Malena Ernman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malena Ernman
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Ernman in 2012
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Sara Magdalena Ernman
4 November 1970 Uppsala, Sweden
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Greta Thunberg |
| Relatives | Olof Thunberg (father-in-law) |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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Malena Ernman (born November 4, 1970) is a famous Swedish singer. She is known for her powerful voice, which is called a mezzo-soprano in opera. Malena sings in many styles, including opera, jazz, and even musicals. She is also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Many people know her from the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. She represented Sweden with her song "La Voix" and finished in 21st place.
Contents
About Malena Ernman
Her Early Life
Malena Ernman was born in Uppsala, Sweden. She grew up and went to school in Sandviken. She studied music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. She also studied in Orléans, France, and at the school of the Royal Swedish Opera.
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Her Opera Career
Malena Ernman has performed in many operas around the world. In 1997, she sang in the first show of Liten Karin. Critics said her voice was "very expressive." In 1998, she played Rosina in The Barber of Seville in Stockholm. People praised her "impressive technique."
She also sang in the first show of Staden in 1998. Her voice was described as "full and rich." In 1999, she played Ziöberg in Trädgården (The Garden). This was the first new opera shown at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre in a long time.
In 2000, she played Nerone in Handel's Agrippina in Brussels. She was praised for playing a "brattish young man." In 2001, she sang Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare. She also performed at the Glyndebourne Festival in England. She played Nancy in Albert Herring in 2002. The next year, she was Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus.
Malena has performed in many famous opera houses. These include La Monnaie in Brussels and the Paris Opera. She has also sung at the Vienna Festival and the Salzburg Festival. She often works with famous conductors like William Christie.
Some of her other important roles include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. She also played Lichas in Handel's Hercules. In 2005, she played the main role in Julie. She also sang as Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea. In 2006, she was Dido in Dido and Aeneas.
In 2007, she played Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. In 2008, she was Angelina in La Cenerentola. She has also sung the main role in Carmen. Malena has worked with conductor René Jacobs on several roles. In 2018, she sang Gabriella in the Swedish musical Så som i himmelen.
Concert Performances
Malena Ernman has also performed in many concerts. She sang Mozart's "Waisenhausmesse" at the Salzburg Festival. She performed Berio's "Folksongs" with the Stockholm Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She also sang the first performance of "Nachtgesänge" by Fabian Müller. In Minneapolis, she sang Mozart's "Requiem."
Eurovision Song Contest
In November 2008, it was announced that Malena Ernman would compete in Melodifestivalen 2009. This contest chooses Sweden's song for the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song was "La voix," written by Fredrik Kempe.
On February 28, 2009, Malena competed in a semi-final in Malmö. She became a finalist. On March 14, she won the final at the Globe Arena in Stockholm. This meant she would represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow.
She made it to the finals on May 12, 2009. In the final on May 16, she finished 21st with 33 points. "La voix" was special because it was the first Swedish entry with a lot of French lyrics. Malena herself wrote the French parts, as she speaks French very well. Before the contest, a TV show called 'Rösternas Malena' ('The voice of Malena') was shown about her life.
Malena shared that her Eurovision dress cost about 400,000 Swedish kronor. This is around €37,471. It was made by designer Camilla Thulin.
Her Family Life
Malena Ernman is married to actor Svante Thunberg. They have two daughters. Their first daughter is the famous activist Greta Thunberg. Their second daughter is singer Beata Andersson.
When Greta was born, Malena's singing career was growing. So, Svante stayed home to take care of their daughters.
In August 2014, when Greta was 11, she became very ill. She stopped eating, talking, and doing many things. This lasted for several months. Later, she was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. This difficult time affected Malena and her family deeply. Malena even had to cancel some performances. After they got through this tough period, Malena shared her story with a newspaper. She wanted to help other families facing similar challenges.
Malena Ernman is also active in supporting environmental causes. She supports the Paris Agreement. In June 2017, she wrote an article about it for a newspaper. She also co-wrote a book with her husband called Scenes from the Heart. This book is about her family, the environment, and living in a way that protects the planet. It was published in August 2018.
Awards and Recognition
- 2010: She was named Hovsångerska (Royal Court Singer) by Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
- 2017: WWF-Sweden named her "Environmental Hero of the Year."
Music Albums
- 2000: Naïve
- 2001: Cabaret Songs
- 2003: Songs in Season
- 2003: My Love
- 2009: La Voix du Nord – This album is dedicated to her daughters and husband.
- 2010: Santa Lucia – En klassisk jul (Christmas album)
- 2011: Opera di Fiori
- 2013: I decembertid
- 2014: SDS
- 2015: Advent
- 2016: Sverige
Singles
- 2009: "La voix" – Her song from Eurovision.
- 2010: "Min plats på jorden"
DVDs
- Strauss: Die Fledermaus (2003) – She played Prince Orlovsky.
- Handel: Hercules (2004) – She played Lichas.
- Boesmans: Julie (2005) – She played the main role.
- Purcell: Dido and Aeneas (2008) – She played Dido.
- Handel: Rodelinda (2011) – She played Eduige.
- Mozart: Don Giovanni (2013) – She played Donna Elvira.
See also
In Spanish: Malena Ernman para niños
