Elsa Stenhammar

Swedish choirmaster, conductor and music teacher, born on May 23, 1866 in Hovförsamlingen, Stockholms stad and died on February 18, 1960 in Sankt Göran, Stockholms stad, Uppland. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] was a singer, an organist, and a music teacher. She also became Sweden’s first significant female choir director. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] spent her earliest years in Stockholm. She was born into two of Sweden’s greatest musical families, the Andrée and the Stenhammar families. Both of her parents were opera singers. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] and her twin brother Sigfrid initially received musical training from their maternal grandfather, [b]Andreas Andrée[/b]. Her childhood was informed by her parents’ extensive network of contacts which comprised musicians and cultural celebrities. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] moved to Gothenburg when her mother, [b]Fredrika Stenhammar[/b], died in 1880. Her maternal aunt, [a4109542] took on the responsibility for [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b]’s musical instruction in Gothenburg. In 1885 [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] sat her organist exams at 'Kungliga Musikkonservatoriet', which was its official Swedish name between 1866 and 1940. After 1994, it's named [l419723]. However, her real desire was to become an actress and the following year she attended three terms of theatrical voice coaching lessons at 'Kungliga Musikkonservatoriet'. Her debut performance was at [l994409] in Stockholm and, from 1888 to 1891, she subsequently worked as an alto at [l732151] in Gothenburg. In 1891 she sat her cantor exam at 'Kungliga Musikkonservatoriet'. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] lived in the same building in Gothenburg as her maternal aunt, [a4109542], and they both moved within largely the same professional circles. During the 1890s [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] increasingly engaged in teaching music, giving lessons on the piano, the organ, in theory, in singing, and in recitation. She performed in concerts put on by 'Harmoniska Sällskapet' (the Harmonic Society) in Gothenburg and from 1895 onwards she also began to appear in public concerts organised by 'Göteborgs Arbetareinstitut' (Gothenburg Workers’ Institute), led by [b]Karl Walentin[/b]. [a4109542] took over the running of the public concerts in 1897 and – up to her aunt’s death in 1929 – she and [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] jointly organised approximately 600 concerts. At that point [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] took on the sole responsibility for running the enterprise until 1936. These concerts were intended for the working classes and should be viewed in the context of the educational ideals of the time: the point was to give everyone access to classical music. The ticket prices were heavily subsidized and the programme on offer spanned the music of [a375279], through the Vienna classics and Romantic composers, to brand new Nordic music. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b]’s roles at the concerts also included providing accompaniment to soloists and directing the choir. There were several different singing ensembles associated with these public concerts. One of them was 'Folkvisekören' (the Folk Song Choir), comprising around 10–15 singers. Apart from their numerous appearances in Gothenburg. 'Folkvisekören' (the Folk Song Choir) also toured throughout the country. They performed folk music from different areas whilst wearing local costume and accompanied by traditional instruments. 'The [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] choir' began as a ladies’ choir but then expanded to incorporate a mixed-sex choir which gradually gained more exposure at the public concerts. The choir worked with 'Göteborgs orkesterförenings orkester' (Gothenburg Orchestra Association's Orchestra, now renamed to [a1015406]), at that time led by [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b]’s cousin [a1136139]. As a result of this collaboration [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] was tasked, in 1916, with setting up [url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/833175-Gothenburg-Symphony-Chorus?anv=G%C3%B6teborgs%20Konserthusk%C3%B6r&filter_anv=1]Göteborgs konserthuskör[/url] and an associated choir school. The [url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/833175-Gothenburg-Symphony-Chorus?anv=G%C3%B6teborgs%20Konserthusk%C3%B6r&filter_anv=1]Göteborgs konserthuskör[/url] gave its first performance in 1917. During the 1920s it came to be viewed as one of the best choirs in Sweden. From 1905 to 1929 [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] served as cantor in [l1432203], whilst [a4109542] was the organist. Together they were jointly responsible for [l1432203]'s choirs and the concerts. Elsa Stenhammar resigned from the post of cantor in 1929 following the death of [a4109542]. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] resigned from her position in charge of the [url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/833175-Gothenburg-Symphony-Chorus?anv=G%C3%B6teborgs%20Konserthusk%C3%B6r&filter_anv=1]'Göteborgs konserthuskör'[/url] in 1935 due to personal difficulties with the current conductor of [a1015406], [a4433963]. She moved to Stockholm in 1936. In 1924 [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] was awarded the Litteris et Artibus medal by the Swedish King [a2364512]. In 1930 she was elected into [l318187], as member 596. From the 1920s onwards [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] was actively involved in 'Kvinnliga medborgarskolan vid Fogelstad' (Fogelstad Citizen School for Women), an enterprise which she expanded during the years following her departure from Gothenburg. She led [a6845452], lectured on composers, and also gave elocution lessons from 1935 until the school was closed down in 1954. The visual artist [a3977581] – who attended the school from 1943 – has portrayed the school choir during [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b]’s period. Her portrait captures [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b]’s well-known ability to transfer musical expression and energy to the songs. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] was a highly esteemed, versatile, and knowledgeable individual. Her 85th birthday was marked by a gathering in her honour at which former students and colleagues, including [b]Honorine Hermelin[/b], celebrated her achievements and her ability to enthuse people in their surroundings. [b]Elsa Stenhammar[/b] died in 1960. She is buried at the Norra cemeteray in Solna.