QUEEN ELIZABETH II - SOPRANO RAISBECK DIES

Australian soprano ROSINA RAISBECK died last month (DEC06) following a long illness. She was 90. Raisbeck made her name in her homeland by winning the Australian Broadcasting Commission Concerto And Vocal Competition in 1946 and she soon set sail for London to find fame and fortune. She was accepted into the Covent Garden Opera Company and performed in a number of operas including RIGOLETTO, LA TRAVIATA and THE MAGIC FLUTE. In 1953, after leaving Covent Garden, she sang at QUEEN ELIZABETH II's coronation at Westminster Abbey, before falling pregnant and putting her career on hold until 1958 following the birth of her son. In 1961 she returned to Australia after divorcing husband JAMES LAURIE and broadened her musical horizons, performing anything from cabaret to pop music. In 1971 she joined the Australian Opera and sang with the company for the rest of her career, until her retirement in 1988.