Flagstad, Kirsten << FLAG stad or FLAHG stah, KUR stuhn or KIHSH tuhn >> (1895-1962), a Norwegian operatic soprano, became famous as an interpreter of the heroines in the operas of Richard Wagner. Previously unknown to American audiences, she debuted in 1935 as Sieglinde in Die Walküre at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Her debut was a storybook triumph. Flagstad achieved her greatest fame in the heavier Wagner roles such as Brunnhilde and Isolde. She overwhelmed audiences with the power and ease of her singing. Flagstad retired from the operatic stage in 1954, but she continued to sing in concerts and to record opera and songs. She directed the new Norwegian State Opera from 1958 to 1960.
Flagstad was born in Oslo on July 12, 1895. She made her operatic debut there when she was 18 years old. Flagstad died on Dec. 7, 1962.
