Emilie Mechelin

Emilie Mechelin (8 April 1838 – 22 December 1917) was a Finnish operatic soprano and pedagogue. She was the first singing teacher of the Helsinki School of Music (later to become Sibelius Academy).

Early life and education Johanna Sofia Emilie Mechelin was born to an upper-class family in Hamina in the Grand Duchy of Finland, the eldest of five children of Valtioneuvos ('Councillor of State') Gustaf Johan Mechelin and Amanda Sagulin.

Mechelin trained in Paris in 1865–67 and 1869–70 under leading pedagogues of the time, including Pauline Viardot. She also performed at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Emmy Achté and Ida Basilier-Magelssen. which post she held until 1885, when she moved to Kristiania (now Oslo) and later to Stockholm to continue her teaching career.

In the latter part of her career, Mechelin gave up singing almost entirely, dedicating herself instead to giving private lessons. She occasionally performed at concerts until the age of 60, by which time her voice had changed to mezzo-soprano.