Soprano Victoria Randem is the winner of The Norwegian Soloist Prize 2025.
The prize consists of NOK 100,000 and two major concerts: one with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra on January 15, 2026, and another during the Bergen International Festival 2026.
At the concert with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Randem will perform Maurice Ravel’s song cycle Shéhérazade. The program will also include several works arranged and orchestrated by Ravel, among them Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Frédéric Chopin’s Grande valse brillante, and Claude Debussy’s Sarabande and Tarantelle styrienne.
“In the 20th year of the Soloist Prize, it is a great pleasure to announce Victoria as the winner of The Norwegian Soloist Prize. She is a brilliant example of the incredibly high level of Norwegian singers today,”
says board chair Peter Herresthal.
About the Prize Winner, Victoria Randem
Victoria was educated at the Norwegian Academy of Opera in Oslo, studying under Solveig Kringlebotn. She previously studied at the Barratt Due Institute of Music. Her talent led her to join the prestigious studio program at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, where she has performed several major roles on the main stage, including Pamina in The Magic Flute, Marzelline in Fidelio, and Alida in Sleepless.
In 2021, she sang the female lead role in the world premiere of Peter Eötvös’s opera Sleepless. Victoria has also performed on several other prestigious stages, such as Glyndebourne, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Volksoper Vienna, and Tiroler Festspiele.
Her upcoming engagements include debuts in three Wagner roles at the Bayreuth Festival in both 2025 and 2026, as well as a performance engagement at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile.
As a student at the Norwegian Academy of Opera, she performed the role of Grete in Hansel and Gretel at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, later achieving great success there as Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro. Victoria appeared with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra at their summer concert in 2024, where she performed selected songs by Edvard Grieg.
In 2025, Victoria Randem won the Hedda Award for Best Performance in Musical Theatre. She has previously won the Special Gold Medal Prize with Top Distinction in the “Virtuoso” category at the Manhattan International Competition.
About The Norwegian Soloist Prize
The Norwegian Soloist Prize is a Norwegian music award established in 2005, based on a donation from businessman Bernt J. Fossum. The purpose of the prize is to “support young musicians and help Norwegian concert organizers and orchestras become familiar with young Norwegian soloist talents.”
In even-numbered years, the prize is awarded to the winner of NRK’s “Virtuos” competition for performers under 20 years old. In odd-numbered years, the winner is selected from nominated performers under 30 years old. Norwegian orchestras and educational institutions can nominate candidates.
The board of the Norwegian Soloist Prize consists of Chair Peter Herresthal, Festival Director Lars Petter Hagen, Rolf Lennart Stensø from NRK, Bernt Bauge from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Anna Florén, Program Director at Voksenåsen, who serves as the board’s secretary.
The jury for 2025 included trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth, soprano Mari Eriksmoen, Program Director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Oddmund Økland, and the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor Sir Mark Elder.
The Norwegian Soloist Prize is a foundation, and since 2022 has been administered by Voksenåsen Music Academies.
Previous winners of the Norwegian Soloist Prize include Vilde Frang, Tine Thing Helseth, Alma Kraggerud, Guro Kleven Hagen, Eirik Grøtvedt, and Amalie Stalheim.
For more information contact:
Chair Peter Herresthal. pherresthal@me.com / 410 25 871
anna@voksenaasen.no / 416 95 189
Head of Communication Henning Målsnes henning@harmonien.no / 91598392