In Trondheim, population 200,000, the world’s northernmost Gothic cathedral hosts the Barokkfest Early Music Festival every January. New for 2026: ‘Spartaco’, an opera created in 1726 in Vienna by Neapolitan composer Giuseppe Porcile. The cast includes Sophie Junker, Luigi Morassi and Josè Maria Lo Monaco, conducted by festival director and musical director Martin Wåhlberg. 
By José Pons
When Trondheim’s Barokkfest Early Music Festival was founded in 2013 by Martin Wåhlberg and his friends, the venture may have seemed somewhat audacious. Even though the city of Trondheim can boast a rich musical past, Baroque music then occupied only a marginal place in the interests of audiences attending classical concerts. Having founded his Baroque orchestra, Orkester Nord, Martin Wåhlberg has patiently forged his path, gradually diversifying programmes and offering audiences works that are often forgotten, connected to the various countries in which Baroque music flourished.
Trondheim, a northern city with a warm and generous heart
The city of Trondheim was once the capital of Norway and today remains the country’s third-largest city after Oslo and Bergen, with around 200,000 inhabitants. It is located in the centre-west of the country, on the edge of a major fjord, at the mouth of the River Nidelva. Although Trondheim is subject to an oceanic influence, winter temperatures can drop as low as –20°C, as they did during my stay. Snow is, of course, abundant and lends a soothing atmosphere to the city and its surroundings. The famous coastal express Hurtigruten calls at the port of Trondheim, and the city also has an international airport.
While high-quality contemporary architecture features prominently in the city, Trondheim has preserved, along the banks of the Nidelva, its superb and charmingly typical colourful houses. The old town is dominated by the spectacular Nidaros Cathedral, a major monument of Gothic architecture in Norway and an important place of pilgrimage. This cathedral, the northernmost in Europe, still serves as the setting for the coronation of the King of Norway—Harald V since 1991—and its museum houses the crown jewels as well as the coronation garments.
Passionate about early music and want to read this subscriber-only article?
If you are not a subscriber, join the international Total Baroque community. Subscribe here from 5.00€.
I subscribe
If you are already a subscriber, sign in.
I sign in 
You must be logged in to be able to post comments.
Sign in