Frøy Hovland Holtbakk

INTRODUCTION

Frøy Hovland Holtbakk is a Norwegian lyric soprano from Skurdalen in Hallingdal. She is recognized for her technical precision, expressive and lyrical voice, and compelling stage presence.

RECENT AND FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS

Since winter 2024, Frøy Hovland Holtbakk has been engaged for a three-year term with the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo. There, she has performed roles such as Sister Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites, Stasi in Die Csárdásfürstin, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. In the spring of 2024, Frøy performed the role of Solveig in Peer Gynt at the Bergen International Festival, a co-production between the National Theatre and the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.

In the summer of 2025, she performed Adina in L’elisir d’amore at Opera Østfold and Maria in The Sound of Music with Bømlo Teater.

During the 2025/2026 season at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, she has sung Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. She will make her debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro in the spring of 2026.

In recent seasons on the concert scene, Frøy has performed works such as Mozart’s Requiem and Grieg’s Haugtussa, and toured Germany and Austria with the Engegård Quartet, presenting Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 2 alongside lieder by Clara Schumann. The latter will also be performed this spring at the University Aula in Oslo.

BIOGRAPHY

Frøy Hovland Holtbakk graduated in 2019 from the Royal Danish Opera Academy in Copenhagen, with Susanna Eken as her teacher, and previously holds a bachelor’s degree in classical singing from the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo. In addition to her classical training, she has a broad background in theater and musical theater, having studied at Bårdar Academy and Romerike Folk High School.

During her studies in Copenhagen, Frøy made her professional debut in 2017 as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Danish Opera, where she later performed roles such as Ida in Die Fledermaus, a Flower Maiden in Parsifal, and Frasquita in Carmen. Frasquita also marked her debut in Germany in 2020, with a jump-in at Oper Frankfurt. She made her Norwegian debut in 2021, singing Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito with the Bergen National Opera.

In the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons, Frøy was part of the soloist ensemble at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet as a Young Artist. She made her house debut in the autumn of 2021 as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. During her time as a Young Artist, she appeared in a wide range of roles, including Ashley Devon in the world premiere of The Listeners by Missy Mazzoli, Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Karolka in Jenůfa, and Cupid in Orphée aux enfers. She also sang the role of Eurydice in the same production in 2024.

Before starting her three-year engagement at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet in 2024, she performed Pernille in Den stundeløse by Edvard Fliflet Bræin in Kristiansund.