BIRGIT
NILSSON

"Nilsson [Svennsson], (Märta) Birgit (b. Västra Karups, Sweden, 17 May 1918). Soprano. Studied with Joseph Hislop at the Royal Academy of Music, Stockholm; made her debut in 1946 at the Royal Opera as Agathe (Der Freischütz), sang Electra (Idomeneo) at Glyndebourne (1951), and Brünnhilde in Munich (1954-55) in the complete Ring. Nilsson made her debut at Bayreuth as Elsa (Lohengrin) in 1959, and returned regularly until 1970, performing Isolde, Sieglinde, and Brünnhilde. In 1956 she made her American debut with the San Francisco Opera and in 1959 debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Isolde; other roles included Elisabeth (Tannhäuser), Beethoven's Leonore, Turandot, Strauss's Elektra and Salome. Widely regarded as the finest Wagnerian soprano of her time, she retired from the stage in 1984."

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