Taryn Fiebig

Taryn Fiebig
Applause after Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Sydney Opera House in 2014, from left: Taryn Fiebig (Zerlina), Shane Lowrencev (Leporello), Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Don Giovanni) and Elvira Fatykhova (Donna Anna)
Born(1972-02-01)1 February 1972
Perth, Australia
Died20 March 2021(2021-03-20) (aged 49)
Sydney, Australia
EducationUniversity of Western Australia
OccupationOperatic soprano
OrganizationsOpera Australia
AwardsHelpmann Awards

Taryn Fiebig (1 February 1972 – 20 March 2021) was an Australian soprano, a principal soprano of Opera Australia who also performed internationally. She appeared in many Mozart roles such as Susanna and Zerlina. The versatile singer also performed in Baroque opera, Italian repertoire, contemporary opera, operetta and musical theatre.

Early life

Born in Perth,[1] Fiebig was a music student at Churchlands Senior High School from 1985 – 1989.[2] She initially graduated as a cellist from the School of Music at the University of Western Australia,[3] before commencing vocal training, occasionally marrying the two on stage, with her cello accompanying her own singing.[4][5]

Career

She joined Opera Australia in 2005 as a principal soprano.[3][6] Her roles for that company include Mozart's Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro (televised and recorded), Zerlina in Don Giovanni, both Papagena and Pamina in The Magic Flute.[7] She appeared in Baroque opera such as Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Galatea in Handel's Acis and Galatea, and in Italian opera including Lisa in Bellini's La sonnambula, Clorinda in Rossini's La Cenerentola, and Musetta in Puccini's La bohème. She performed the roles of The Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, Rose in Lakmé by Delibes, Karolka in Janáček's Jenůfa, and Aphrodite in Richard Mills' The Love of the Nightingale. In musical theatre and operetta, she appeared as Gianetta in The Gondoliers, as The Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, and Adele in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss.[8]

In 2006/07, she was Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, alongside Anthony Warlow as the Pirate King and David Hobson as Frederic. In 2008 and 2009, she performed as Eliza Doolittle in a national tour of My Fair Lady[3] opposite UK actor Richard E. Grant.[4][9] Fiebig sang the role of Sicle in Pinchgut Opera's 2009 production of Francesco Cavalli's 1644 opera Ormindo. In 2010, Fiebig was nominated for the Helpmann Awards' Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera for Brett Dean's Bliss and La sonnambula; she won the award for her creation of the role of Lucy in Bliss.[9][10]

In 2011, she sang Yum-Yum in Opera Australia's production of The Mikado which was televised on ABC Television.[11] In 2012, Fiebig added the role of Pamina in Julie Taymor's English-language production of The Magic Flute to her repertoire. In 2013, she sang Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera directed by La Fura dels Baus.[12][13]

More roles include Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff (2014), Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte (2016), Gutrune in Wagner's Götterdämmerung (2016)[7] and Mother in Metamorphosis by the Australian composer Brian Howard (2018).[14] For latter role she won her second[6] Helpmann Award in 2019 for Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera.[15] In 2019, for Pinchgut Opera, she performed as Selinda in Vivaldi's Farnace.[16]

Personal life

Fiebig was married to Australian composer Iain Grandage:[17] she married New Zealand-born baritone Jud Arthur in 2015.[4] Actress Melissa George is her cousin.[18]

Fiebig died from ovarian cancer in Sydney on 20 March 2021, aged 49.[1][3][9]

Recognition

The Taryn Fiebig Prize was established in 2022; the prize of $10,000 is awarded to a deserving student of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) to further their professional development.[19]

Pinchgut Opera founded the Taryn Fiebig Scholar program in her memory, to be awarded annually to a solo vocalist performing 17th or 18th century music.[20]

The Taryn Fiebig Concert Hall at Churchlands Senior High School was named for her in 2022.[21]

Discography

References

  1. ^ a b Litson, Jo (21 March 2021). "Taryn Fiebig has died". Limelight. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  2. ^ "TARYN FIEBIG 1989 Collegian". Churchlands Senior High School. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Vale Taryn Fiebig UWA 22 March 2021
  4. ^ a b c Doreian, Robyn (14 September 2019). "What I know about men with opera singer Taryn Fiebig". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  5. ^ McCallum, Peter (31 March 2021). "Versatile, compelling and magnetic opera singer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b Galvin, Nick (21 March 2021). "Taryn Fiebig, award-winning soprano, dies aged 49". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Taryn Fiebig". Opera Australia. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  8. ^ a b Inge Southcott (26 February 2021). "On Eternal Love. Romantic Lieder. Taryn Fiebig and Scott Davie". Loud Mouth / (review). The Music Trust. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Vale Australian soprano Taryn Fiebig, who has died aged 49", ABC Classic, 21 March 2021
  10. ^ "Helpmann Awards Winners 2010". Archived from the original on 8 September 2010.
  11. ^ The Mikado review, ABC Arts, 18 November 2011
  12. ^ "Memorable re-visioning of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Sydney Opera House". Bachtrack. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Review: Un ballo in maschera (La Fura dels Baus, Opera Australia)" Archived 30 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine by Clive Paget, Limelight, 17 January 2013
  14. ^ Jo Litson: Metamorphosis (Opera Australia) / Brian Howard's opera is given an impressive revival in a suitably grungy new performance space. Limelight, 27 September 2018
  15. ^ "2019 Nominees and Winners". Helpmann Awards. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Taryn Fiebig". Pinchgut Opera. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Taryn & Jud". The Australian Women's Weekly. 29 April 2019 – via PressReader.
  18. ^ "Who is the soprano that made Prince Charles cry?" by Penny Travers, Good Housekeeping, 23 January 2015
  19. ^ "Inaugural Taryn Fiebig Award winner announced". Edith Cowan University. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Taryn Fiebig Scholar". PINCHGUT OPERA. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  21. ^ Gralton, Tracey (2022). "Coordinator's Cadenza" (PDF). Music Notes (Churchlands Senior High School). Term 2: 2.
  22. ^ James Manheim. Old American Songs at AllMusic
  23. ^ Guy Noble (18 March 2022). "Guy Noble on Taryn Fiebig and her final album". Limelight.
  24. ^ "SHE – Survival, Hope, Empowerment", official website