Kirsten Malfrid Flagstad, born July 12, 1895, in Hamar, Norway, was a Norwegian
operatic soprano. She made her stage debut in 1913 at the National Theatre in
Oslo as Nuri in Eugen d'Albert's opera Tiefland. Following further vocal studies
in Stockholm, she performed in operettas before appearing at the Bayreuth
Festival in 1933 and 1934 in roles including Sieglinde in Die Walküre. Her
breakthrough at the Metropolitan Opera occurred on February 2, 1935, singing
Sieglinde in a radio-broadcast performance. Between 1935 and 1941 Flagstad
frequently performed the lead Wagnerian roles ...