Elizabeth Connell facts for kids
Elizabeth Connell (born October 22, 1946 – died February 18, 2012) was a famous opera singer from South Africa. She sang in many big opera houses, mostly in the United Kingdom and Australia. Connell was well-known for playing the main female characters, called heroines, in operas by famous composers like Strauss, Verdi, and Wagner.
About Elizabeth Connell
Elizabeth Connell was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on October 22, 1946. Her parents were Raymond Connell and Elizabeth Scott. She studied opera at the London Opera Center in England.
Connell had her first public performance, called a debut, in 1972. She sang as a mezzo-soprano, which is a type of female singing voice lower than a soprano. That same year, she won the Maggie Teyte prize for young singers.
After her debut, she sang at the opening of the famous Sydney Opera House in Australia in 1973. She then worked with the English National Opera for five years. In 1981, she stopped performing for a short time. She started singing again in 1983, but this time as a soprano, which is the highest female singing voice.
Elizabeth Connell performed in many famous opera houses around the world. These included places like London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, New York (at the Metropolitan Opera), San Francisco, Milan (at La Scala), Naples, and Geneva. She sang in many different opera roles. She also performed at major opera festivals. Connell made several recordings of her performances.
Her last performance was on November 27, 2011, in Hastings, England. Elizabeth Connell sadly died from cancer in London on February 18, 2012. She was 65 years old.
Elizabeth Connell Prize
Elizabeth Connell left money to create a special prize in her name. This prize will be part of a singing competition. It is for singers called dramatic sopranos. These are sopranos with powerful voices.
The contest was planned to take place in Sydney on September 13, 2014. The winner of the prize also gets a chance to sing for an audition at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London. This is a very important opportunity for a young singer.
See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Connell para niños
