Tone Kummervold

INTRODUCTION

Tone Kummervold is a distinguished Norwegian mezzo-soprano acclaimed for her artistry across both the classical and contemporary operatic repertoire.

RECENT AND FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS

Among Tone Kummervold’s most recent engagements are Ulrica in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, Mère Marie in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, the Old Lady in Bernstein’s Candide, Baba the Turk in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (the latter of which received notable praise from critics), and Politikaren/Dei tilsette in Terminus at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Brigitta in Die tote Stadt at the Bergen National Opera, and a Ravel & Shostakovich concert with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. 

During the 2025/2026 season, Kummervold is set to make several major international debuts. She will appear as Mérope in Enescu’s Oedipe at the Bregenzer Festspiele, followed by Brangäne in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde with the Korea National Opera. She will then return to the Prague State Opera in the roles of Fricka in Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Mère Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites. Tone will also perform as a soloist in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Oslo Cathedral Choir and Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle at Holmen Church.

Additional upcoming engagements include her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival as Rychtářka (the Mayor’s wife) in Jenůfa and Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer at Bregenzer Festspiele, as well as Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Jaap van Zweden and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, a.o.

BIOGRAPHY

Tone Kummervold began her musical education at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, before continuing her studies at the University of Stavanger (UiS), where she was mentored by the internationally renowned soprano Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz. She later refined her craft at the Conservatorio L. Refice in Italy, graduating with distinction under the tutelage of the esteemed Rossini specialist Agata Bienkowska.

Kummervold made her professional debut at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in 2009 as the Third Dryad in Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka. Her breakthrough came the following year with her portrayal of Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. From 2011 to 2012, she was a member of the opera studio at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, subsequently joining the company’s soloist ensemble from the 2012/2013 season until the 2024/2025 season.

In recent years, Kummervold has garnered increasing recognition nationally and internationally. In 2021, she made her Paris debut performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. The following year, she appeared as La Morte in Erwin Schulhoff’s Flammen at the Prague State Opera. That same year, she earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Angela in the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s The Listeners. In 2023, her performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the Oslo Philharmonic further cemented her status as one of Scandinavia’s leading mezzo-sopranos.

Renowned for her vocal versatility and dramatic presence, Kummervold has performed a broad array of leading roles in both traditional and modern works. Her repertoire includes the title roles in Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s La Cenerentola, as well as significant roles such as Sonetka in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann, Varvara in Janáček’s Katja Kabanova, and Le Pélerin in Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin.

Kummervold’s eagerly awaited solo album, Unravel Tradition, was released in 2024 under the Simax record label, receiving accolades such as, “Tone Kummervold is, quite literally, an important voice in Norwegian art music. She is a musician who leaves a mark on the culture she is part of. On this record, she showcases the breadth of her talents” (Ola Nordal, Ballade).

The album was recognized as one of the cultural highlights of 2024 by the newspaper Aftenposten and was named Album of the Month by the newspaper Klassekampen.