Spotlight on Diversity

Anna Hersey

Scandinavian Song: A Guide to Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Repertoire and Diction

Scandinavian art songs are a unique expression of the cultures of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Although these three countries are distinct from one another, their languages and cultures share many similarities. Common themes found in art and literature include a love of nature, especially of the sea, feelings of longing and melancholy, the contrast between light and dark, the extremes of the northern climate, and lively folk traditions. These shared sensibilities are reflected and expressed in a tangible way through music. - Anna Hersey

Hailed by critics as a “force of nature,” soprano Anna Hersey has performed throughout the United States and Europe. A noted expert on Scandinavian vocal literature and diction, she was a Fulbright Scholar at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan (Royal College of Music) in Stockholm. Dr. Hersey also conducted research at Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium (Royal Danish Academy of Music) and Københavns Universitet (University of Copenhagen), thanks to a post-doctoral fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation.

Dr. Hersey’s articles have been published in Journal of Singing, VOICEPrints, and The Opera Journal. Her first book, Scandinavian Song: A Guide to Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Diction and Repertoire was released by Rowman & Littlefield in September 2016. She holds master’s degrees in performance and musicology from the University of Minnesota and earned a doctorate from the University of Miami. She is Assistant Professor of Voice at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.