Lilly Walleni

Thanks to her powerful voice and her dramatic temperament, she is remembered in particular for the Wagner roles she performed in Germany's principal opera houses as well as in Stockholm.

[1][2][3] Born on 11 August 1875 in Malmö, Sanna Klara Vallentin spent 16 years in the United States while still young, studying at the Music College of Boston.

On returning to Sweden in 1902, she was engaged at Albert Ranft's operetta centre in Stockholm until 1905, after which she was with the Royal Swedish Opera until 1908.

These included Elsa in Lohengrin, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, Kundry in Parsifal and Sieglinde and Brünnhilde in Die Walküre.

On 12 December 1913, she had already been awarded a Second Class Schaumburg-Lippe medal for Culture and Science and had been given the title Princely Lippe Opera Singer (Fürstlich Lippische Opernsängerin).

Walleni in the opera Daria at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1907
Walleni in the role of Anita in the opera La Navarraise at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1906