”As opera artists we need to ask ourselves how and why we need to relate to a tradition. When we created ‘TOSCA or The Fascist” it felt as if we kidnapped the opera, there was a sort of Stockholm syndrome between us and the piece. A deconstructed but loyal approach, where we rediscovered the work itself. Our hope is that performing arts can have an influence on society. The artists and the audience meet in a concentrated room where the artwork is created in real time, and we are affected together. For this purpose the piece is the springboard. The dramatic language is music and the musical language is theatre. My goal is always to get all the artists desires and their passion to breathe with the music, the dramatic expression, and with each other. Then we’ve created the art machine that really can conquer our minds.”

Håkan Starkenberg has been professionally active as a singer since his debut at the Gothenburg Opera 1995. He has always had a passion for the theatrical expression, both the analytical and practical work.
In 2012 he got his breakthrough as a director with the highly acclaimed avant-garde production of “TOSCA or The Fascist” in the Reactor Hall, Stockholm. Since then he has directed several notable and experimental productions, such as Handel’s oratorio Susanna with singers like Emma Kirkby and Yaniv d’Or, an intimate ”close up” production of Maria Stuarda, and the big production of new written piece ”Malmens väg”, a co-production between Tornedalsteatern and Norrbottensteatern in the very north of Sweden. He has also directed the youth musical drama ”Den du är” at Scenkonst Sörmland and at the moment he is doing a new children’s production for Region Stockholm that will go on tour during 2024.

In his productions he has a creative collaboration with light- set- and costume designers Markus Granqvist, Marcus Olson and Elias Kahn.