Joan Sutherland | |
|---|---|
 Sutherland in 1975 | |
| Born | Joan Alston Sutherland 7 November 1926 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 10 October 2010 (aged 83) Les Avants, Vaud, Switzerland |
| Other names | La Stupenda[1] |
| Education | Royal College of Music |
| Occupation | Operatic soprano |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010)[2] was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s to the 1980s.
She possessed a voice combining agility, accurate intonation, pinpoint staccatos,[3] a trill and a strong upper register, although music critics complained about her poor diction.[4][5]
Sutherland was the first Australian to win a Grammy Award, for the year 1961 Best Classical Performance – Vocal Soloist (with or without orchestra) presented in 1962.
She was known as La Stupenda (Italian for 'The Stupendous One') and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sopranos of all time.
- ^ McVicker, Jason (11 October 2010). "Remembering 'La Stupenda'". NPR. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland dies". Brisbane Times. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ "Icons of Opera – Dame Joan Sutherland", Opera Britannia (6 July 2009). Retrieved 27 September 2010. Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Major, Norma (1992). "Sutherland, Dame Joan". In Sadie, Stanley (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Vol. 4. London: Macmillan. p. 612.
- ^ Matthew Boyden; Nick Kimberley (2002). The Rough Guide to Opera. Rough Guides. p. 683. ISBN 9781858287492.