Two of the greatest dramatic sopranos of the twentieth century were born in Sweden a century ago, within a few weeks of each other. The first to arrive was Astrid Varnay, on April 25, 1918; after her, ...

When Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005) died at age 87, she was widely hailed as the greatest Wagnerian soprano of her time. The daughter of a Swedish farmer, Nilsson became for many the supreme Brünnhilde in ...

Birgit Nilsson, the dominant Wagnerian soprano of the post-World War II period, whose unforced, voluminous sound, superhuman stamina and steely vocal brilliance thrilled audiences as she took on the ...

STOCKHOLM — “Today’s stage is a music celebration that honors both the legacy of Birgit Nilsson and this year’s laureate, France’s Aix-en-Provence Festival,” said Susanne Rydén, head of the Birgit ...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- She was a celebrated star on the stages of the world's greatest opera houses. But a diva, Birgit Nilsson was not. "The thing that was remarkably wonderful about her was that she ...