The opera had been originally commissioned for the opening season of the new Helsinki Opera House in 1993/94, but the complex structure of the work with 22 separate scenes, each with its own lighting and other technical requirements, led to a postponement of the premiere. However, it was recorded in 1992 at Finlandia Hall conducted by Ulf Söderblom and released on the Ondine label later that year.Det sjungande trädet, recording 1992, Bergman was awarded the 1994 Nordic Council Music Prize for Det sjungande trädet,Beyer, Anders (1994). "In Search of Silence: A Meeting with Finnish Composer Erik Bergman" . Nordic Sounds, Vol 13, pp. 14–17. Online version retrieved 17 February 2015. and it received its first staged performance on 3 September 1995 at the Helsinki Opera House as part of the Helsinki Festival, again conducted by Söderblom.White, John David; Christensen, Jean (2002). New Music of the Nordic Countries, p. 160. Pendragon Press It was performed again in 1999 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in a touring production by the Finnish National Opera.Hanssen, Frederik (11 October 1999). "Die Finnische Nationaloper zeigt in der Deutschen Oper Berlin 'Der singende Baum'". Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 26 March 2015 .
