Oslo Opera Ball

Operaball in Oslo 2004

Operaball in Oslo 2003

Annual Operaballs have been held in Oslo by the association Tårnseilerne (Swift) since 1988. The Operaballet merged with Oslo Opera Festival since 2004.

The balls have been historical costume or masquerade balls and have been held in the old Freemasons Lodge in Oslo since 1989. Participants have first attended an Opera performance at the national opera house.

The annual series have historical precedents since the 1850s in the same hall. There were annual masquerade balls in the same hall, the Old Freemasons lodge, by the student association and later the artist association in the carnival season in Christiania. These traditions are closesly related to the present Operaball in Oslo. Several compositions have been written for these events, notably Johan Svendsens Festival Polonaise. Edvard Grieg has performed in the freemasons lodge and one piano composition is called At the carnival.

The present series was initiated by Bjørn Einar Sakseid. His first full-scale ball requried rococco costumes with Mozart style wigs, powder, and white stockings. After the restauration and reopening of the old Freemasons Lodge, this ball series has been the biggest event in this hall. After a gala performance a procession walks a historical route through the city streets Count to Wedel's Square and the freemasons Lodge. From 1988-2006 the performance was at the Norwegian Opera in Folketeaterbygningen, the new Opera House in Bjørvika opened in 2008. In 2007 and 2011 a mini-opera was held in the old freemasons Lodge.

The Opera Ball Operaballs has alternately been called Rococco Ball, Mozart Ball, masquerade or Mask Balls, in 1992 it was Leap Year Ball, in 1998 it was on Valentine's day and in 1993 there was also a Christiania Soiree, where the organizers held the first public ball at Akershus fortress since the Middle Ages.

Bjørn Einar "Mozart" Sakseid

Bjørn Einar "Mozart" Sakseid

The organizers of the Operaballs were first private initiatives by Bjørn Einar Sakseid with Christopher Brown (1988) and Tormod Carlsen (1989). In 1990 the ball was part of the student week led by Beatrice Johnson, from 1991 it was fronted by Jo Siri Ekgren and Signe Marie Hernes and in 1992 the Association Tårnseilerne (swift) was founded. In addition to the ball at the Old Freemasons lodge there have been balls in the Rococco Halls at the Grand Hotel in Oslo in 1988, a Palace Ball at Akershus Castle in 1993 and a Fairytale Ball at Holmenkollen Park Hotel in 1995. The leader of the Operaballs (2004-2011), Gjørill Songvoll, received the City of Oslo's Culture Prize in 2010.

The Operaball in Oslo has inspired several similar balls, notably by the student society in Trondheim, the Jyske Opera in Denmark, the Opera house in Rostock, Germany and Copenhagen Opera House. These have visited, referred to and invited members of the Operaballs in Oslo to similar events. The Jutland Opera (den Jyske Opera) has organized several masquerade balls after visiting the Oslo Opera Ball and with participation from Oslo, with a masked Ball held on 5th February 2005. The first mask ball in Copenhagen modeled after the Operaball in Oslo was held on the 18th February 2005 in the Royal Theatre and Molktes Palé.

Operaball in Oslo 2005

Historical costumes Opera balls have held annual courses in costume sewing, costume managers have been Bente Iben Sandvik (1989-90), munkedamene with Emmy Gram, Stine Aasheim and Anne Solli (1991-93), Olaug Berg (1994-1998), Elizabeth Driveklepp and Anita Landre.