A Thousand Years of Tristan and Isolde

The Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde has traveled through Europe for centuries. In different cultures, in different languages and in many different ways, it has taken shape in stories, books, films – and not least in the classic and magnificent opera by Richard Wagner.

In connection with Norrlandsoperan’s production of Tristan and Isolde in the autumn of 2025, there is an opportunity for in-depth knowledge and understanding of the story.

Welcome to a lecture and conversation in Folkuniversitetet’s auditorium with Heidi Hansson and Virginia Langum, professors of English literature and Caroline Boucher, teacher of French – all three at Umeå University, Department of Language Studies.

A warm welcome!

Virginia Langum, Professor of English Literature at Umeå University

Heidi Hansson, Professor of English Literature at Umeå University

Caroline Boucher, teacher of French at Umeå University

Tristan and Isolde: October 25 – November 22

Since its premiere in Munich in 1865, Tristan and Isolde has bewitched audiences all over the world. The bittersweet theme of longing for love, namely that between the knight Tristan and the Irish king’s daughter Isolde, who is only and first, redeemed in death, is as titillatingly strong today as it was 160 years ago. This year, Norrlandsoperan gives visitors the opportunity to experience this almost five-hour long, delirically maxed out love opera in their own house. Award-winning rising star Åsa Jäger from Umeå sings Isolde, while Greek tenor star Dimitris Paksoglou sings Tristan. The opera is conducted by Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor Eduardo Strausser and the direction is Dan Turdén, the house’s artistic director of opera.