Uno Ebrelius (Tenor)

Born: 1918 - Väse, Värmland, Sweden
Died: June 15, 1988

The Swedish tenor, Uno Ebrelius, received in 1940 Elementary schoolteacher diploma. However, from 1941 to 1943 he studied singing at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with Joseph Hislop and Dagmar Gustafson, later with A. Baruti in Rome and with Erik Werba in Vienna. At the same time he also studied violin, piano and organ playing, conducting, Scandinavian languages and phonetics.

Uno Ebrelius made his debut as oratorio singer in 1943 in Umeå. He made his opera debut in 1955 with the Juetländi Opera in Arhus, Denmark as Ernesto in Don Pasquale. From 1956 to 1962 he had big successes at the Festival of Drottningholm, particularly as Ferrando in Così fan tutte. He sang in 1959 at the Theatre of Odense, in 1960-1961 at the Royal Opera Stockholm and made guest appearances also in Copenhagen. Altogether he sang over 30 opera roles, however became known still more by his working as oratorio singer, in particular as Bach interpreter (Evangelist in the Passions), in the Scandinavian countries. At the Festival of Bergen he gave Lieder recitals.

Uno Ebrelius was also active as choir conductor. He rendered large services by his educational activity, in particular in the context of the Swedish public high-schools (1946-1949 in Karlstad, 1949-1955 in Uppsala). From 1964 up to his death he was Professor at the Royal Conservatory of Copenhagen. At the same time he gave courses in Malmö. From 1947 to 1966 he was soloist of the well-known Swedish choir Allmaenna Sången, temporarily also its conductor. In 1977 he became a member of the Swedish Musikakademie. He got also honorary doctor in London.

Recordings: Swedish HMV Recordings, also represented on smaller Swedish labels.

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2004); Liner notes to the album 'Father David and his Bach - J.S. Bach: St Matthew Passion' conducted by David Åhlén (Caprice)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2004); Willem van Erk (June 2006)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

David Åhlén

Tenor

BWV 244 [sung in Swedish]

Mogens Wöldike

Tenor

BWV 33, BWV 105, BWV 244

Links to other Sites