Professor's portrait: Nils Spangenberg

Nils Spangenberg, Professor of Chamber opera. School of Education, Culture and Communication, Division of Music.

Please tell us briefly about your academic career – what decisions have brought you to where you are today?

My professional career so far has been focused on the development of music drama through my work as a singer, opera director, higher education teacher and artistic director of the International Vadstena Academien Foundation.

I’ve studied at the Academy of Music and Drama and the Opera Academy in Gothenburg. Between 1981 and 1988 I worked at Stora Teatern in Gothenburg as a singer, producer, assistant director and director, and I also worked at the Royal Swedish Opera, Drottningholm Palace Theatre, Norrlandsoperan, Confidencen, Musikteatern in Värmland and at SVT. Between the years 1989 and 2010 I taught acting for operasingers at what was called the Opera Academy in Stockholm (now called Stockholm University of the Arts) and have also taught at the Theatre and Opera Academy in Gothenburg and at the Academy of Music and Opera here at Mälardalen University.

In what area do you conduct research?

I conduct research in the opera and musical drama area. The reason I am active in this area is to undertake advanced study in and further develop my area of artistic research.

How would you describe your research environment at MDU?

The research environment is still devoloping and expanding with a very curious and highly qualified group of researchers in place.

What is the driving force in your research?

I am really passionate about the development and future of opera.

How do you feel about becoming a Professor given that MDU has recently become an official University?

It’s really exciting and our institution is curious, hungry and highly motivated to be at the forefront of quality and development in opera and musical drama.

What's the best part about conducting research at MDU?

I would say it’s the intimacy, the close-knit teaching team and the highly motivated students at the School of Music and Opera at Mälardalen University!