Emmy Charlotta Achté née Strömer (1850–1924) was an operatic mezzo-soprano, the first prima donna of the Finnish Opera. She performed in Helsinki from 1873 to 1879, excelling in dramatic roles. She was also a voice teacher for over 40 years, starting an opera class at the Helsinki Institute of Music.[1][2]
Emmy Achté | |
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![]() Emmy Achté en 1875. | |
Born | Oulu ![]() |
Died | Helsinki ![]() |
Occupation | Opera singer ![]() |
Spouse(s) | Lorenz Nikolai Achté ![]() |
Children | Aino Ackté ![]() |
Born in Oulu on 14 November 1850, Emmy Strömer studied singing in Helsinki under Emilie Mechelin. From 1869 to 1873, she received further training in Stockholm under Fredrika Stenhammar (1838-1880) and in Paris under Jean-Jacques Masset.[1][3] In 1875, she married Lorenz Nicolai Achté, the conductor of the Finnish Opera.[4] When Kaarlo Bergbom opened the Finnish Opera in 1873, Achté played all the main mezzo-soprano roles until 1879. These included Azucena in Il trovatore, Valentine in Les Huguenots and Pamina in The Magic Flute.[2] She also gave concerts in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany and in 1878 sang at the opera in Gothenburg as a guest star. She is also remembered for her work as a voice teacher over a period of 40 years from 1874.[1] In the early 1880s, she studied further in Dresden under Eugen Hildach.[2] In 1892, Achté performed in Sibelius' choral symphony Kullervo[5] and in 1896, she played Chatelaine in his Jungfrun i tornet.[6]
Achté served as a teacher at her husband's Cantor-Organist school. After his death in 1900, she headed the establishment until 1922. From 1910 to 1913, she ran a private opera school and in 1912 she initiated an opera class at the Helsinki Institute of Music.[1] From 1910, she also taught drama and song at Helsinki's Swedish Theatre, directing a number of operas from 1912.[7]
Emmy Achté was the mother of the internationally famous opera singers Aino Ackté and Irma Tervani. She died in Helsinki on 2 December 1924.[1]
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