Biography
Emma Sventelius
Emma Sventelius, born and raised in Lund in the south of Sweden, began to study music in 2011 under the tutelage of Dr. Monica Thomasson at Vadstena Vocal and Piano Academy. After two years in Vadstena, Emma studied a Bachelor of Voice at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, completing her studies as an Erasmus student at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna 2015-2016. Between 2016 and 2018 Emma studied at The University College of Opera Stockholm as a student of the Swedish tenor Erik Årman.
In November 2017, while still a master student, Emma made her international debut as Suzuki in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf and Duisburg, and during the following season, she sung the title role in Bizet's Carmen at Malmö Opera on tour, as well as Orlando in a performance based on Händel's opera with the same name, at Ulriksdals Castle Theatre, Confidencen, arranged by the Royal Swedish opera in Stockholm.
Subsequently in September 2019, Emma joined the ensemble at Theater Bonn. There she made a critically acclaimed debut as Octavian in "Der Rosenkavalier" by R. Strauss and Cherubino in "Le Nozze di Figaro" by Mozart. As the latter, she also made her debut on the main stage of The Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in February 2020. In October 2021, Emma made her debut in Vienna at Volksoper Wien where she, once again made a celebrated portrayal of Octavian. During the season 2021/2022, Emma was a part of the ensemble at Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich. There she performed roles such as Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel), Niclausse (Hoffmanns Erzählungen), Orlovsky (Die Fledermaus), Olga (Eugen Onegin) and 2:nd Lady (Zauberflöte). In the fall of 2022 she was a part of director Amy Lane's acclaimed production of "Roméo et Juliette" at Malmö Opera, where she sang the role of Stéphano and in the spring of 2023 she sings the main character Adriana in the Swedish premiere of Kaija Saariahos "Adriana Mater" at Norrlandsoperan.
As an opera singer, Emma has found a special interest in newly composed opera and has premiered several roles, including: Mezzo Soprano 1 in "Stabat Mater - a chamber opera" by F. Bayani Mabalot, Dalkullan Vera in "Det går an" by D. Fjällström at Läckö Castle, Ia in "Aquilegia" by G. Lindström at Sthlm New Opera and Miss Prism in the opera "The Importance of being Earnest" by B T. Andersson at the International Vadstena Academy. Emma has also premiered several concert pieces. Among them "Chapter one for Mezzosoprano" by Ylva Fred and "Salve Regina" by Gustav Lindsten, the latter was performed during the play "The Tidings brought to Mary" at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm in the spring 2018. You can listen to the two pieces under Recordings.
Emma Sventelius has had the great honour of being awarded several esteemed awards and scholarships over the years. The most recent being The Birgit Nilsson Scholarship in 2020. In 2019 Emma was awarded The Barbro Salén Scholarship at the Royal Swedish Opera and previous to that, she received The Anders Wall Foundation's Giresta scholarship and The Vitaby scholarship from the OVIS foundation (2018), as well as the Joel Berglund-Foundation Scholarship by the Soloist of the Royal Opera in Stockholm (2015), the Aurora Lillieros Scholarship for singers (2016) and the Alvin's as well as the Larsèn-Todsen's scholarship from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (2016 and 2017). In 2016, Emma won 3:rd prize in the 23:rd International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria, together with the pianist Sofia Nilsson, as well as 1st prize in OVIS-rösten.