Morgonstjärnan – The Morning Star
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 Knausgaard meets the music of Sebastian Fagerlund, one of the most acclaimed composers of his generation. Gunilla Hemming has written a compelling libretto based on Knausgaard’s novel.
The Morning Star premiered at the Finnish National Opera on January 30, 2026. The production is 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 recording is from the Finnish National Opera’s performance on February 10, 2026. The recording will also be broadcast on Yle Teema on April 19, 2026.
Creative Team
MUSIC Sebastian Fagerlund
LIBRETTO BASED ON A NOVEL BY KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD Gunilla Hemming
DIRECTOR Thomas de Mallet Burgess
SET DESIGN Leslie Travers
COSTUME DESIGN Tracy Grant Lord
LIGHTING DESIGN Matthew Marshall
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR Sue Mythen
CONDUCTOR Hannu Lintu
Discover the cast of the performance here (pdf, 685kB)
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