{{Short description|Swedish mezzo-soprano (1879–1941)}} {{Infobox person | name = Julia Claussen | image = Julia Claussen.jpg | alt = A woman with light skin and dark hair, seated, wearing a shiny dark gown. | caption = | birth_date = 11 June 1879 | birth_place = Stockholm | death_date = {{d-da|1 May 1941|11 June 1879}} | death_place = Stockholm | occupation = Singer }}
'''Julia Claussen''' (11 June 1879 – 1 May 1941) was a Swedish mezzo-soprano.
==Early life and education== Claussen was born on 11 June 1879 in Stockholm, Sweden.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last1=Leonard|first1=John William|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-YIY3-EZaUC&q=Theodore+Claussen&pg=PA455|title=Who's who in America|last2=Marquis|first2=Albert Nelson|date=1914|publisher=A.N. Marquis|pages=455|language=en}}</ref> She was educated at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in that city; she also studied at the Royal Academy in Berlin.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 1921|title=Julia Claussen - Modern Roads to Vocal Success|url=https://etudemagazine.com/etude/1921/04/julia-claussen---modern-roads-to-vocal-success.html|access-date=2020-06-14|website=The Etude}}</ref>
== Career == Claussen made her debut in ''La favorita'' in Stockholm on 19 January 1903, and remained with the Royal Swedish Opera for nine seasons. She sang at Covent Garden and in Paris, and appeared as Ortrud in ''Lohengrin'' in Chicago in 1913.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|date=December 21, 1922|title=Julia Claussen's Popularity Knows No Bounds|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N-U6AQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=RA24-PA57|journal=Musical Courier|volume=85|pages=57}}</ref> She sang in Portland, Oregon in 1914, under the management of Alma Voedisch.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=November 18, 1914|title=Julia Claussen Appreciated in Portland|url=https://archive.org/details/musicalcourierwe69unse/page/n775/mode/2up|journal=Musical Courier|volume=69|pages=35}}</ref> She made several recordings in 1915.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Julia Claussen (vocalist : mezzo-soprano)|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/58048/Claussen_Julia_vocalist_mezzo-soprano|access-date=2020-06-14|website=Discography of American Historical Recordings}}</ref> In 1916, she sang on the Chautauqua circuit, giving 119 recitals in twelve states.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wright|first=Farnsworth|date=October 7, 1916|title=Sang 119 Concerts in Four Months and a Half|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGdJAQAAMAAJ&q=Theodore+Claussen&pg=RA9-PA12|journal=Musical America|volume=24|pages=12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1916-04-30|title=Julia Claussen Sings in Many Foreign Languages|pages=12|work=The Greenville News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53435869/julia-claussen-sings-in-many-foreign/|access-date=2020-06-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She toured in Scandinavia in 1920,<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|date=March 20, 1920|title=Julia Claussen Finds New Spirit in Post-War Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gNtFAQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=RA20-PA9|journal=Musical America|volume=31|pages=9}}</ref> was decorated by the King of Sweden,<ref>{{Cite news|date=1926-11-22|title=King Decorates Julia Claussen|pages=3|work=Reno Gazette-Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53436356/king-decorates-julia-claussen/|access-date=2020-06-14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and gave a recital at New York's Aeolian Hall on her return to the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=March 6, 1920|title=Julia Claussen Returns from Triumphant Tour of Native Land|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gNtFAQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=RA18-PA5|journal=Musical America|volume=31|pages=5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=March 27, 1920|title=Julia Claussen in a Glorious Recital|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gNtFAQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=RA21-PA30|journal=Musical America|volume=31|pages=30}}</ref> She gave a recital at Carnegie Hall in 1922.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=October 19, 1922|title=Julia Claussen to Give New York Recital|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N-U6AQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=RA15-PA18|journal=Musical Courier|volume=85|pages=18}}</ref>
Claussen made her Metropolitan Opera debut, as Delilah, on 23 November 1917. She was usually seen in Wagnerian roles, including Brunnhilde in ''Die Walküre,'' and Kundry in ''Parsifal'', both in 1922.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=July 27, 1922|title=Julia Claussen Scores in Wagnerian Opera|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N-U6AQAAMAAJ&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=RA3-PA46|journal=Musical Courier|volume=85|pages=45}}</ref> Fellow singer Rosa Ponselle also considered her Italian opera roles impressive, saying Claussen was "the ideal Amneris."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Drake|first=James A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TaJBEJYnsHYC&q=Julia+Claussen&pg=PA109|title=Rosa Ponselle: A Centenary Biography|date=1997|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=978-1-57467-019-6|pages=109|language=en}}</ref> Claussen remained with the Metropolitan Opera until her retirement in 1932, whereupon she returned to Stockholm. She also sang with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company in the 1920s. She was vice-president of the National Opera Club of America.<ref name=":0" />
In 1929, singer Lydia Lindgren sued Claussen for $250,000 for defamation.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=1929-03-30|title=JULIA CLAUSSEN FACES $250,000 SLANDER SUIT; Lydia Lindgren, Former Opera Singer, Starts Action Against Metropolitan Contralto.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/03/30/archives/julia-claussen-faces-250000-slander-suit-lydia-lindgren-former.html|access-date=2020-06-14|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The suit was later dropped.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Tighe|first=Dixie|date=1931-09-30|title=Testimony in Kahn Suit Develops into Controversy of Women Songbird Spats|pages=1|work=The Standard Union|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/53436106/testimony-in-kahn-suit-develops-into/|access-date=2020-06-14}}</ref>
== Personal life == Claussen married Theodore Claussen in 1902,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> and had two daughters.<ref name=":1" /> The Claussen family were all naturalized as United States citizens in 1920.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=July 8, 1920|title=The Claussens Now Citizens|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZO86AQAAMAAJ&q=Theodore+Claussen+daughter&pg=RA1-PA19|journal=Musical Courier|volume=81|pages=19}}</ref> Julia Claussen died in Stockholm in 1941, aged 62 years.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 3, 1941|title=Julia Claussen, 62; Ex-Opera Singer|page=15|work=The New York Times|id={{ProQuest| }}}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{commons category|Julia Claussen}} *
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Claussen, Julia}} Category:1879 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Swedish opera singers Category:Swedish operatic mezzo-sopranos Category:Singers from Stockholm