Margareta Hallin has died at the age of 88.

The soprano who was born on Feb. 20, 1931 in Karlskoga, Sweden and would make her debut as Rosina in Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” during her time as a student at the University College of Opera in 1955.

A year later she joined the Royal Swedish Opera as a full-time employee, where she would go on to perform such roles as Zerbinetta in “Ariadne auf Naxos,” the title role of “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Sophie in “Der Rosenkavalier,” Leonora in “Il Trovatore,” Amelia in “Un Ballo in Maschera,” the title role in “Aida,” and Gilda in “Rigoletto.” Her last performance in an opera was in the title role of “Médée.”

Following her successful opera career she began composing and in 1986 set music to poems by Nils Ferlin, Harry Martinson, Werner Aspenström and Alf Henrikson. She also set several works by August Strindberg to music, beginning with a chamber opera based on “Miss Julie” in 1990. She also composed music for Strindberg’s works “The Stronger One” which was performed at the Royal Opera in Stockholm in 1991, and “A Dream Play” in 1992.

Hallin also premiered a program, both read and sung, which she had composed based upon Strindberg’s “Letters to Harriet Bosse.”

The coloratura soprano was honored with such Swedish awards as Hovsångerska, Kvällspostens Thaliapris, Jussi Björlingstipendiet, and the Gunn Wållgren Award.

She went on to make a number of recordings including her interpretation of Gilda in “Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and an arias album.