SEAN BELL
Countertenor and Performance Artist
Sean Bell is a countertenor and performance artist from Oslo, Norway. He holds a Master’s degree in Early Music Voice from the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague (NL), where he studied with Catrin Wyn-Davies and Robin Blaze. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Performance and Music Pedagogics from the Norwegian Academy of Music.
Sean is currently pursuing a PhD in Artistic Research at the Norwegian Academy of Music. His project, Revive the Leaden Strings, is an exploration of 17th century British vocal music through a poetic, experimental and ‘haptic’ approach to Historically Informed Performance.
Sean performs contemporary and early music and investigates new methods of interpreting old repertoire. Through contemporary sonic imaginations he has made new arrangements of early works, including a synth-pop album of songs by John Dowland. Sean’s extensive work with contemporary music has seen him premiere and commission several works for countertenor.
Sean has worked with ensembles including Ny Norsk Messingkvintett, Oslo 14, Early Voices and The Norwegian Soloist Choir. In 2021 he made his debut at Høstutstillingen with his performance work ‘Stille Amare’. In November 2023 he made his solo debut at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet in the role Johan in the opera ‘Ingenting (Nothing)’ by David Bruce. In 2024-25 he toured his album ‘Dowland Downloaded’ across Europe. In 2026 he performs the title role of the chamber opera crypt_ by Yuri Umemoto with Oslo Sinfonietta.
Bell plays baroque guitar, is an active improviser, and works with instrument building and music electronics.
Selected concert and stage work
Upcoming
12th of September 2026 - Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. crypt_ by Yuri Umemoto, with Oslo Sinfonietta. Tickets and info.
Previous
May 2026 - In Bloom series at Korzo, den Haag. Meandering with the Wind, collaboration with composer Petra Cini.
May 2026 - Münchener Biennale Festival. crypt_ by Yuri Umemoto, with Oslo Sinfonietta.
April 2026 - Muziekgebouw Amsterdam. Violence and Purity with Nieuw Amsterdams Peil and Petra Cini.
April 2026 - EPARM conference on artistic research, at Norwegian Academy of Music. Lecture-performance presenting Lab project 1: Recording Nostalgia. More info.
Feb 2026 - Norwegian Academy of Music. The album Dowland Downloaded in concert marking the 400th burial day of John Dowland. Presented alongside vocal and guitar students from the academy. More info.
Sept-Oct 2025 - Tour with Dowland Downloaded in den Haag (The Grey Space in the Middle), Launceston Cornwall (Borderlands Festival), Ålesund (Høstscena Festival), Oslo (Hausmania) , Dublin (Kirkos), Cork (Maureen’s pub), Bergen (Bergen Kjøtt).
June 2025 - Meandering with the Wind, collaboration with composer Petra Cini. Presented at Paviljoen Ongehoorde Muziek, Eindhoven.
March 2025 - Chamber opera Nara by Tze Yeung Ho, premiere at Borealis festival in Bergen.
April-May 2024 - Tour of Dowland Downloaded in Dublin (Unit 44), Galway (Mechanics Institute), Birmingham (Centrala), den Haag (Slagroom), Utrecht (Gaudeamus Terrapolis) and Oslo (Black Box teater and Cafe Mir).
May 2024 - FICTION at Rom for dans in Oslo.
Nov 2023 - Norwegian Opera and Ballet debut in the role Johan in the opera Ingenting (Nothing) by David Bruce.
May-Sept 2023 - Minaminotori, stage performance for eight singers and tape loops, performed by NKK NXT 22/23. Teater Stefanus Wonderfeel, Gaudeamus, Tilburg. A Nederlands Kamerkoor and Rosa Ensemble co-production by Daniel Cross.
June 2023 - Tonehimmel contemporary music festival Volda, Norway. Works by Kristin Bolstad and Tze Yeung Ho, with Ny Norsk Messingkvintett.
Oct 2022 - Tilen Lebar: Vicinity of Solitude, Zavod Sploh production. Mono-operetta for countertenor, harp, percussion, saxophone and violin, premier in Koper, Slovenia. Performance at Studio Loos in den Haag.
April 2022 - St. John Passion, J. S. Bach. Altsoloist with Stokka Kantori. Stokka church, Stavanger.
Oct 2021 - Debut at Høstutstillingen with the performance work ‘Stille Amare’.
Education
2025–2029: PhD in artistic research, Norwegian Academy of Music
2020–2022: Master of Early Music Voice, The Royal Conservatoire, The Hague
2018–2019: Erasmus+ student, The Royal Conservatoire, The Hague
2015–2019: Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Norwegian Academy of Music
2014–2015: Musicology studies at University of Oslo.