Elisabeth Söderström

Anna Elisabeth Söderström CBE (married name Olow; 7 May 1927 – 20 November 2009) was a Swedish soprano who performed both opera and song, and was known as a leading interpreter of the works of Janáček, Rachmaninoff and Sibelius.

[1] She was particularly well known for her recordings of the lead soprano roles in the three Janáček operas Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, and The Makropoulos Affair, all of which received Gramophone Awards.

[2] The Gramophone critic John Warrack described her portrayal of Káťa Kabanová as "establishing by an infinity of subtle touches and discreet, sensitive singing the picture of Káta as the richest and most human character in the drama".

During her long career, Söderström made a name for herself as a technically perfect and at the same time warm soprano with a personal style which allowed her to sing in a wide variety of works ranging from the 17th century to contemporary.

[4] In 1983, she sang the final trio from Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier with Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade at The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala conducted by James Levine.