Minton, Yvonne (1938—)
Minton, Yvonne (1938—)
Australian mezzo-soprano. Born Yvonne Fay Minton on December 4, 1938, in Sydney, Australia; studied with Marjorie Walker at the Sydney Conservatory, Henry Cummings and Joan Cross in London; married William Barclay, in 1965; children: one son, one daughter.
WonKathleen Ferrier prize and Hertogenbosch Competition (1961); debuted as Britten's Lucretia, London (1964); performed at Covent Garden (since 1965); debuted at the Metropolitan Opera (1973) and the Paris Opéra (1976); named Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1980).
Yvonne Minton has concentrated on opera of the 19th and 20th centuries, rarely venturing into baroque, classical (excepting Mozart), or early romantic opera. Wagnerian and 20th-century opera have been her focus. She was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1938 and began her career as Lucretia in Benjamin Britten's opera; this experience with a modern master seems to have left a permanent mark. Minton has performed in operas by Berg, Wagner, Bartók, Berlioz, Strauss, and Mozart. Her voice has most often been compared with one of her contemporaries, Frederica von Stade .
John Haag , Athens, Georgia