[ LOOK BACK ] THE FESTIVAL D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE AT BÅSTAD — AUGUST 2025

The youngest edition to Birgit Nilsson's legacy is a festival which was founded in 2018, the year that celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the legendary Swedish singer's birth. Nestled in and around the farmhouse where Birgit grew up in South Sweden, the festival focuses on young talent and the community, featuring masterclasses, concerts, exhibitions and talks. The week long festival culminates in an open air opera performance on Båstad’s famous tennis centre court, which this year attracted an audience of 2500 with Verdi’s Aida, featuring rising star, Christina Nilsson in the title role.

In the year that celebrates the 2025 Birgit Nilsson Prize, this summer's programme welcomed the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, which also has an outstanding Académie dedicated to fostering young talent. French mezzo-soprano Marine Chagnon and American baritone John Brancy, both of whom recently made their Aix debuts, travelled to Sweden to perform a special recital with pianist Qiaochu Li, preceded by a moderated talk with Timothée Picard, Dramaturge and Artistic Advisor to the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. On the same evening the 2025 Birgit Nilsson Stipendium recipient, soprano Karolina Bengtsson also performed in recital - shortly after her return from Aix where she made her debut in this year’s new production of Charpentier’s Louise.