Gustav Johansson is a Swedish bass (b. 1995) from Stockholm. He graduated from the Royal Danish Opera Academy with a Masters degree in June 2021 portraying the roles of Masetto and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni by Mozart.
He is since 2016 living in Copenhagen where he 2019 received his Bachelor grade from the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Marianne Rørholm, and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, with Prof. Petteri Salomaa. Previous studies were made at Vadstena Folkhögskola with Anders Düring, and Södra Latins Gymnasium with Ove Pettersson.
He has taken part of masterclasses with renowned singers and artists such as Prof. Em. Dorothy Irving, Torbjörn Liljeqvist, Helmut Deutsch, Bo Skovhus, Konrad Jarnot, Kristian Attila, Susanna Eken, Randi Stene, Michael Eliasen and Neville Dove.
Other teachers and musical role models that Gustav studied and worked with includes Ebbe Knudsen, Natascha Metherell, Palle Knudsen, Bjarte Engeset, Ylva Kihlberg, David Björkman, David Kempster, Ann Crosset, Monica Thomasson, Erik Karlberg, Thomas Darelius, Jakob Lorentzen, Filip Hamber, Joakim Bergdahl, and Markus Lehtonen.
The season 22/23 started with Gustav's orchestral debut as he sang in "Musik I sommarkväll" together with Maestra Gabriella Teychenné and Norrköpings Symphonic Orchestra in De Geerhallen in Norrköping. In October he will produce and perform in LiederFest22, in Ansgar's Kirke in Copenhagen, a classical song festival with focus on young singers and pianists and where the artists themselves are involved in the repertoire and on how to present the music to the audience. In November, Gustav returns to Søholm Opera for their production of Gian Carlo Menotti's Christmas opera Amahl and the Night visitors. He will also return to the Royal Danish Opera House to sing the part of Uno Spirito in Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo. The season also includes various concerts in Copenhagen and the south of Sweden.
In the season 21/22 he debuted at the Royal Danish Opera House where he sang three small parts in The Nose by Shostakovich. He also performed at Aalborg Operafestival in a praised performance of Peter Maxwell Davies' music theatre piece Eight Songs for a Mad King, which got top reviews in local danish newspaper. He also played the role of Councilman in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's acclaimed adaptation of the Lars von Trier film Breaking the Waves' scandinavian premiere in Vadstena-Akademien. In the fall of 2021 he was part of Stille Slag by Louise Alenius and Tanja Diers at Østerbro Teater, a piece where former criminals and singers met on stage in a play, portraying the inner life a convict. In February 2022 he wrote, produced and performed in Fredmans Kærlighed, a play based on the music by the swedish 1800th century troubadour Carl Michael Bellman.
Gustav made his debut as Collatinus in Benjamin Brittens The Rape of Lucretia at the Helsinki Music Centre (Finland) in November 2018. In the season of 2020/2021 he was supposed to sing the roles of 2nd Graalsritter in Parsifal by Wagner and A man with a cornet case, from Dominick Argento’s Postcard from Morocco, at the Royal Danish Opera House, but both of these shows were canceled due to the corona pandemic. Other experience from Royal Danish Opera House includes covering the parts of Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) and En Vægter (Maskarade).
Gustav has recieved scholarships from The Freemasons in Stockholm, Sandrews Stiftelse, Den Bøhmske Fond and Helge Ax-sons fond. Projects of which he has been in charge has received financial support from Augustinus fonden, William Demant fonden, Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens fond, Copenhagen Municipality, Korsangernes fællesråd and Knud Højgaards fond.
REVIEWS
Musik i sommarkväll med Norrköpings Symfoniorkester - 26/8-2022
De Geerhallen, Norrköping
”Med Mozarts ’Trollflöjten’ bjuds vi på Gustav Johanssons varma, milda basröst och därpå duetten mellan Masetto och Zerlina från Don Giovanni. Paret utrycker hela operans gäckande och skojfriska karaktär i ett kort utdrag”…
…”Med känsla och tydlig diktion artikulerar han den brutala om än romantiserade historien om de svarta bomullsplockarnas hårda liv medan Mississippi obekymrat rinner vidare genom rasism och fattigdom. Avslutningsvis Rossinis ”Italienskan i Alger” Nu flödar den sceniska och lite burleska humorn mellan Huledal och Johansson. Det är balanserat och samsjunget, känns spontant och muntert.”
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Norrköpings Tidningar
Eight Songs for a Mad King - 13/8-2022
Spritten, Aalborg Operafestival
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”første halvdel af aftenens avantgarde program var en uropførelse af Connor McLeans Swallowing my teeth, der starter som en spinkel stemme på balkonen, med uendeligt lange toner, afsluttet med en tekst-bid som først kommer frem når Gustav Johannson ikke kan holde tonen længere. Kort sagt på det tidspunkt hvor han ikke længere har noget luft tilbage, men alligevel formår at støde ordene ud. Og det er ingen tilfældighed at det er den svenske bas der synger partiet, for netop disse evner er grunden til at Connor McLeans værk er tilegnet Gustav Johannson. Og med den smukkeste efterklang i Sprittens Brænderitårn, Bliver McLeans værk - om tidspunktet hvor man er halvvågen, og desperat forsøger at slippe ud af et mareridt - leveret af Gustav Johansson som aftenens første store præstation i Aalborg Operafestivals midnats arrangement.”…
…“Gustav Johanssons evne til at fange sit publikum er en gave, for det er ikke alle beskåret at kunne synge over fem oktaver - og stadig have fuld fokus på sine tilhørere, hvad enten man synger sjælfuldt fra en balkon eller synger mens man smadrer den violin man lige har stjålet fra violinisten.
Eight Songs for a Mad King i Brænderitårnet på Spritten er hverken smukt, behageligt eller genkendeligt. Værket er til gengæld foruroligende smertefuldt og beundringsværdigt præcist udført avantgarde. Forud for sin tid. Eviggyldig i sine ord.”
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sceneblog.dk
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“Den svenskfødte, herboende bassanger Gustav Johansson, brændte totalt igennem som gale og glatraget Kong George III, der i mange år sad låst inde i tårnet på slottet Windsor. Rollen kræver det utroligste af sin sanger - ikke blot rent stemmemæssigt, men også en total beherskelse af gestik og mimik - for at kunne fremstille det totale vanvid i den gales sind og fremtræden.”
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Nordjyske
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“Den svenske bassanger Gustav Johansson udførte rollen, som var den skabt til ham. Både vanviddet og de mere beherskede øjeblikke lyste ud af hans øjne, han havde en gudsbenådet mimik og koreografi, og hans ekstatiske energi og imponerende udholdenhed var forrygende. Brænderitårnets rå interiør og et flot lysdesign leverede en genial scene for galskaben. På programmet var også herboende Connor McLeans solostykke ’Swallowing my teeth’ hvor også Gustav Johansson udfoldede sig fantastisk.”
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kulturen.dk
Breaking the Waves - 22/7-2022
Vadstena-Akademien, Vadstena
”Alla sånginsatser håller hög nivå. Starkt intryck gjorde den mänskliga Dodo (Ebba Lejonclou) och den onde prästen (Gustav Johansson)
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Motala Vadstena Tidning
Rape of Lucretia - 17/11-2018
Musiikkitalo, Helsingfors
”den äkta mannen Collatinus tolkades mjukt av Gustav Johansson”
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Hufvudstadsbladet
OPERA REPERTOIRE
C. Monteverdi: L'Orfeo - Caronte/Plutone
Cover at The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, March 2023
C. Monteverdi: L'Orfeo - Uno Spirito
The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, March 2023
G. Menotti: Amahl and the Night Visitors - Balthazar
Søholm Opera, Samsø, November 2022
P. Maxwell Davies: Eight songs for a mad king - George III
Insimul Sinfonietta, Stavanger, August 2021; Aalborg Operafestival August 2022
M. Mazzoli: Breaking the Waves - Councilman
Vadstena-Akademien, July 2022
W.A. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro - Bartolo
The Royal Danish Opera Academy, Copenhagen, June 2022
D. Shostakovich: The Nose - Footman/2nd Son/Kovaljovs 1st acquaintance
The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, May 2022
C.M. Bellman/Gustav Johansson: Fredmans kærlighed - Fredman
Copenhagen, February 2022
L. Alenius: Stille Slag - Bass
Østerbro Theatre, Copenhagen, November 2021
P. Maxwell Davies: Eight Songs for a Mad King - George III
Utstein Kloster, Stavanger, August 2021
W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni - Commendatore/Masetto
The Royal Danish Opera Academy, Copenhagen, May 2021
W.A. Mozart: The Magic Flute - Sarastro (in Danish/German)
Cover at The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, season 20/21
C. Nielsen: Maskarade - En Vægter
Cover at The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, season 20/21
P. Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin - Prince Gremin
The Royal Danish Opera Academy, Copenhagen, October 2020
D. Argento: Postcard from Morocco - A man with a cornet case/puppetmaster
The Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, season 20/21 (canceled)
M. Vestergaard: Titanic - a Murder Mystery — the Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, January 2019
B. Britten: The Rape of Lucretia - Collatinus
Helsinki Music Centre, November 2018
A. Vivaldi: Il Giustino - Voce di Dentro/Chorus Bass
Næstved Early Music Festival, July 2018
W.A. Mozart: Mostly Mozart - Antonio (Marriage of Figaro)
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, January 2018
I. Nørholm: The Garden Wall - The Brother
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, January 2017
D. Cimarosa: Frihetens kvinnor - Don Rocco
Vadstena Old Theatre - maj 2016
ART SONGS AND ORATORIO
ART SONGS AND ORATORIO
J.S. Bach: St Johns passion - Jesus/Pilatus
J.S. Bach: Cantata 140 Wachet auf
J.S. Bach: Cantata 211 Coffee Cantata
F. Biber: Requiem in A
G. Fauré: Requiem
W.A. Mozart: Requiem
J. Pachelbel: Was gott tut das ist Wohlgetan
H. Rosenberg: Den heliga natten (the holy night) - Herodes
H. Schütz: Musikalisches Exequien
The core repertoire of the art songs for bass voice from
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, England, USA and France
Other information
Gustav Johansson has toured and performed, as soloist as well as part of choir in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, UK, France, Germany, Malta.
This includes stages at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, The old radiohouse's Concert hall, Holmens Kirke, the Stockholm Concert hall, Berwaldhallen in Stockholm, the House of Nobility in Stockholm, De Geerhallen in Norrköping, Stockholm Cathedral, Vadstena Cathedral, Lund's Cathedral, Malmö Live, Helsinki Music Centre, Tours opera house and Berliner Dom.
Since his exam in June 2021 from the Opera Academy in Copenhagen he has taken part of following concerts and performances:
2023
December
8 January - New Year Concert with the Danish Song Society
2022
December
18 December - Messiah by Händel at Dalby Kyrka, Lund
15 December - Christmas Carols concert
11 December - Christmas Carols concert
9 December - Imitationer af liv, semi staged koncert with music by Kirstine Fogh Vindelev
November
28 November - Amahl and the Night Visitors at Søholm Opera
27 November - Amahl and the Night Visitors at Søholm Opera
10 November - Imitationer af liv, semi staged koncert with music by Kirstine Fogh Vindelev
6 November - Soloist in Fauré's Requiem at Grundtvigs Kirke
4 November - Jump in the choir of Mozarts Requiem at Malmö Live
3 November - Jump in the choir of Mozarts Requiem at Malmö Live
October
22 October - LiederFest22. Lied Recital with pianist Kristoffer Hersnack Kaad. Arranged two lied recitals
21 October - LiederFest22. Lied Recital with pianist Kristoffer Hersnack Kaad. Arranged two lied recitals
20 October - LiederFest22. Arranged two lied recitals
19 October - LiederFest22. Arranged two lied recitals
16 October - LiederFest22. Arranged one Master class with conductor/coach Thomas Bagwell
8 October - Memorial concert for Marianne Rørholm
September
11 September - Bach Concert at Grundtvigs Church
August
26 August - Soloist with Norrköpings Symfoniorkester in De Geer-hallen, Norrköping
13 August - Tour with 'Swallowing my teeth' and 'Eight songs for a Mad King' with Insimul Sinfonietta in Copenhagen
12 August - Tour with 'Swallowing my teeth' and 'Eight songs for a Mad King' with Insimul Sinfonietta in Ålborg
10 August - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
9 August - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
7 August - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
5 August - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
1 August - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
July
31 July - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
29 July - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
26 July - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
25 July - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
22 July - Breaking the Waves at Vadstena-Akademien
June
3 June - Le Nozze di Figaro with Copenhagen Opera Academy
2 Jun - The Nose by Shostakovich at The Royal Danish Theatre
1 June - Le Nozze di Figaro with Copenhagen Opera Academy
May
29 May - The Nose by Shostakovich at The Royal Danish Theatre
23 May - Nanna Treu Exam Recital - Music by Nikki Martin
19 May - The Nose by Shostakovich at The Royal Danish Theatre
7 May - The Nose by Shostakovich at The Royal Danish Theatre
2 May - Half of 'Eight songs for a Mad King' in Halmstad
1 May - The Nose by Shostakovich at The Royal Danish Theatre
April
10 April - St. John's Passion by Bach in Allhelgonakyrkan, Lund.
March
23 March - Matias Vestergaard Debut Concert.
February
23 February - Fredmans kærlighed, produced, wrote and performed my own show.
22 February - Fredmans kærlighed, produced, wrote and performed my own show.
21 February - Fredmans kærlighed, produced, wrote and performed my own show.
2021
December
16 December - Messiah by Händel in Grundtvigs Church, canceled due to covid-19
13 December - Luciatåg at the Swedish church in Copenhagen
11 December - Christmas Carols at Samsø
November
10 November - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
9 November - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
6 November - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
4 November - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
3 November - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
2 November - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
October
30 October - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
29 October - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
28 October - Stille Slag på Østerbro Theatre
September
12 september - Recording of Frans Biber's Requiem with Dalby Kammarkör
8 september - Concert in Grundtvigs kirke, 100-year jubilee of the church
5 september - Cantata by Mads Høck in Grundtvigs kirke
August
22 august - Eight songs for a Mad King with Insimul at Utstein Kloster, Stavanger
12 augusti - Umbót, Concert at Ung Nordisk Musikfestival in Århus
8 august - Terrace Concerts at Aalborg Opera festival
July
27 July - Pagliacci by Leoncavallo at Samsø, part of the ensemble plus pop up concerts
28 July - Pagliacci by Leoncavallo at Samsø, part of the ensemble plus pop up concerts
29 July - Pagliacci by Leoncavallo at Samsø, part of the ensemble plus pop up concerts
June
23 June - Nick Martin debut concert