Lars Petter Hagen new head of Operaen
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Live Klassisk1 min read|26. September 2026
Lars Petter Hagen has been appointed new chief executive of Den Norske Opera & Ballett. He starts in the role right after Festspillene i Bergen 2027.
– With Lars Petter Hagen we get an experienced, visionary and development-oriented director who will lead this unique institution forward, says chair of the board Sarah C.J. Willand.
Hagen currently leads Festspillene i Bergen. Before that he has been chair of Norsk kulturråd, head of development at Oslo-Filharmonien and director of Ultimafestivalen. He has also worked internationally as a composer, curator and mentor.
– I am enormously looking forward to taking on this task. What excites me most about Den Norske Opera & Ballett is the whole: the art, the people, the expertise and the important role the institution plays in society, says Hagen.
He succeeds Geir Bergkastet. After more than nine years as director of Operaen, Bergkastet moves on to the position of county culture manager at Innlandet fylkeskommune. From 1 December 2026 to 14 June 2027, marketing and communications director Kenneth Fredstie is acting chief executive.
📸 Erik Berg
📸 Erik Berg
