Svanholm began at the age of 17 as an elementary school teacher and organist.
He then studied at the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm, and took singing lessons from the famous baritone
John Forsell in 1929.
He made his operatic debut as a baritone (Swedish Royal Opera, Stockholm, 1930), singing Silvio followed by Barbiere.
He sang as a baritone for
several years including the baritone part in Carmina burana.
Then in 1936, after further study, he made his tenor debut in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony,
next singing Radames. His first Wagnerian tenor roles (Lohengrin and Siegfried) followed in 1937, along with Lemminkäinen
in the premiere of Lars-Erik Larsson's Princessan av Cypern (The princess
of Cyprus) the same year. Svanholm subsequently took on Otello, Siegmund, Parsifal and Tristan.
Svanholm sang regularly at the Met (1946–56), the Vienna Staatsoper (1938–43: Radames, Bacchus,
Florestan, Erik, Max, both Siegfrieds, Achille, Lohengrin, Stolzing, Canio, Parsifal, Tannhäuser, Manrico, Siegmund;
1949–1953: Radames, Florestan, Lohengrin, Walther, act 1 of Otello, Herodes, Tannhäuser, Tristan), Salzburg (1938),
Berlin, Budapest, Milan (1941/42), Rio de Janeiro, Bayreuth (1942), München, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Los Angeles,
Hamburg, Barcelona and Covent Garden (1948–57). He became the director of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1956,
continuing with guest appearances in opera,
oratorio and concert until 1963.
Reference 1
Reference 2
Reference 3
Additional information from Daniele Godor.
Repertory
A - Opera, operetta and dramatic ballads
Adam, Adolphe La poupée de Nuremberg Miller
Atterberg, Kurt Fanal Martin Skarp
Beethoven, Ludwig van Fidelio Florestan
Berlioz, Hector Damnation de Faust, la Faust
Troyens, les Aenée
Bizet, Georges Carmen Don José
Borodin, Alexander Knjaz Igor Vladimir Igorevich
Britten, Benjamin Peter Grimes Peter Grimes
Turning of the screw, the The Prologue
de Frumerie. Gunnar Singoalla Erland
Gade, Niels Wilhelm Elverskud Herr Olof
Gluck, Christoph Willibald Alceste Admète
Iphigénie en Aulide Achille
Iphigénie en Tauride Pylade
Gottlieb, Johann Gustaf Wasa Gustaf Eriksson Wasa
Janáček, Leoš Její pastorkyňa (Jenůfa) Laca
Kraus, Joseph Martin Fiskarstugan Damon
Larsson, Lars-Erik Prinsessan av Cypern Lemminkäinen
Leoncavallo, Ruggero Pagliacci Canio
Silvio
Lindberg, Oskar Fredlös Tord
Massenet, Jules Thaïs Un serviteur
Meyerbeer, Giacomo Africaine, la Vasco da Gama
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Idomeneo Idomeneo
Mussorgsky, Modest Khovanshchina Andrey Khovansky
Nicolai, Otto Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, die Fenton
Paumgartner, Bernhard Rossini in Neapel Torquato
Peterson-Berger Wilhelm Arnljot Olav Haraldsson
Domedagsprofeterna Lars Bryngelsson
Puccini, Giacomo Tabarro, il Venditore di canzoni
Turandot Calaf
Ravel, Maurice Heure espagnole, l' Gonzalvo
Rossini, Gioacchino Barbiere di Siviglia, il Figaro
Saint-Saëns, Camille Samson et Dalila Samson
Strauß, Johann Fledermaus, die Alfred
Eisenstein
Strauss, Richard Ariadne auf Naxos Bacchus
Frau ohne Schatten, die Kaiser
Daphne Apollo
Elektra Aegisth
Salome Herodes
Verdi, Giuseppe Aida Radames
Otello Otello
Trovatore, il Manrico
Wagner, Richard Fliegende Holländer, der Erik
Steuermann
Götterdämmerung Siegfried
Lohengrin Lohengrin
Meistersinger von Nürnberg, die Walther von Stolzing
Parsifal Parsifal
Rheingold, das Loge
Siegfried Siegfried
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser
Tristan und Isolde Tristan
Walküre, die Siegmund
Walter, Fried Königin Elisabeth Robert Dudley
Weber, Carl Maria von Freischütz, der Max
Zandonai, Riccardo Francesca da Rimini Malatestino
B - Oratorio, cantatas and vocal works for soloists and orchestra
Atterberg, Kurt Järnbaraland Baritone
Bach, Johann Sebastian Matthäuspassion Baritone (Jesus)
Weihnachtsoratorium Bass
Beethoven, Ludwig van Missa Solemnis Tenor
Symphony no. 9 Tenor
Bengtsson, Gustaf Dödens ängel Baritone
Händel, Georg Friedrich Judas Maccabaeus Tenor
Messiah Tenor
Samson Tenor (Samson)
Haydn, Joseph Jahrenzeiten, die Tenor
Schöpfung, die Tenor
Honegger, Arthur Roi David, le Tenor
Kallstenius, Edvin Kantat
vid läroverksjubileet i Västerås 1923 Tenor
Kodály, Zoltán Psalmus Hungaricus Tenor
Lindberg, Oskar Alma mater Holmiensis Baritone
Kantat till Sveriges Körförbunds
jubileumskonsert Baritone
Ljusa landet, det Baritone
Liszt, Franz Faustsymphonie, eine Tenor
Mendelssohn, Felix Elias Bass
Erste Walpurgisnacht, die Baritone
Paulus Tenor
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Requiem Tenor
Olson, Daniel Passionskantat Tenor
Olsson, Otto Davids Psalm 84 Tenor
Orff, Carl Carmina Burana Baritone
Peterson-Berger, Wilhelm Kantat till den svenska operans
150-årsjubileum 1923 Tenor
Norrbotten Tenor
Stenhammar, Wilhelm Ett folk Baritone
Sången Baritone
Tenor
