Dame Joan Sutherland, who passed away Sunday at the age of 83, was a legendary operatic soprano who's debut as Lucia di Lamermoor on stage at London's Covent Garden was met with such praise and acclaim, it would be an understatement to say she brought the house down. Throughout her career, Sutherland played a covetable string of some of the preeminent bel canto, female operatic roles from Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare to the title character in Delibe's Lakmé and from Suor Angelica in Puccini's short opera of the same name to Maguerite de Valois in Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. Hailing from just outside Sydney, Australia, Sutherland's trajectory of success following her performance at Covent Garden was unparalleled - she has been honored at the Kennedy Center, she was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and was named Australian of the Year.
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