Einar Nørby (Bass-Baritone) (Thisted, Denmark May 8, 1896 - Copenhagen, Denmark January 12, 1983)

 

Originally he was employed in the state telegraph service. His voice was noticed in an amateur competition. Then he trained as a singer in the opera school of the Royal Copenhagen Opera under Vilhelm Herold and Valdemar Lincke. He supplemented this with studies with Albert Huberty in Paris. In 1928 he made his debut at the Copenhagen Opera as Mephisto in Gounod's "Faust" and remained active for a long time until 1969 at this largest Danish opera house. In almost 40 years he sang a multitude of very different roles. His repertoire included Basilio in "Barbiere di Siviglia", Osmin in "Entführung aus dem Serail", Sarastro in "Zauberflöte", Figaro in "Figaros Hochzeit", Leporello in" Don Giovanni ", Salomon in "Saul og David" and Henrik in "Maskarade" by C. Nielsen, Daland in "Fliegende Holländer", Landgrave in "Tannhäuser", King Heinrich in "Lohengrin", Pater Guardian in "La Forza del Destino" and Porgy in" Porgy and Bess" by G. Gershwin. He has made guest appearances in Hungary, France and the Scandinavian countries and has been a successful concert and oratorio soloist, making recordings under the labels of Columbia, HMV, Tono, Parlophon and Haydn Society. He also appeared on the radio. He was a teacher at the Funen Music Conservatory and chairman of the Music Students' Association (1956-1960). Married to the pianist Guldborg Laursen (1903 - 2002). Father of the actress Ghita Nørby and opera singer Claus Nørby. He became a Knight of Dannebrog in 1942.