Elma Ström
Elma Charlotta Ström (3 April 1822, Bro – 14 July 1889, Stockholm), was a Swedish opera singer. Life. Elma Ström was born in Bro in Uppland, the daughter of a farmer, and was raised in the home of a relative, the parish vicar Ekström on Mörkö. Ekström socialized with the local aristocracy and Elma Ström entertained his guests with singing. She attracted attention for her ability as a singer, and it was suggested that she perform for an expert. In 1836, she was accepted as a student in the operatic class of the "Dramatens elevskola" after demonstrating her ability  to Isak Albert Berg. She was lodged in the pension of Kristina Fundin, mother of Wilhelmina Fundin, and friend of her fellow student Jenny Lind. One day Elma Ström and Jenny Lind left the Fundins', from which the students were normally not allowed to leave without permission, to travel around the city in a carriage. Career. Elma Ström made her debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1841, was contracted in 1843, and engaged at the Royal Opera in from 1843 to 1851. Among her best-known parts were that of Agathe in "Friskytten". She was described as a beautiful  singer with a great soprano, but her career was short and given as an example of a great talent destroyed by too high expectations. Because she was regarded as the perhaps most promising talent after the departure of Henriette Widerberg and Jenny Lind, great pressure was put upon her by the management to replace them before her voice was fully trained, which resulted in her voice cracking and her career ending before she had the full chance to develop it. She was replaced at the Royal Opera by Mathilda Ebeling and Julie Berwald. After departing from the opera in 1851 , she was active as a stage actress for a few years, but did not achieve enough success to be given a contract. She married the artist Lars Theodor Billing in 1846 and became the mother of the painter Anna Billing. Critics. A contemporary paper wrote about her: August Blanche wrote about her: In the 1850s, the journalist and critic Nils Arfwidsson described her in retrospect as: Oscar Wijkander composed a sonnet dedicated to her in 1892.