Posted on 14 October 2010
Dame Joan Sutherland, the opera star who shot to fame in 1959 and who went on to become the most celebrated soprano in the world, has died at her home in Switzerland aged 83.
Sutherland's performance of Lucia di Lammermoor in Franco Zeffirelli's production at Covent Garden in 1959 astounded critics and audience alike, introducing her talents of power, agility and a seemingly effortless virtuosity. However, she will also be remembered for her friendly humility, good humour and absence of airs and graces, which further enamored the public.
Born in Sydney in 1926, she grew up surrounded by music, with her mother, an amateur singer and musician, encouraging her to sing. She married the Australian conductor Richard Bonynge in 1954, and it was with his guidance that she began to specialise in the Italian bel canto repertoire, especially Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi in roles such as Violetta in La Traviata. It was this pairing of musical minds that helped to revive interest in forgotten works such as Rodelinda, Le Roi de Lahore and I Masnadieri, in turn setting the modern standards for French romantic repertoire and the Italian bel canto.
Sutherland was a supporter of the Musicians Benevolent Fund, and was appointed CBE in 1961, DBE in 1979, and a member of the Order of Merit in 1991. She is survived by her husband, son and grandson. The Fund's condolences are with her family.