Jussi Björling

Swedish opera and concert singer (tenor), born 5 February 1911 in Borlänge, died 9 September 1960 on Siarö in the Stockholm archipelago. He was appointed court singer in 1944, was awarded Litteris et Artibus in 1945 and was elected a member 675 of the Royal Academy of Music in 1956. The first time Björling appeared in an opera role was on July 21, 1930 at the Royal Theater in Stockholm in the role of the lantern lighter in Puccini's Manon Lescaut. His debut in a lead role took place a month later, in the role of Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Juan. Björling was employed at the Opera in 1931 and remained there until 1938, an expansive period with about 40 new major roles, mainly in the French and Italian repertoire. Björling's breakthrough came when he performed at Tivoli in Copenhagen in 1931 and a unanimous body of critics praised his song. His international career took off only in 1935 in Europe and in 1937 in the United States. Björling broke through internationally in Vienna in 1936 as Rodolphe in Bohème, Manrico in Troubadour and Radamès in Aida. The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden in London, the opera in Vienna, Chicago and San Francisco - everywhere he was successful. His parade roles were, for example, in Rigoletto, Tosca, Aida, Bohème and Faust. With the interruption of the war, the Metropolitan in New York from 1938 until his death was Björling's main scene. During the same period, Björling guest-starred 128 times at the Stockholm Opera. He also sang in a bit more hit songs under the pseudonym Erik Odde. Married to Anna-Lisa Björling from 1935, until his death in 1960