Bergen Nasjonale Opera
Bergen Nasjonale Opera is a Norwegian non-profit foundation that produces world-class staged operas, concerts, and the Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy in Bergen, serving general public audiences, schoolchildren, and emerging opera professionals across the Vestlandet region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBergen, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bergen Nasjonale Opera does
Bergen Nasjonale Opera (BNO) is a Norwegian foundation (stiftelse) established in 2006 that operates as Norway's national opera company based in Bergen. Headquartered at Edvard Griegs Plass 1 within Grieghallen, the company produces full-scale staged operas, festivals, and concerts built around reciprocal core partnerships with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (founded 1765) and Edvard Grieg Korene. Its repertoire spans classical masterworks to contemporary commissions, including the 2025 world premiere of Asle og Alida by Jon Fosse and Bent Sørensen and a 20-year jubilee production slated for November 2026.
BNO's product portfolio comprises six integrated program lines: mainstage opera productions in Grieghallen, the annual Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy for singers/musicians aged 18–32, the Opera in Schools educational program (delivered in partnership with Den kulturelle skolesekken i Bergen og Vestland), the Edvard Grieg Children's and Youth Choirs (ages 6–10), a video content and live-stream library, and seasonal ticketing with three primary tiers (standard 300–900 NOK, student/Under 30 at 150–375 NOK, and BT-card 20% discount). Distribution is primarily regional via the bno.no website linked to TIX.no, with a box office open weekdays and tailored group/corporate offers.
The business model is a non-profit hybrid: ticket revenue, public subsidies (Bergen municipality, Vestland county, Norwegian Ministry of Culture), and private foundation/corporate sponsorship (Grieg Foundation, GC Rieber Fondene, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Sparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank, Talent Norge). The foundation is governed by a Board led by Tom Remlov (2024–2026) and has 11–50 employees, with senior leadership including Artistic and General Director Eivind Gullberg Jensen. The customer base is segmented across general public / opera enthusiasts (primary), children and youth via school programs, and young opera professionals in training.
Bergen Nasjonale Opera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bergen Nasjonale Opera
- Legal name
- Bergen Nasjonale Opera
- Website
- https://bno.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bergen Nasjonale Opera is a Norwegian non-profit foundation that produces world-class staged operas, concerts, and the Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy in Bergen, serving general public audiences, schoolchildren, and emerging opera professionals across the Vestlandet region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bergen Nasjonale Opera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Opera
- NAICS
- Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Bergen Nasjonale Opera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bergen
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bergen Nasjonale Opera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student/Under 30 tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BT-card member discount |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bergen Nasjonale Opera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bergen Nasjonale Opera (BNO) is Norway's national opera company, producing and presenting full-scale staged operas, concerts, and festivals at Grieghallen in Bergen. The company runs educational programs for children and youth, and operates the annual Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy for emerging opera talent. Performances are delivered with international conductors, directors, singers, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Edvard Grieg Korene.
Product overview
Bergen Nasjonale Opera (BNO) is Norway's premier opera company producing world-class opera performances ranging from full-scale staged productions in Grieghallen to festivals and concerts. The organization operates as a unified performing arts company with several integrated programs: mainstage opera productions featuring international artists, the annual Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy for emerging opera talent, Opera in Schools educational outreach, Edvard Grieg Children's and Youth Choirs for young performers, and extensive video content including live streams. BNO's two major collaborators are Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Edvard Grieg Korene. The company also offers comprehensive ticket services with various pricing tiers and group packages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full-Scale Opera Productions Fully staged opera performances presented at Grieghallen in Bergen, delivered with international creative teams, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Edvard Grieg Korene, targeting opera enthusiasts and the general public.
- Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy Annual summer training program for young opera singers, orchestra musicians, conductors, and repetiteurs aged 18-32, delivered in collaboration with Oseana Art and Cultural Center and supported by Talent Norge, Grieg Foundation, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, and GC Rieber Fondene.
- Opera in Schools Program Educational outreach program in which opera pedagogues visit schools and offer students the chance to attend dress rehearsals at Grieghallen, delivered in partnership with Den kulturelle skolesekken i Bergen og Vestland.
- Children's and Youth Choirs Edvard Grieg Children's Choirs (boys, girls, and junior choirs for ages 6-10) that perform alongside BNO productions and concerts with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Ticket Sales and Group Packages Direct ticket sales via bno.no (linking to TIX.no), box office service (weekdays 11-15, Tuesdays 12:30-15), and group/corporate sales offerings. Standard tickets range from 300 NOK (back of hall) to 900 NOK (front of hall), with student/under-30 prices from 150 to 375 NOK and a 20% BT-card member discount.
- Video Content and Live Streams Free streaming video content including trailers, live recordings, opera excerpts, and behind-the-scenes material, distributed on bno.no, YouTube, and Vimeo. Selected productions such as Werther have been streamed live globally via OperaVision.
Quantifiable outcome
- 14 singers, conductors and musicians from Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy have been engaged at Bergen National Opera's main productions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Bergen Nasjonale Opera
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bergen Nasjonale Opera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bergen Nasjonale Opera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Bergen Filharmoniske OrkestercoreBNO's main collaboration partner for orchestral performances. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (founded 1765, one of the world's oldest orchestras) provides the orchestral foundation for BNO's opera productions in Grieghallen. Edward Gardner served as Chief Conductor from 2015 to 2024.
- Edvard Grieg KorenecoreEdvard Grieg Choirs serves as BNO's main choral partner. The professional choir provides the opera chorus for all BNO productions. Edvard Grieg Kor was founded in 2003 and includes Edvard Grieg Vocal Ensemble as core, plus children's, boys', girls', and youth choirs.
- Oseana kunst- og kultursentercoreOseana Art and Cultural Center in Os (south of Bergen) collaborates with BNO for the Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy, hosting rehearsals and concerts for the program.
- Grieg FoundationmajorGrieg Foundation provides financial support for BNO's operations and specifically for the Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy program.
- GC Rieber FondenemajorGC Rieber Fondene is a key sponsor providing support for BNO's activities including the annual vocal scholarship (GC Rieber Fondenes sangstipend).
- Talent NorgemajorTalent Norge supports the Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy as part of their mission to develop young Norwegian talent.
- Sparebankstiftelsen DNBmajorSparebankstiftelsen DNB provides financial support for the Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy program.
- Sparebankstiftelsen SR-BankminorSparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank provides sponsorship support for BNO operations.
- Den kulturelle skolesekken i Bergen og VestlandcoreDen kulturelle skolesekken (DKS) partners with BNO to provide opera education programs for school children. BNO offers opera introduction courses and general rehearsal visits for students in Bergen and Vestland county.
- Opera EuropaminorBNO is a member of Opera Europa, the European opera industry association.
- Opera NorgeminorBNO is a member of Opera Norge, the Norwegian opera industry association.
- Norsk teater- og orkesterforeningminorBNO is a member of Norsk teater- og orkesterforening (Norwegian Theatre and Orchestra Association).
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Bergen Nasjonale Opera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Opéra National de Montpellier: French regional opera house with similar scale and repertoire scope to BNO. Comparable as a publicly funded European opera company producing both canonical and contemporary repertoire with an active education and youth programming arm.
- Welsh National Opera: Welsh national opera company touring extensively across the UK. Comparable as a publicly funded opera company of similar scale to BNO that combines mainstage opera with education/outreach programming and engages internationally recognized singers.
- GöteborgsOperan (Gothenburg Opera): Swedish regional opera company based in Gothenburg. Closely comparable in scale and scope to BNO as a regional-but-high-quality European opera house producing grand opera, contemporary works, and children's programming in a single-venue model.
- Scottish Opera: Scotland's national opera company headquartered in Glasgow. Comparable as a publicly funded regional European opera house of similar scale to BNO, with comparable repertory breadth including contemporary commissions and education programs.
- Kungliga Operan (Royal Swedish Opera): Sweden's national opera company based in Stockholm, producing a full grand opera season. Highly comparable as a fellow Nordic national opera with public funding, classical and contemporary repertoire focus, and similar institutional mission.
- Den Norske Opera & Ballett (Norwegian National Opera and Ballet): Norway's principal national opera and ballet company based in Oslo, producing a full season of grand opera and ballet. Directly comparable as a Norwegian national opera house with similar repertoire scope and government funding model, though significantly larger in scale than BNO.
- Finnish National Opera and Ballet: Finland's national opera and ballet company based in Helsinki. Comparable as a Nordic national opera house with publicly funded operations, mixed classical and contemporary repertoire, and similar artist development mandates.
- Det Kongelige Teater (Royal Danish Theatre): Denmark's national theater and opera company based in Copenhagen. Direct co-production partner with BNO on 'Asle og Alida' (nominated for Danish Opera of the Year 2025), making it the most relevant Nordic peer given shared repertoire and joint audience development.
Broad incumbents
- Theater Basel: Swiss-German theater and opera house producing grand opera alongside drama and ballet. Comparable to BNO as a regional European opera house known for strong contemporary programming and international co-productions, though operating a multi-genre venue model.
Regional players
- Icelandic Opera (Íslenska Óperan): Iceland's principal opera company based in Reykjavik. Comparable as a small Nordic opera company producing both mainstage and educational programming with public and sponsor funding, though operating in a different national market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bergen Nasjonale Opera social profiles
Digital presenceBergen Nasjonale Opera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bergen Nasjonale Opera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Bergen Nasjonale Opera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bergen Nasjonale Opera M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bergen Nasjonale Opera
What does Bergen Nasjonale Opera do?
Bergen Nasjonale Opera (BNO) is Norway's national opera company, producing and presenting full-scale staged operas, concerts, and festivals at Grieghallen in Bergen. The company runs educational programs for children and youth, and operates the annual Opera by the Fjord Summer Academy for emerging opera talent. Performances are delivered with international conductors, directors, singers, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Edvard Grieg Korene.
Is Bergen Nasjonale Opera a public or private company?
Bergen Nasjonale Opera is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bergen Nasjonale Opera founded?
Bergen Nasjonale Opera was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bergen Nasjonale Opera based?
Bergen Nasjonale Opera is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, in the Europe region.
Who are Bergen Nasjonale Opera's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Opéra National de Montpellier, Welsh National Opera, GöteborgsOperan (Gothenburg Opera), Scottish Opera, Kungliga Operan (Royal Swedish Opera), Den Norske Opera & Ballett (Norwegian National Opera and Ballet), Finnish National Opera and Ballet and Det Kongelige Teater (Royal Danish Theatre). Theater Basel is listed as a broad incumbent. Icelandic Opera (Íslenska Óperan) is listed as a regional player.
Does Bergen Nasjonale Opera have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bergen Nasjonale Opera.
What industry is Bergen Nasjonale Opera in?
Bergen Nasjonale Opera's product category is Performing Arts / Opera. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAF, Opera & Operetta, with a secondary code of THAJAFAB, Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts. Its NAICS code is 711190.