Opera Europa, the European association of opera companies and festivals, applauds the Icelandic government’s wish to create a national opera company, as it recognises the talent and contribution of Iceland’s operatic scene to the art form.

We do however deplore the lack of consideration for the expertise of the current Icelandic Opera, under the management of Steinunn Ragnarsdóttir, which has built over the past 45 years an excellent international reputation for opera in Iceland, both on the artistic level with the creation of new work, the development of new talent and the establishment of international collaborations; and on the management level, including their innovative involvement in a sustainability project recognised by a Next Stage grant. 

The proposed short-term funding cuts are a strong threat to the company's survival and undermine the efforts made by Icelandic Opera while showcasing a lack of interest for continuity for the opera sector in Iceland.

We hereby encourage the Icelandic government to build on what Icelandic Opera has achieved and collaborate towards a strong national opera company, and urge them to continue to support them in the transition.