Birte Myhrstad

Birte Myhrstad (mezzo soprano), Kristiansand, studied at Bergen University College and Oslo University College. She received her Diploma degree in vocal perfomance from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 1990. Her extensive experience as a soloist has provided her with a far reaching musical competence, performing repertoires reaching from Baroque music, opera, romances, masses, oratorios, to Contemporary Art music. She is employed as an Associate Professor at University of Agder, Faculty of Fine Arts, Institute for Classical Music and Music Education, where she has taught vocal performance at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels since 2007. Furthermore, she has given Master Classes atOulu Institute for music, media and dance in Finland.

Myhrstad has performed several main roles at Opera South, The Kristiansund Opera, Opera Mobile, and Riksoperaen (The Norwegian Opera). Her latest Opera participation was in Verdi’sRigolettoin 2015, and she has performed as soloist at numerous domestic and international festivals, including performance with Grex Vocalis, the Lithuanian National Orchestra in Vilnius and the male choir Kaunas. The choirs she has performed with includes Kristiansand soloist ensemble and The Norwegian Soloist Choir.

Myhrstad has participated at numerous CD recordings, including productions by the Norwegian Society of Composers. Having sung with most of the Norwegian Orchestras, she has also performed in Norwegian radio and television. In 1996, she received Vest-Agder County Council’s Artist Scholarship; in 1998, Kristiansand Municipality’s Artist Scholarship; and in 2000, Fond for utøvende kunstnere. Myhrstad is currently Head of Department at Institute for Classical Music and Music Education, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Agder.