficarum and an ensemble part in Georg Friedrich Haas’ Melancholia.
Berit Solset has quickly established herself as one of Scandinavia’s most sought after concert singers. As a concert singer she performs regularly all over Europe, and has also given concerts in Tokyo/Japan and Sydney/Australia. She has built a considerable repertoire, spanning from Renaissance and Baroque music up to the most recent contemporary music. She regularly works with conductors such as Benjamin Bayl, Olof Boman, Christopher Bucknall, Herbert Böck, Ottavio Dantone (and the ensemble Accademia Bizantina), Simon Gaudenz, Jos van Immerseel, Robert King, Bernard Labadie, Juanjo Mena, Stefan Parkman, Andrew Parrott, Vasily Petrenko, George Petrou, Mikhail Pletnev, Andreas Spering, Andrew Wilder and Michael Alexander Willens.
Engagements in the 2012-2013 season included Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and Sigrun in Rasmussen's Malleus Maleficarum with the Arctic Opera, arias by W.A. Mozart and Rameau with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, arias by G.F. Handel with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Bruckner's Mass in F minor with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Haydn's Die Schöpfung with Norwegian Radio Orchestra as well as with Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, Schubert's Mass no. 2 in G major at Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) in Bodoe, J.S. Bach's Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen (BWV 51) at the Nordland Music Festival, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in Bodoe, and G.F. Handel’s Messiah in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Halden, Hemne and in Rana. She has also recorded Hertel's Die Geburt Jesu Christi with Kölner Akademie.
Assignment in the 2013-2014 season included Iphis in G.F. Handel's Jephtha with Accademia Bizantina, Hertel's Passionskantate (Der sterbende Heiland) in Cologne with Kölner Akademie, concerts with music by Johann Adolf Hasse and Nicola Porpora in Italy with Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento, W.A. Mozart's Mass in C minor in Aalborg with Aalborg Symphony Orchestra as well as in Trondheim with Trondheim Baroque Orchestra, Haydn's Die Schöpfung in Bodo as well as in Eiker, the world premiere of B.M. Christophersen's The Lapse of Time in Kristiansund and Aalesund, J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) in Oslo, Halden, Sarpsborg, Trysil and Lillehammer, New Year's Concerts in Heggelia and Harstad and György Kurtág's Kafka Fragments in Oslo.
The 2014-2015 season included a series of concerts with music by N. Porpora in Italy with Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento, Johann Friedrich Agricola's Christmas Oratorio in Cologne with Kölner Akademie, Iphis in G.F. Handel's Jephtha in Krakow with Accademia Bizantina, J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, F. Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Haydn's Die Schöpfung in Oslo with Ensemble Allegria as well as in semi-staged performances at the Gloger Festival, cantatas by J.S. Bach in Copenhagen, G.F. Handel’s Messiah in Oslo, J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) in Trondheim, Carl Rütti's Requiem in Sandefjord, a recital at the Northern Light Festival Tromsoe and appearances at Gloppen Music Festival as well as Sunnmøre Music Festival.
The 2015-2016 season has so far included Adonis in A. Scarlatti's Il giardino d’amore at Musikfestspiele Sanssouci Potsdam and Ermione in G.F. Handel's Oreste at Theater Bremen, J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232) with Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI Torino as well as with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, G.F. Handel's Messiah with Stavanger Symfoniorkester, L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Sydney Opera House, J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) with Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, and a number with concerts with The Baroque Soloists and the program from their award winning CD The Image of Melancholy.
BBC Radio 3 gave the following review of her recording of Ave Maria by Fartein Valen (Refractions, 2013, BIS Records): «…and so wonderfully performed, and the fabulous soprano, Berit Norbakken Solset, who has exactly the right blend of straightness, so you can hear every note, but when she decides to open up, it´s just fabulous, for me, it´s got everything…». She appears regularly with the group Barokksolistene in different concerts and recordings, and most notably their award-winning recording and concert series ‘The Image of Melancholy’. She currently lives in Tromsø, Norway. |
