Guide to Bergen National Opera

Mary Miller began her career as a concert violinist, with the privilege of working internationally with some of the great names of our time. She developed a strong interest in building participatory music theatre projects, working with composers, professional artists and the community, before becoming Chief Music Critic for Scotland´s national newspaper, The Scotsman. While working as a journalist, she produced and presented many programmes for BBC radio and television, and also directed the UK's premier festival of Nordic Culture, based in Northern Scotland, giving countless young Nordic artists their UK debuts, and building projects between international artists and remote northern communities. In 1998, she became Head of the Studio at English National Opera, developing new opera, singers and creative teams, before moving to the USA to direct The International Festival of Arts & Ideas, one of East Coast America's most prestigious and comprehensive festivals. Based in one of the US most ethnically fractured cities, the festival combined international excellence in both performance and debate with major participatory all-city projects. In 2004, she became Director of Stavanger2008, European Capital of Culture, Norway's biggest ever cultural programme comprising over 1000 events and projects, and building lasting partnerships between Nordic and European artists. In 2009, she directed the city of Sandnes' jubilee celebrations, and also directed and wrote the Spanish city of Burgos' bid to become European Capital of Culture. In 2010, she became General and Artistic Director of Bergen National Opera, a dynamic young company which is now firmly established as one of Europe's most flexible and innovative performing organisations with a programme which embraces a wide repertoire, singer and artist development, international collaboration and education. She continues to work internationally as a speaker and mentor on cultural policy and is the only Norway-based member of the European Cultural Parliament.