Dame Joan Sutherland Essentials

Australian coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland was the ultimate siren of the 20th century. With a nimble, celestial voice that danced on air like a most sublime figure skater, she tackled the heaviest and most demanding operatic works with unbridled soul and pristine technique. From her breakout success at London’s Royal Opera House in the late 1950s to her retirement in 1990—including a mentorship for young tenor Luciano Pavarotti—Sutherland established herself as Australia’s most successful operatic export across three full decades. Most pointedly known for her bel canto roles, she brought out the profound despair and longing of Donizetti’s dramatic operas (see her work across Lucia di Lammermoor) and the rollicking twists and turns of Verdi’s La traviata, while also nailing the playful levity of “Ah, je veux vivre” from Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Sopranos still contend with her masterful ornamentation and range to this day.