Mikael Samuelson

This article is about the opera singer. For the hockey player, see Mikael Samuelsson.

Mikael Samuelson in 2014

Mikael Gustaf Lennart Samuelson (born 9 March 1951) is a Swedish baritone opera singer, actor and composer.

Samuelson, born in Njutånger in Hälsingland, central Sweden, is the son of the musician and music arranger Bror Samuelson. Mikael Samuelson has been considered as one of the greatest Swedish musical performers and composers, especially for his versions of the songs of Evert Taube and Fred Åkerström.

Career

Samuelson studied singing, conducting and violin at Musikhögskolan in the '70s, and is a well-known face in the Swedish musical and theatre industry.

During his youth, he performed at Norrlandsoperan, and sang the parts of Papageno in The Magic Flute and the title role in The Marriage of Figaro, among others, with outstanding results. In the 1980s, he moved to Kungliga Operan and Drottningsholmsteatern in Stockholm, and sang the parts of Escamillo in Carmen and Tevje in Fiddler on the Roof.

His breakthrough was playing the part of the Phantom in the Swedish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, during 1989-1995. Samuelson sang and portrayed the character for over 2000 performances and received the honourable Swedish theatre Award "Guldmasken" in 1991.

In the early 1990s, he was also known for his role as one of the main characters in the Swedish TV series Rederiet, a long-running drama show about a shipping company, which conducts passenger traffic on the Baltic Sea between Stockholm and Åbo in Finland. Mikael Samuelson played the ship's captain-later-turned C.E.O. Rolf Dahlén, son of the ships owner, between 1992 and 1994. Mikael Samuelson left the show in the end of the fifth season, his character was killed off in a car crash.

In the late 90's, he had major roles in musicals like "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Cabaret" and "The Showboat" for which he earned prize nominations and good critical receptions. From December 1999 to March 2000, Samuelson sang and performed popular songs and poems written by legendary Lars Forssell together with the two vocalists Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson and Evabritt Strandberg in a show called "Showtime - A Tribute to Lars Forssell".

In 2006, he played Herr Eriksson in the film "En liten tiger" and played opposite Lena Strömdahl, who portrayed his wife Yvonne in "Rederiet".

In 2007, he showed his comedic side playing the role as Magnus in the Swedish comedy film "Min frus förste älskare" ("My Wife's First Lover").

During the spring of 2008 he played the lead role in the Swedish version of Jekyll & Hyde. The musical ended on December 30, 2009.

Samuelson starred in The Göteborg Opera's production of La Cage aux Folles in its run from September 7, 2013 to March 9, 2014.

Records

In 1988, he released the album Music of Carl Michael Bellman with recordings of 10 of Fredman's epistles and 3 of Fredman's songs.

In 1996, he released the record "Midvinter" where he sang well-known Christmas songs in his own style, accompanied by cellist Svante Henryson and pianist Lennart Simonsson.

In his film career, Samuelson is most well-known for his role as the Investigator in Håkan Alexandersson's thriller movie "Res aldrig på enkel biljett". Samuelson's character searches for the truth in the world, about love, sex, madness and cruelty. By now, he is most recognized for his role as Magnus in "My Wife's First Lover".

In his theatric career, he has played the police Rapp in Vilhelm Moberg's comedy "Marknadsafton" and various other plays.

Awards

In 1993, he won the Fred Åkerström prize for his music with guitarist Mats Bergström.

External links

• Mikael Samuelson at IMDb