Ovllá is composed to an original story and libretto by Juho-Sire/Siri Broch Johansen is the first full length opera ever to be written in Northern Sami language. The opera includes original joiks composed by Emil Karlsen, which are an integral part of the musical composition to honor their heritage and integrate their voices into a shared musical expression. This is the recording of the live performance recorded on the 5th of February, performed by the commissioner Oulu City Theatre in collaboration with Oulu Sinfonia conducted by Rumon Gamba. More info and tickets can be found here. Listen online 6.2-6.6.2026 here.

If you listen live on the radio on the 7th of February at 7PM (Central European Time 6 PM, United Kingdom & Ireland 5 PM), you can download the free app SubtitleMobile for reading subtitles in English, Finnish, or three Sámi languages with the code OVLA.