Vale soprano Dame Felicity Lott, who has died aged 79.
Lott was a British soprano best known for roles in operas by Mozart and Strauss, appearing on some of the UK's and Europe's most prestigious stages.
For more than 50 years, Lott captivated audiences with her singing and acting skill, including Pamina in The Magic Flute, the Countess in Capriccio, and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. She frequently appeared at Glyndebourne, Covent Garden and other leading European opera houses, as well as at the Proms, where she famously staged a mock musical fight with fellow singer Anne Murray to Rossini's Cats' Duet.
Lott made notable recordings of art songs, collaborating with pianist Grahame Johnson on the Songmakers' Almanac project. In 2016, Lott and Johnson gave a rare intimate recital in Perth in support of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Lott died shortly after announcing her cancer diagnosis. She is survived by her husband, actor Gabriel Woolf, and their daughter.
📸 Photo by Trevor Leighton via Askonas Holt
Image description: Felicity Lott poses with a big smile in a black velvet dress with a purple bolero-style jacket against a purple background. Text about the photo reads "Dame Felicity Lott, distinguished British soprano, dies aged 79"
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ABC Classic Live: Alexander Gavrylyuk performs Rachmaninov, vote now in the ABC Classic 100, new Australian opera The Drover's Wife and more in your Weekly Wrap. Discover all these classical music stories and more on the ABC Classic website via link in bio.
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We put Screen Sounds presenter @dan.golding up to a This or That Greatest or All Time Adventure film and tv scores, from Star Trek to Jurassic Park, what will Dan choose?
Join Genevieve Lang live from the Sydney Opera House as Alexander Gavrylyuk performs Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Born in Ukraine and later moving to Australia, Gavrylyuk is recognised internationally for his virtuosic performances.
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Listen live 8pm Friday 15 May on the ABC listen app via link in bio.
Opera Australia’s The Drover’s Wife opens in Brisbane, the Australian String Quartet tours nationally, the Coriole Music Festival opens in McLaren Vale and more. Join @alicekeath as she guides you through some of Australia’s best classical concerts and live performances, including interviews with composers and performers on What’s On, Sundays 5pm on ABC Classic.
Hear it now on the ABC listen app at the link in bio.
Classical music isn't dead, but who's listening, and how they're listening, is changing.
One clear sign is the rise of live orchestral concerts paired with blockbuster film screenings, now regular features of state symphony programs and a major driver of growth in live classical performance.
Screen Sound presenter Dan Golding @dan.golding explains that this isn’t new: 19th‑century audiences often experienced film within musical settings, and Wagner’s theatre design and use of leitmotifs shaped Hollywood’s Golden Age sound.
Inside today’s screen‑music world, orchestrator Jessica Wells @jessgwells describes the intense, collaborative process behind major film scores and what it’s like working with John Powell on Happy Feet and How to Train Your Dragon, and Elliott Wheeler on the Elvis biopic.
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Find out more through our link in bio.
A public memorial will be held for the late 702 ABC Sydney presenter James Valentine on Friday, May 29 in Sydney.
The event at Town Hall is open to the public with registrations to be released in waves.
Valentine died aged 64 in April, two years after being diagnosed with cancer.
🖊️: Declan Bowring
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Voting has opened for the ABC Classic 100: Greatest of All Time! What do you think is the greatest classical music of all time? If you’re having trouble getting started, or narrowing down your picks, we’ve collated picks from some of our ABC presenters to help get you inspired. Vote now on the ABC Classic website.
#ABCClassic100GOAT #ABCClassic100
A “soul breaking” pick from Jeff Goldblum for the ABC Classic 100: Greatest of All Time with ABC Classic Breakfast presenter @meganburslem . What are you choosing? Get your votes in now on the ABC Classic website.
Harry Connick Jr joins ABC Classic Breakfast presenter @meganburslem to discuss why he’ll make his Carnegie Hall debut in 2026. This performance will mark the first time he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, presenting a new symphonic work written in memory of his mother alongside @orchestravictoria and conducted by @jessicagethinconductor celebrating what would’ve been Connick’s mother’s 100th birthday.
@harryconnickjr spoke about the decision behind the debut, the music, and the long path to this moment.
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