02/01/1856, Helsinki, Finland, Russian Empire - 20/02/1936, same place
Finnish operatic soprano who gained international fame as she performed in the world's most famous opera houses and for a number of monarchs and emperors. One of seven children, she was the sister of the cellist Ossian Fohström and the opera singer Elin Fohström.From 1873 to 1877, she studied song under the Swedish opera singer Henriette Nissen-Saloman at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. She went on to perform in some 200 venues in Europe, Asia and the Americas, singing for emperors and monarchs including Oscar II of Sweden, Wilhelm II of Germany, Franz Joseph of Austria, and Pedro I of Brazil. Fohström was particularly popular in Russia where she sang for Alexander II, Alexander III and at the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896. She starred at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre from 1890 to 1899, taught at the St Petersburg Conservatory and toured throughout the country. Following a singing career of over 25 years, Fohstrøm became professor of singing at the St Petersburg Conservatory from 1909 to the Russian Revolution in 1917. She then returned to Finland before teaching at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin from 1920 to 1928. Thereafter she taught at the Helsinki Conservatory.
