Marita Sølberg

«Sølberg's character portrayal is one of the most accomplished I have ever heard and seen on a Norwegian opera stage.» This was written by Magnus Andersson in Klassekampen when Marita Sølberg made her debut as Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly in the spring of 2024.

In recent years, she has, among other things, performed the title role in Suor Angelica in a concert version on the Main Stage, and Arabella in Arabella's Waltz, also in a concert version. About the latter, Aksel Dalmo Tollåli wrote in Aftenposten: «Nevertheless, it is Marita Sølberg's Arabella that is the evening's great highlight. Her voice suits Strauss' music exceptionally well, with great richness.»

She has also sung the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and Micaëla in Carmen. In the spring of 2023, she sang Floria in Tosca and also received glowing reviews for her interpretation of Amelia Anckarström in Un Ballo in Maschera: Eystein Sandvik from NRK said: «Marita Sølberg delivers a formidable performance as the deeply troubled Amelia.»

A former winner of the Queen Sonja International Music Competition, Sølberg worked with the Opera in Stuttgart for two years before becoming a soloist with the Norwegian National Opera in 2008. Sølberg has starred in roles like Pamina in The Magic Flute, Giulietta in a concert production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Kathrine Sigismund in The Fourth Watch of the Night, Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, Nedda in Pagliacci and Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann.

She has done the role as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, which she also has performed at La Fenice in Venice. She has also sung at major opera festivals in Salzburg and Glyndebourne, and has toured in many countries as Solveig in Peer Gynt,  also in Jüri Reinvere's Peer Gynt here in Oslo.

«Norwegian soprano Marita Sølberg is an unforgettable Mimì of the highest international standard.» This was how Opera Now's critic described her debut in the role in Stefan Herheim's La Bohème, for which she also received the Critics' Award. In spring 2014 she made her debut in the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and returned to the stage as Mimì in La Bohème. 

In December 2016, she made her debut at the Royal Opera House, as Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann. Later on she sang Mimì in La bohème at the Wien Staatsoper, Pamina in The Magic Flute at the Los Angeles Opera, and Micaëla in Carmen in Geneva. 

In March 2016, she released her first solo CD, Opera Arias, which made the critics bring out the superlatives. She sang the title role in Anne Pedersdotter, and performed the role of the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier both in Bjørvika and at the Semperoper Dresden. In autumn 2019, she sang Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro here in Oslo, a role she was also to repeat at the Deutsche Oper Berlin the following year, but which was canceled due to the pandemic.