Elisabeth Dons

On the recommendation of a family friend, her parents enrolled her in the Royal Music Conservatory where she studied under two of the best singers of the times, Leocadie Gerlach and Sophie Keller.

[2] When only 21, she made her début in the demanding role of Azucena in Il trovatore, immediately gaining acclaim in the newspapers for the ease with which she moved from one register to another.

With her slim, southern-looking figure, her aristocratic looks, her volcanic temperament and her masterly delivery, she excelled as an Egyptian princess, inspiring J. F. Willumsen to create a sculpture of her in this role for the theatre's foyer.

In 1888 at the age of 24, she was given the title of Kongelige Kammersangere (royal chamber singer), putting her on a par with earlier stars such as Betty Hennings (1850–1939).

[2][1] As she grew older, she experienced difficulty in reaching the high soprano notes, preferring to return to contralto roles such as the Witch of Endor in Carl Nielsen's Saul og David.