Icelandic soprano Sigurlaug Rósinkranz dies aged 91

Icelandic soprano Sigurlaug Guðmundsdóttir Rósinkranz has died in the United States, mbl.is reports. She was 91.

Rósinkranz died on October 18. She was born on September 16, 1935, at Egilsá in Skagafjörður. Her parents were Anna Sigurbjörg Gunnarsdóttir, a homemaker, and Guðmundur Friðfinnsson, a farmer, writer and poet.

She became interested in music at an early age and studied singing with Sigurður Birkis, Engel Lund, Einar Kristjánsson and Stefán Ísland. In 1968, she played the Countess in Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro at the National Theatre in Iceland. The production attracted considerable attention and audiences, and helped establish her as a singer.

Rósinkranz was married to Guðlaugur Rósinkranz, a former director of the National Theatre, who died in 1977. They had two children, Guðlaug Rósinkranz-McFatridge, born in 1971, and Ragnar Guðlaugur Rósinkranz, born in 1972. She also had a daughter, Anna María Guðmundsdóttir, born in 1956. She had nine grandchildren.

The family moved to Sweden in 1973 after Guðlaugur left his post at the National Theatre. Rósinkranz continued her singing studies and performed in concerts, often using the stage name Sigi Gudmundsdottir. She appeared in concerts and operas in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe.

After her husband’s death, she moved to Los Angeles with their children. In the United States, she studied composition and performed as a soloist, including with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. She also sang the US national anthem at Dodger Stadium before an audience of 60,000 and viewers of numerous television stations.

Later in her career, she released several albums under the name Sally Rósinkranz, including My Songs to Your Heart, Forever with Love and Sally. The albums featured solo songs accompanied by pianist Ólafur Vignir Albertsson.