Stepping in at short notice for his colleague Carlos Moreno Pelizari, Martin Enger Holm joined the cast of the European premiere of Paul Moravec’s opera The Shining, based on Stephen King’s celebrated novel.

Set in the isolated Overlook Hotel, The Shining follows the Torrance family as isolation, fear and supernatural forces gradually lead to a desperate struggle for survival. Praised for its compelling score and psychological intensity, the production has become one of the highlights of the theatre’s contemporary repertoire.

Martin performs the role of Stuart Ullmann, the manager of the Overlook Hotel, a character whose professional welcome to the Torrance family contrasts with the growing sense of unease surrounding the hotel. Ullmann’s presence helps establish the atmosphere of the drama before the story unfolds into one of the most recognised psychological horror narratives in modern literature.

The opera was composed by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec, with a libretto by Mark Campbell. Premiered in 2016, The Shining has received international acclaim for successfully transforming Stephen King’s iconic novel into a powerful contemporary opera.

For Martin, this engagement was particularly significant as he stepped into the production with very limited preparation time. Successfully performing a demanding contemporary opera role on short notice demonstrates both artistic versatility and professional readiness. The performance also marked one of his first appearances at Staatstheater Regensburg following the beginning of his Festengagement with the theatre.

About the Opera

Paul Moravec’s The Shining is based on Stephen King’s internationally acclaimed novel of the same name. Rather than recreating the famous film adaptation, the opera returns to King’s original story, focusing on the psychological tension between the characters as the Overlook Hotel gradually reveals its disturbing influence over the Torrance family.

With its dramatic orchestration, emotionally complex characters and cinematic pacing, the opera has established itself as one of the most successful contemporary operatic adaptations of modern literature.

Stuart Ullmann

Stuart Ullmann is the manager of the Overlook Hotel and one of the first characters introduced in the story. Calm, courteous and professional, he welcomes Jack Torrance and his family before the hotel’s hidden darkness begins to emerge. Although Ullmann’s role is relatively brief, it plays an important part in establishing the atmosphere and credibility of the drama during its opening scenes.

About the Composer

American composer Paul Moravec is one of today’s leading contemporary composers. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, he has written orchestral works, chamber music, operas and vocal compositions that are regularly performed internationally.

His collaboration with librettist Mark Campbell on The Shining demonstrates how contemporary opera can successfully adapt modern literature while preserving the emotional depth and psychological complexity of the original work.

About Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the world’s best-selling authors, with more than 350 million books sold worldwide. The Shining, first published in 1977, remains one of his best-known novels and has inspired numerous adaptations for film, television and stage. Moravec’s opera presents a unique interpretation of King’s original novel through music and theatre.

Contemporary Opera

Alongside his performances in the classical repertoire, Martin Enger Holm has increasingly specialised in contemporary opera. Productions such as The Shining allow audiences to experience newly composed works while giving performers the opportunity to create interpretations of characters that have little or no established performance tradition.

Martin’s appearance as Stuart Ullmann reflects his continuing artistic development across both contemporary and traditional operatic repertoire, combining dramatic storytelling with the lyric tenor repertoire for which he is recognised.