Joan Sutherland, La Stupenda, was an authentic Australian legend. For forty years the Australian artistic community basked in the afterglow of her glory. Australia had not had such an international ambassador since Nellie Melba, and both remained staunchly Australian.

Ours is humble homage to the artist Australians came to know as our Joan, and the world came to love as La Stupenda. In the retelling of this fairy tale, we will not only hear some of our favourite excerpts from Lucia, Rigoletto, Sonnambula, Traviata, I Puritani, Faust, Tales of Hoffman and Trovatore, but we will also learn more about the characteristics required to undergo such a journey. We will examine the progress of this prima donna from a Sydney Mezzo soprano, to a London Dramatic soprano, to the world’s greatest coloratura soprano.

We will also discuss the part Richard Bonynge played in her meteoric rise to stardom and in one of the most successful artistic partnerships in operatic history.

Ladies and Gentlemen, MCO invites you to an evening with La Stupenda, Dame Joan Sutherland.

Dr Joseph Talia OAM
Director