I've never felt this way about anyone and it's not something I tell everyone
The opera troupe Man Must Sing (MMS) is a freelance group that commissions, produces and performs newly written and norm-creative performing arts in the Swedish language. The freelance singers Nina Ewald, Amanda Flodin and Karl Peter Eriksson take care of artistic direction as well as the singing performances.
With support from Signatur Foundation Sweden, work is now underway on MMS’ next opera: I’ve never felt this way about anyone and it’s not something I tell everyone.
Norm-creative opera for middle school children
Inspired by Suzanne Osteen’s view of children’s culture, where children are seen as “capable and competent to take on board and make use of culture”, Man Must Sing is creating its second opera for children as part of the 2024 Signatur Programme. At the same time, they continue their exploratory work to develop opera as an art form by creating newly written norm-creative chamber opera in Swedish in a smart, intimate and accessible format.
In close collaboration with librettist Kristian Hallberg, composer Maria Lithell Flyg and director Gunilla J. Gyllenspetz, set/costume designer Heidi Saikkonen, lighting designer Christofer W Fogelberg and mask designer Linda Boije af Gennäs, the opera group Man Must Sing is creating a 40-minute chamber opera for middle school children with challenging and urgent content. It is written for three singers, flute, cello and percussion with a planned premiere in Gothenburg in December 2024.
About Man Must Sing
MMS has premiered five commissioned works: Akvarium (2016), which was selected for the performing arts biennale Scenkonstbiennalen in 2017, Kom inte hit! (Don’t come here! 2018) which the Gothenburg Opera bought as a guest performance, Scener ur ett polyamoröst äktenskap (“Scenes from a Polyamorous Marriage”, 2021) which was performed in the midst of the pandemic, the children’s opera “Jag vet inte vem jag är och jag älskar det” (“I don’t know who I am and I love it”, 2021) which has been seen by over 1000 children and most recently System (2024) which made a guest performance at Stockholms Stadsteater 19-20 April 2024.
Read more about MMS on their own website: https://www.manmustsing.se/
