Carl Stenborg was born in
Stockholm to actor
Petter Stenborg, director of the
Stenborg Troupe, and Anna Krüger. Of his brothers, Johan Fredrik Stenborg studied at
Uppsala University and became an official, and Nils Stenborg became an opera singer.
Royal Opera When the Royal Swedish Opera was founded in 1773, he played the main male role in
Francesco Uttini's opera
Thetis och Pélée opposite the primadonna
Elisabeth Olin, with whom he had a relationship. He was the leading male star for several years and in 1780 was given a life contract. Although he sang
tenor roles, his voice was known for its dexterity and dark
timbre and was nearer to that of a
baritone. Carl Stenborg was appointed
Hovsångare in 1773, royal secretary in 1782 and was elected to the
Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1783.
Stenborg theaters He was the director of his father's theatres in 1780–99: from 1788, he was allowed to perform in them. He was engaged in 1782 and in 1793 he married the singer Betty Olin, daughter of Elisabeth Olin, and performed with her in
Copenhagen and
Oslo in 1794 and 1795. The engagement had been long because of the unwillingness of Elisabeth Olin to give her consent to the marriage between her daughter and her own former lover. In 1784 Stenborg's
opera Gustaf Ericsson i Dalarna premiered at one of his father's theaters. After the
Stenborg Theatre was closed in 1799, he toured the country (1804–09) with his own company.
Later life He was given a pension in 1806. He gave his last performance at a concert on
Riddarhuset 27 February 1808, "to the great surprise of everyone" opposite Elisabeth Olin, which now also gave her last performance, and
Jeanette Wässelius, with music of the royal chapel,
Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner, Freidrich Müller and his own daughter, the pianist Carolina Stenborg (1798–1869). He died in Stockholm on 1 August 1813. == References ==