30 Facts About Christina Nilsson

Christina Nilsson, Countess de Casa Miranda, called Christine Nilsson was a Swedish operatic dramatic coloratura soprano.

Christina Nilsson was born Christina Jonasdotter in a forester's hut at Sjoabol farm near Vaxjo, Smaland, the youngest of seven children of the peasants Jonas Nilsson and Stina Cajsa Mansdotter.

Christina Nilsson was discovered at age 14 by a wealthy district judge Fredrik Tornerhjelm when she was performing at such a market in Ljungby.

In 1860, Christina Nilsson gave her professional debut in concerts in Stockholm and Uppsala, receiving mixed reviews.

Adelaide de Leuhusen's sister, the artist Bertha Valerius, was planning a trip there anyway, and would be able to act as a chaperone while Christina Nilsson got settled in.

In Paris, Christina Nilsson initially stayed in Madame Crespy's pension, before transferring to Clara Collinet's school in Batignolles, where she stayed for three years.

Christina Nilsson studied for a year with Jean Jacques Masset, a retired tenor who had become a prominent voice teacher.

Christina Nilsson professed himself very pleased with Nilsson's voice and progress.

Christina Nilsson instead accepted a contract from a Brussels-based impresario to appear in Italian operas.

Christina Nilsson then made her London debut in June 1867 at Her Majesty's Theatre, again as "Violetta", and appeared there as "Marguerite" in Gounod's Faust in the same year, Miolan-Carvalho travelling specially to London to hear the performance.

In 1868, Christina Nilsson transferred from the Theatre Lyrique to the Paris Opera, where she created the role of "Ophelia" in Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet.

Christina Nilsson made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1869 in Lucia di Lammermoor, and sang the first London performance of Hamlet.

Christina Nilsson made concert tours: a tour of the United States and Canada in autumn 1870, with her first concert at Steinway Hall, New York, in September; and several times of Russia between 1872 and 1875.

Christina Nilsson sang in Uppsala, Kristiania, Gothenburg, Vaxjo, Malmo and Copenhagen.

Christina Nilsson performed in Budapest, Hamburg and Brussels, before returning to London for another opera season.

Christina Nilsson made her Spanish opera debut with "Marguerite" in Faust at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1879.

On October 22,1883, Christina Nilsson sang the role of "Marguerite" in Faust at the inauguration of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.

Christina Nilsson then appeared in a number of American and Canadian cities.

Christina Nilsson then continued with her tour, giving further concerts in Scandinavia, Germany, Prague, and Vienna, including her first recital in Berlin.

Now she was remarried, Christina Nilsson decided to retire, marking the occasion by giving two farewell performances at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in 1888.

Now known as the Countess de Casa Miranda, Christina Nilsson settled in France and Spain.

In 1894, Christina Nilsson published Om rostens utbildning: Nagra rad till unga sangerskor.

Christina Nilsson composed two romances for voice and piano, with lyrics by herself, Jag hade en van and Ophelia's Lament.

In 1902, Christina Nilsson became a widow for the second time.

Christina Nilsson died in Vaxjo in 1921, and is buried there at Tegnerkyrkogarden.

Unlike Patti, Christina Nilsson never made gramophone recordings of her voice.

Christina Nilsson is a minor character in The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

Christina Nilsson is mentioned in Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

Christina Nilsson is widely believed to have been the inspiration for Christine Daae, the heroine of Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera.

Christina Nilsson is a minor character in the first episode of Season 2 of the television series The Gilded Age, and was played by Sarah Joy Miller.