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Marie "Maja" Flagstad (née Johnsrud) (15 November 1871 – 18 January 1958) was a Norwegian
pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, j ...
, choral conductor, and
répétiteur A (from the French verb meaning 'to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse') is an accompanist, tutor or coach of ballet dancers or opera singers. A feminine form, , also appears but is comparatively rare. Opera In opera, a is the person ...
.Randel, Don Michael. 1996. ''The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music''. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, p. 272.


Life

Born Marie Johnsrud, she was from the Johnsrud farm in the village of Eidsvoll Verk. She was the sister of the organist Hans Nielsen Johnsrud (1864–1948). She married the musician
Michael Flagstad Michael Flagstad (4 February 1869 – 1 December 1930) was a Norwegian musician and conductor from Hamar. Biography Flagstad studied violin with Gudbrand Bøhn, and he was the conductor at the Central TheaterVogt, Howard. 1987. ''Flagstad: Sing ...
(1869–1930) and was the mother of
Kirsten Flagstad Kirsten Malfrid Flagstad (12 July 1895 – 7 December 1962) was a Norwegian opera singer, who was the outstanding Wagnerian soprano of her era. Her triumphant debut in New York on 2 February 1935 is one of the legends of opera. Giulio Gatti-Casa ...
(1895–1962), whom she taught voice and later accompanied on recordings. Her other children were also musicians: the conductor Ole Flagstad, pianist Lasse Flagstad, and singer Karen-Marie Flagstad. The family lived in
Vinderen Vinderen is a neighbourhood in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. It was a separate borough until 1 January 2004, when it was incorporated into the newly established borough of Vestre Aker. Its amenities include Vinderen station. The prosp ...
in Christiania (now Oslo). Already at a very young age, Maja Flagstad was active in the capital's music scene, first at the Christiania Theater in 1891, and later at the Central Theater, where her husband conducted. At the opening of the cabaret theater Chat Noir, she accompanied
Bokken Lasson Caroline "Bokken" Lasson (7 January 1871 – 3 August 1970) was a Norwegian concert and cabaret singer. She is known for starting the Oslo cabaret Chat Noir in 1912, and also for introducing the children's song "Tuppen og Lillemor" to the N ...
singing "Tuppen og Lillemor" (the Norwegian version of "I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard") on March 1, 1912. The Flagstad family was central in the short-lived Opera Comique (1918–1921), where Kirsten also sang.Varnay, Astrid. 2000. ''Fifty-Five Years in Five Acts: My Life in Opera''. Boston: Northeastern University Press, pp. 43–44. Later the family performed at the
Mayol Theater Mayol may refer to: Buildings * Stade Mayol, a multi-use stadium in Toulon, France People * Alberto Mayol (born 1976), Chilean sociologist, political analyst, and politician * Félix Mayol (1872-1941), French singer and entertainer * Guillem Bauz� ...
(in 1921) and Casino (1924–1927). Maja Flagstad was the first conductor of the
Oslo Philharmonic Choir Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of i ...
(in 1922). She was a guest conductor at the National Theater in Bergen and was credited with discovering the performing artist and bass singer
Bjarne Bø Bjarne Bø (April 3, 1907 – August 9, 1998) was a Norwegian actor. Bø was born in Skjeberg in the municipality of Sarpsborg in Østfold county, Norway. He debuted in 1939 in the role of Sjur in the play '' Hu Dagmar'' by Ove Ansteinsson (1 ...
during a performance at
Bergen Cathedral Bergen Cathedral ( no, Bergen domkirke) is a cathedral in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Bjørgvin as well as the seat of the "Bergen domkirke" parish and the seat of the Bergen domprosti ...
in 1929. She worked extensively as a répétiteur, accompanying well-known artists such as
Hauk Aabel Hauk Erlendssøn Aabel (21 April 1869 – 12 December 1961) was a popular Norwegian comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent film. Career Aabel made his début on stage on 11 October 1897 at the Christiania Theatre in Oslo, and was ...
and
Erik Ole Bye Erik Ole Bye (20 March 1883 – 17 May 1953) was a Norwegian operatic baritone. He studied singing with Morgenstierne in Oslo, zur Muhlen in London and R. Willani in Paris. He also competed at the Olympics as a rower. Biography He competed in t ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flagstad, Maja Norwegian women pianists Norwegian conductors (music) Musicians from Eidsvoll 1872 births 1958 deaths Women classical pianists