Helga Görlin

Helga Görlin (September 26, 1900 – January 31, 1993) was a Swedish soprano and voice teacher. She performed as a resident leading soprano at the Royal Swedish Opera from 1926 to 1951, and later returned as a guest artist at that theatre for her final stage performance in 1954 as Cio-Cio San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. A frequent romantic stage partner of tenor Jussi Björling during the 1930s and 1940s, she notably portrayed the role of Minnie in the Swedish premiere of Puccini's La fanciulla del West in 1934 with Björling as Dick Johnson. She also created roles in the world premieres of operas by Kurt Atterberg, Natanael Berg, and Hilding Rosenberg during her career.

In addition to opera, Görlin also performed works from the soprano concert repertoire and was particularly known for her performances of the soprano solos in Handel's Messiah; a work she sang annually for many years at the Royal Theatre, Stockholm. She also was active as a recitalist and was an admired singer of lieder. In 1937 she portrayed the opera singer Jenny Lind in the film John Ericsson, Victor of Hampton Roads. She was the recipient of several awards during her career, including the Litteris et Artibus (1934) and the title of Hovsångare (1941). In 1977 she was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. After retiring from the stage in 1954 she taught voice at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.

Life and career Born in Nolby Stom, Eda parish, Värmland County, Sweden, Görlin was the daughter of Jan Peter Görlin and Karin Jonsdotter. The youngest of four children, her oldest sibling was 29 years old and already married at the time of her birth. Görlin was a frequent romantic lead opposite Björling at the RSO in the 1930s and 1940s; portraying role like Adina in L'elisir d'amore, Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, and the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida opposite the tenor. In 1937 she portrayed opera singer Jenny Lind in the film John Ericsson, Victor of Hampton Roads. Helga Görlin died January 31, 1993, aged 92, in Farsta, south of Stockholm.