Hanna Granfelt

Hanna Lilian Granfelt (2 June 1884 — 3 November 1952) was a Finnish operatic soprano and a leading singer of the early 20th century Finland, admired by the likes of Jean Sibelius and Richard Strauss.

[3] She went on to train more formally drama at the Finnish National Theatre school, and singing under the tutelage of Alexandra Ahnger, before moving to Paris to study under the voice pedagogue Edmond Duvernoy.

[7] Granfelt also worked extensively with Finland's most famous composers of the time, Jean Sibelius and Oskar Merikanto: the former is said to have admired her greatly, and the latter often personally accompanied her on the piano at her concerts.

[5] In 1912, Granfelt fell in love with the composer and conductor Robert Heumann, who nevertheless died two years later at in the early stages of World War I, triggering in her a period of depression.

[5] Granfelt was reputedly charming and very attractive, and courted by many big names of her day, especially as her career began to take off: it was even rumoured that the Finnish military leader and later President Mannerheim had in the 1920s considered proposing marriage to her.

[1][9] In 1944, in the aftermath of the Continuation War, Granfelt lost her home and summer house in Karelia and was evacuated to elsewhere in Finland, where, despite her earlier fame and success, she lived out her remaining days withdrawn, alone and largely forgotten.