Biography

Runi Biografie

Biography

The Faroese bass Rúni Brattaberg has gained worldwide recognition for his performances in the dramatic repertoire of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.

After studying at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, he furthered his training at the Zurich Opera Studio. Following initial engagements in Mainz, Ulm, Bern, Bonn, and Bremen, he joined the ensembles at the Nationaltheater Mannheim and the Oper Leipzig, where he debuted in roles such as Hagen, Fafner, Fasolt, Hunding, Gurnemanz, King Heinrich, Daland, Landgrave Hermann, Veit Pogner, and Baron Ochs.

In his international appearances, he has portrayed roles such as Sarastro, Osmin, Commendatore, Padre Guardiano, Il Grande Inquisitore, and Sparafucile, and has performed at venues such as the Opéra national de Paris, the Hamburg State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Opéra de Lausanne, among many others.

As Baron Ochs, Rúni Brattaberg appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in New York under the direction of Edward Gardner and at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle. He received special recognition from press and audience for his moving portrayal of Sir Morosus in Richard Strauss’ “Die schweigsame Frau” at the Palace of Arts in Budapest. Additionally, he appeared at the Met in the HD broadcast of “Parsifal,” where he performed the role of Titurel.

A major focus of his work is the bass roles in Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” With his deep bass voice and imposing presence, he uniquely embodies dark characters such as Fafner, Fasolt, Hunding, and Hagen. He has participated in Ring productions in Kassel, Leipzig, and Mannheim, sang the role of Hagen at Müpa in Budapest in 2016, and appeared as Hunding in “Die Walküre” at Teatro San Carlo in Naples in 2019. In 2022, Rúni Brattaberg once again impressed as Fafner in “Das Rheingold” and “Siegfried,” as well as Hagen in “Götterdämmerung” in the Ring Cycle production by the Dresden Philharmonic under the baton of Marek Janowski.

Rúni Brattaberg’s deep connection to the works of Richard Wagner is also evident in his portrayal of complex characters such as Gurnemanz and King Marke. For his interpretations of these roles at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, the Oper Leipzig, and with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, he has received great recognition and appreciation from both the audience and the press.

The strongest Viking in the world

World Premiere of Gavin Bryars' Opera

The opera From Egil’s Saga, which tells the story of the strongest Viking in the world, was composed specifically for Rúni Brattaberg by the British composer Gavin Bryars in 2004. It had its world premiere in London. For the premiere, the composer and the singer recorded Brattaberg’s voice in caves on the Faroe Islands, which were mixed into the performances using live electronics.