About Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano who was born on November 7, 1926 and passed away on October 10, 2010. It is reported that she had a net worth of $12 million. While Joan’s mother, Murial (Alston), was a teacher and an amateur singer, Joan’s father, William, was an immigrant from Scotland and a master tailor.
Joan had one older sister named Barbara. Although Joan’s mother never had a career as a professional singer, she did take voice lessons and regularly practiced at home. When Joan was younger, she would try to replicate her mother’s vocal exercises, but she was not allowed to train her voice professionally until she became 18. After obtaining a scholarship for two years, Joan Dickens did not start her earnest voice training until 1946. Her teachers were John and Aida Dickens. Dido and Aeneas was the play that marked Joan’s first performance as Dido, which took place in 1947. During the same year, she also made the acquaintance of the pianist who would later become her husband.
Born: November 7, 1926 – Point Piper, Australia Died: October 10, 2010 – near Geneva, Switzerland
Joan Sutherland Facts:
- In recognition of her significant achievements in the field of opera, Joan Sutherland was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the year 1979.
- Luciano Pavarotti hailed Sutherland as having “the voice of the century.” [Citation needed]
- Despite the fact that Sutherland was adored by millions of people and had a great deal of recognition, she was only given two Grammys. Her first Grammy Award came in 1962 for the album The Art of the Prima Donna, which was nominated for Best Vocal Performance. Her second Grammy was awarded to her in 1982 for Best Vocal Performance, this time for the record she collaborated on alongside Pavarotti and Marilyn Horne titled Live From Lincoln Center.
- Dame Joan Sutherland Day was first celebrated in New York City on May 6th, 1998, by then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
The Beginning of Joan Sutherland’s Career
Joan received a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London as a result of a string of notable competition victories. Joan trained at London’s Opera and with Clive Carey after relocating to London with her mother in 1951.
School. Joan made her operatic debut in 1952 at Covent Garden with the Royal Opera as the First Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Over the coming years, Joan was able to develop a strong foundation in her vocal skills thanks to her many performances with the opera company. Not until she wed Richard Bonynge in 1954 did she start working with him to hone her versatile coloratura range.
How Famous Joan Sutherland Became
Richard and Joan put a lot of effort into honed Joan’s bel canto voice. She resisted the impulse to sing the Wagnerian roles that were frequently staged at Covent Garden. (She later acknowledged that her career might not have been as successful if she had continued singing those roles.) Joan’s efforts paid off in 1959 when critics praised her performance as Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Over the coming years, Joan performed on several stages all over the world. Her outstanding performance at Milan’s La Scala won her the moniker “La Stupenda.” the same year she made her Met debut as Lucia.
Operatic Career of Joan Sutherland
Joan had an exceptionally long career. Joan has performed 223 operas between her Met debut and her final performance there in 1989! She went on an Australian tour in 1965 with the Sutherland-Williamson Opera Company, frequently performing with a young Pavarotti. Despite having achieved considerable success, Joan continued to work on her stage appearance, diction, and technique. In between staged performances, she significantly enlarged her repertoire and produced a significant number of records, including 40 complete operas and a small number of solo albums. Even in her fifties, Joan continued to perform and even took on new parts. 1990 saw her retirement.
Towards the End of Joan Sutherland’s Life
Following retirement, Joan led a straightforward, quiet life with few public appearances. She frequently served as a judge for significant singing contests and later was a consistent participant in the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. She also frequently sponsored The Joan Sutherland Society of Sydney, which assisted young singers and entertainers, by attending and volunteering. During a gardening accident in 2008, Joan fractured both of her legs. However, she made a full recovery. Sadly, she passed away in her Les Avents, Switzerland, home just two years later. Joan Sutherland had a net worth of $12 million at the time of her passing in 2010.
“A very small and private funteral” was held at her request.
