Sebastian Fagerlund – Gunilla Hemming – Karl Ove Knausgård
Morgonstjärnan – The Morning Star
strange omens are on the rise
A strange star rises above the city of Bergen. At first, few people take notice, but little by little, its regular appearance grows impossible to ignore. What happens to the human mind when the world changes in ways beyond our comprehension or control?
In The Morning Star, the story by legendary Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård meets the music of Sebastian Fagerlund, one of the most acclaimed composers of his generation. Gunilla Hemming has written a compelling libretto based on Knausgård’s novel.
The Morning Star is a startlingly prescient work for our time. It invites us to get to know a series of modern-day characters who are trying to make sense of the world and deal with the personal chaos in their lives – alcoholism, career disappointment, crises of faith and despair. At the very moment we, as a species, need to change and take greater responsibility for our actions, there is a collapse of collective meaning and action. The lives of the characters in this opera carry a critical warning for our own time and place.
The Morning Star will premiere at the Finnish National Opera on January 30, 2026. The production will be conducted by Hannu Lintu, Chief Conductor of the Finnish National Opera, and directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess, Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera.
“The story of The Morning Star, with its collision of the unfathomable, mystical world and modern society, has been a great source of inspiration for me. The story of fear, curiosity, uncertainty, anger, and love is timeless. It holds a mirror to us, providing a deep and powerful reflection of our society and life.”
– Sebastian fagerlund, Composer
THE FIRST OPERA BASED ON A WORK BY KNAUSGÅRD
Creative team
- Music
- Sebastian Fagerlund
- Libretto based on a novel by Karl Ove Knausgård
- Gunilla Hemming
- Director
- Thomas de Mallet Burgess
- Set design
- Leslie Travers
- Costume design
- Tracy Grant Lord
- Lighting design
- Matthew Marshall
- Conductor
- Hannu Lintu, Harri Karri
- Movement director
- Sue Mythen
cast
- Ingvild
- Martta Ainali
- Ingvild
- Ellen Pettersson
Synopsis
Act I
Prologue
It is a late night in August. Kathrine, a priest, is meant to return home to her family in Bergen after a flight. Distressed, she chooses to stay in a hotel instead.
Bergen
Jostein, a journalist, is interviewing the Artist at her exhibition. Kathrine returns home, where her husband Gaute suspects her of infidelity. Later, while blessing the deceased at the church, Kathrine realises she is pregnant. Arne struggles to manage his psychotic wife, Tove.
Their neighbour, Egil, arrives. He mentions the imminent visit of his ten-year-old son, Viktor, who is practically a stranger to him. Tove speaks to Egil about oddly behaving animals and other unsettling signs.
Read full synopsis
Solveig, a nurse, meets a patient. He turns out to be Ramsvik, a man she was once smitten with. Old feelings begin to surface.
Jostein encounters the Artist in a hotel bar and attempts to seduce her, but suddenly faints. His wife, Turid, leaves for her shift at a psychiatric care home, troubled by their depressed son, Ole. In the garden of the summer house, Arne drinks and contemplates his life. His daughter Ingvild points out a strange light in the sky. Arne drives off to escape the turmoil at home.
Egil collects Viktor from a bus stop. The boy refuses to obey his father and acts hostile. Solveig and Ramsvik observe the Morning Star, marvelling at its brightness. Arne, drunk, has driven into a ditch and also notices the star.
At Turid’s workplace, chaos breaks out and a patient escapes into the forest. Jostein and the Artist have slept together and now dress in a hotel room. The Artist looks at the Morning Star and ponders its significance. Arne returns home to continued disorder.
Turid gets lost in the forest while searching for the patient. She encounters the police at the site of a ritual murder and calls her journalist husband Jostein with the information.
Solveig is called to an organ donation operation at the hospital. She discovers the donor is Ramsvik, who has died unexpectedly. To everyone’s horror, he regains consciousness during the operation.
Gaute’s suspicion and jealousy intensify. As their argument escalates, Kathrine runs out into the night. Hoping for a scoop, Jostein arrives at the murder scene. He is turned away by the authorities.
Arne decides that Tove must be taken into psychiatric care. Egil has also noticed the strange omens. He wonders what they might mean. Kathrine is alone and desperate. Turid and Jostein’s son Ole attempts suicide.
Act II
Turid returns home to find Ole lying in a pool of blood. Kathrine has suffered a miscarriage for which she blames herself.
Egil admits to Viktor that he has failed as a father. Together they look at the shining Morning Star. At the hospital, Solveig comforts Turid; Ole may survive. Jostein faints again and enters a dreamlike state in which he searches for the Son.
People gather under the intense light of the Morning Star. Arne asks Egil whether it signals the end of days. Jostein wakes and declares that he has brought his son back from the dead. To Turid’s relief, Ole begins to recover. Solveig reflects on what the Morning Star might mean for her. Kathrine and Gaute try to reassure themselves that they can still stay together.
Children arrive and eventually draw the adults’ attention. They bring a message of hope, change, and the possibility of a better future.
Listen to Fagerlund’s music
tickets and performances
Morgonstjärnan – The Morning Star is supported by Svenska kulturfonden.
The keys to an entertaining evening
The performance takes place on our Main Stage, which has no fewer than 1,300 seats in its auditorium. Please note that the 3rd balcony is very high up. It provides an impressive view, but the front-row seats on this level may not suit those with a fear of heights. Explore the Main Stage and find out more about where to sit. You can also compare the view from different parts of the auditorium.
Price categories: Seats in the auditorium are priced according to the view of the stage and divided into eight price categories (A–H). In addition to seat location, the price is affected by the performance date and demand. Only standard-priced tickets are available in the lowest price categories (F–H).
Discounts:
Discounts are available for selected productions, performances, and seats in the Stalls and the 1st and 2nd Balconies, unless otherwise indicated.
-Pensioners: €10 discount per ticket for selected seats in the Stalls and the 1st Balcony. The discount is available to all holders of the card for national pension recipients and anyone aged 65 or over.
-Students, military and non-military servicemen: 40% discount on the full ticket price.
-Children and those aged 20 and under: 40–50% discount on the full ticket price.
-Same-day tickets: A special rate of €30 per ticket is available for those aged 20 and under, students, military and non-military servicemen, the unemployed, and pensioners. The discount applies to seats in the Stalls, no earlier than 12 hours before the performance and subject to availability.
Please note that full-price and concessionary tickets for under-20s, students, and pensioners can be exchanged in our online store free of charge up to 24 hours before the performance. The value of the ticket(s) is credited to your customer account for later use.
Children and young people up to the age of 20 are eligible for a 40–50% discount on ticket prices.
Please note that children under the age of 5 are not admitted to Main Stage performances. The age recommendation for each production can be found at the top of its dedicated page.
For the best view, we recommend seats in the front Stalls or the centre of the 1st Balcony. If you’re unsure which seats would be most suitable, our customer service team will be happy to help you find the best options.
To ensure an enjoyable and memorable visit, see our Visiting with children page for more tips.
You can easily purchase accessible seats either through our online store or customer service. On the auditorium map, you can check the locations of accessible seats in the Main Stage auditorium (pdf). The accessible seats are marked with wheelchair icons to make choosing your seat easier.
Read more detailed instructions for purchasing accessible seats and ensure your visit is effortlessly enjoyable from start to finish.
The programme booklet provides background information about the production, its creators, and the story. It is published on the day of the premiere and can be purchased before the performance from the customer service desk in the Töölönlahti lobby, the sales desk at the Mannerheimintie entrance, all open counters of the Opera Restaurant, and selected members of our lobby staff. The price of the programme booklet is €7.
You can also buy the programme booklet in advance from our customer service desk or online via the Order refreshments page. See more detailed instructions here on how to purchase the programme booklet on the Order refreshments page.
The digital cast details for each opera and ballet, including the evening’s cast and creative team, are published online no later than on the day of the performance (please note that the link opens in a separate window). Cast details are also available on the displays and touch screens in the foyers, as well as under the My events tab in the mobile app.
Enhance your experience with refreshments. You can enjoy refreshments before the performance or during the interval. We recommend placing your order in advance, either through our online store or by calling our customer service. If tables are still available, online sales close no later than 24 hours before the performance.
Using the Opera&Ballet mobile app, you can order interval refreshments to a pick-up counter until shortly before the performance begins. Learn more about pick-up orders.
The Opera House is located by Töölönlahti bay. Our address is Helsinginkatu 58, which is well served by public transport.
The main entrance on the Mannerheimintie side usually opens 1.5 hours before the start of a Main Stage performance. Please make sure you arrive in good time, at least 15 minutes before the performance begins. Latecomers are only admitted after the interval so as not to disturb the performance.
How to dress for the performance? Can I wear perfume? Do I need to pay for the cloakroom? Find answers to these questions and more on our Tips for visitors page. We have put together a comprehensive guide to help make your visit to the Opera House a success.