Mathilda Grabow (23 May 1852 – 29 May 1940), was a Swedish

opera singer Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a lib ...

(

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

). She was a court singer (

Hovsångare The titles hovsångare (, literally "Court Singer") for men and hovsångerska () for women are awarded by the Swedish monarch to a singer (usually an opera singer) who, by their vocal art, has contributed to the international standing of Swedish s ...

) (1886) and a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in ...

(1895) and was given

Litteris et Artibus Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature. The ob ...

(1895). She was a student of Fredrika Stenhammar and Viardot and active at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

in 1870–71 and 1877–86, and at the Opera

Palais Garnier The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1872–76. She was described as a very versatile artist and considered one of the greatest stars within Swedish opera in the late 19th century. She retired in 1886 and was thereafter only active as a concert singer, except in 1891, when she performed in the last performance in the old building of the Stockholm opera, before the Royal Swedish Opera was moved to a new building. She married the captain

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

C. E. Taube in 1886.

References

* Gustaf Hilleström: ''Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien, Matrikel 1771-1971''
Europas konstnärer
* ''Sohlmans musiklexikon'' (''The Sohlman Music Dictionary'') 1852 births 1940 deaths 19th-century Swedish women opera singers Swedish countesses Litteris et Artibus recipients Swedish operatic sopranos {{Sweden-opera-singer-stub