Jussi Björling
Jussi Björling, (actual name
Johan B.),
1911-
1960,
Swedish tenor. Active at the
Royal Swedish Opera in
Stockholm, where he had made his debut before his 20th birthday (1930). He left for a career in the
USA in 1938 (with interruption for
World War II which time he spent in Sweden) and was one of the lead tenors of the
New York Metropolitan Opera until his death in 1960. His strength as a tenor included musicality and a voice frequently described as "nordic", his main weakness was his acting (often stiff and inflexible)
See also: List of Swedes in music