Set Svanholm

Set Svanholm (2 September 1904 – 4 October 1964) was a Swedish operatic tenor, considered the leading Tristan and Siegfried of the first decade following World War II.

[1] Svanholm began his musical career at the age of 17 as a precentor, elementary school teacher, and organist.

He then studied at the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm as well as taking singing lessons from the famous baritone John Forsell, who also taught Aksel Schiøtz and Jussi Björling.

[2] He made his operatic debut as a baritone (Stockholm, 1930), singing the role of Silvio in Pagliacci.

His first Wagnerian tenor roles (Lohengrin and Siegfried) followed in 1937, along with Lemminkäinen in the premiere of Lars-Erik Larsson's The Princess of Cyprus the same year.