Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, born November 7, 1926, in Sydney, Australia, was an
Australian dramatic coloratura soprano. She studied at the Sydney Conservatorium
of Music under John and Aida Dickens and made her concert debut in 1947 as Dido
in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. In 1951, she moved to London to study at the Royal
College of Music, making her debut at the Royal Opera House in 1952. She
achieved major acclaim with her performance in the title role of Donizetti's
Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959. Sutherland subsequently performed at major
international venues, including the Vienn...