World renowned Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the bel canto revival of the 1950s and 1960s. Her opera, concert and recital repertoire was extensive and she left a substantial recording legacy. She was hailed as La Stupenda after a performance of Handel's Alcina at Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy, in 1960.
Sutherland studied singing with her mother, a mezzo-soprano, and later with John and Aida Dickens. In 1947 she made her concert debut in Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in Sydney, New South Wales. She won the Sun Aria Competition in 1950, a scholarship which took her to London, United Kingdom, to study with Clive Carey at the Royal College of Music. She made her Royal Opera debut at Covent Garden, London, 28 October, 1952, as the First Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute. Sutherland married Australian conductor and musical director Richard Bonynge in 1954. Bonynge had a profound influence on her career.
Sutherland sang all over the world including Australia where she first toured in 1965 with the Sutherland-Williamson International Grand Opera Company. She returned to Australia in 1974 to sing with the Australian Opera company, returning regularly to perform with the company from 1976. Sutherland sang her final opera performance with the Australian Opera in 1990 in Sydney and on 31 December, 1990, she made a surprise farewell appearance at Covent Garden in a televised performance of Die Fledermaus.
After retirement to her home in Switzerland, Sutherland continued working as a master teacher and adjudicator. Perhaps indicative of her warmth and down to earth manner she appeared as Mum in the film On Our Selection in 1995.
Source: Music Australia website, www.musicaustralia.org (sighted 12/10/2010)
