Kirsten Flagstad

Kirsten Marie Flagstad was born on July 12, 1895, in Hamar into an accomplished musical family. After two decades singing operetta and lyric soprano roles across Scandinavia, she made her sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on February 2, 1935, as Sieglinde in Wagner's Die Walküre.

Broadcast live across America, her debut sparked instant worldwide stardom. Flagstad's voice possessed unprecedented amplitude, warm golden purity, and effortless power across the dynamic range, making her the definitive interpreter of Wagner's Isolde, Brünnhilde, and Kundry. From 1958 to 1960, she served as the founding director of the Norwegian National Opera, mentoring a new generation of Nordic singers.