Dame Joan Sutherland Australia
Biography
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (born 7 November 1926, died 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of bel canto repertoire commencing in the 1950s. One of the most remarkable female opera singers of the 20th century, she was dubbed La Stupenda by a La Fenice audience in 1960 after a performance of Handel's "Alcina". She possessed a voice of beauty and power, combining extraordinary agility, accurate intonation, a splendid trill and a tremendous upper register.
