Kjerstin Dellert (4 November 1925 – 5 March 2018) was a Swedish opera singer and theater manager.[1]
Kjerstin Dellert | |
|---|---|
 Kjerstin Dellert in June 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 4 November 1925 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 5 March 2018 (aged 92) |
| Genres | Opera |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1948–2015 |
Life
editEarly life
editBorn in Stockholm, Dellert made her opera debut at Stora teatern (the old Gothenburg Opera stage) in Gothenburg in the 1950s.[2]
Vocalist career
editHer career as a vocalist had begun when she won an Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts contest in 1948 with Someone to Watch Over Me.[3][4]
From the mid-1950s to the 1970s she worked primarily at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in a variety of opera roles, including Floria in Puccini's Tosca and Harry Martinson/Erik Lindegren/Karl-Birger Blomdahl's opera Aniara in 1959.[5]
Dellert was also the initiator and producer of a few gala shows for particular celebrations, such as the show financed by Sweden's Parliament and given in 1976 at the Stockholm Opera for the wedding of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia (where ABBA first performed Dancing Queen and she performed O, min Carl Gustaf)[6] and a review at Södra teatern for her own 50th birthday in 1975.[7] At the latter, she summarized with a Swedish version of My Way, describing her own life till then with lyrics by Lars Jacob; the words were updated by him so that Dellert could use it for her last recording in 2015 for her 90th birthday, produced by Emil Eikner.[8]
She dubbed the singing voice of Eva Dahlbeck for the role of Helena in the film Sköna Helena (1951).[9] She participated in Melodifestivalen 1972 with "Kärlek behöver inga ord", finishing fourth.[2]
Other activities
edit
Dellert was the managing director of the Ulriksdal Palace Theatre Confidencen.[1] Since the mid-1990s she has been retired from the stage, officially retired from the Swedish Royal Opera since 1979, but briefly in 2005 made a critically acclaimed appearance as Maria Callas in the play Master Class by Terrence McNally at Confidencen and Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg.[10]
Personal life
editIn her first marriage Dellert was the mother of artist and entertainment personality Thomas Dellert, her only child.[9]
Awards
editDellert was awarded the Illis quorum by the Swedish government in 1994.[11]
Illness and death
editOn Christmas Eve 2016 Dellert suffered a stroke.[12] She died at home on 5 March 2018, aged 92, in the presence of Nils-Åke Häggbom, her husband since 1968.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Kjerstin Dellert: "Det är vidrigt att fylla 90"". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Kjerstin Dellert fyller 80 år den 4 november". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "BILDSPECIAL: Följ med hem till Kjerstin Dellert". 13 September 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Kjerstin Dellert i förtroende ISBN 91-0-057326-4 pg. 84
- ^ ""Aniara" – opera för orostider – DN.SE". 8 January 2001. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Dagens Nyheter, 19 June 1976.
- ^ Expressen (5 November 1975) & Hänt i Veckan (13 November 1975).
- ^ Catarina Ericson-Roos I väntan på räven; Kjerstin Dellert på livets scener ISBN 9789189063839 pp. 222 "Den 4 november 1975 fyllde Kjerstin Dellet femtio år och hon firade som det anstod en primadonna. ... För detta tillfälle hade vännen och skribenten Lars Jacob skrivit texten: [lyrics]" & 329 "Trehundra personer uppvaktade på Confidencen. ... Hennes sång förevigades på YouTube med hjälp av vännen och kabaréproducenten Emil Eikner. ...Lars Jacob hade gjort en lätt uppdatering av texten"
- ^ a b c Pettersson, Leo. "Kjerstin Dellert har dött". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
- ^ Article in Göteborgs-Posten, 23 November 2005.
- ^ "Regeringens belöningsmedaljer och regeringens utmärkelse: Professors namn". Regeringskansliet (in Swedish). January 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Kjerstin Dellert drabbad av stroke". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
Further reading
edit- Kutsch, K. J and Riemens, Leo (eds.), "Dellert, Kjerstin", Unvergängliche Stimmen, Francke, 1975, p 162. ISBN 3-7720-1145-4
- PhotoIcon, "60 Second Exposure: Kjerstin Dellert"
- Sveriges Television, "En av de stora sopranerna", 20 November 2009
Further reading
editExternal links
edit