NEAL CONAN, host: The family of Joan Sutherland announced today that the great opera star died yesterday at her home in Switzerland. She started to sing by imitating her mother, a mezzo-soprano, but came to be recognized as one of the great coloraturas of the 20th century, famed for her high range and impeccable trills. She performed first in her native Australia, then around the world until a farewell performance at London's Covent Garden on New Year's Eve in 1990.</s>NEAL CONAN, host: Here, Joan Sutherland performs Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" with the London Opera Chorus and the National Philharmonic Orchestra in 1978.</s>Ms. JOAN SUTHERLAND (Opera Singer): (as Lucrezia Borgia) (Singing in foreign language)</s>NEAL CONAN, host: Joan Sutherland, who died yesterday at her home in Switzerland at the age of 83. More later on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. This is NPR News.
The family of the Joan Sutherland has announced that the opera star died at her home in Switzerland. She was 83. Sutherland was recognized as one of the great coloraturas of the twentieth century, famed for her high range and impeccable trills.