Elizabeth Vaughan
Operatic soprano and mezzo-soprano
Elizabeth Vaughan was born on 12 March 1937 in Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, in North Wales, and went on to become one of the leading British sopranos of her generation. She trained at the Royal Academy of Music under Olive Groves before making her stage debut in her home country, singing Abigaille in Verdi's Nabucco for Welsh National Opera in Cardiff in 1960.
Vaughan's career quickly took her to the world's major opera houses. She made her Royal Opera House debut in 1961 as Isotta in Richard Strauss's Die schweigsame Frau, and went on to appear regularly at Covent Garden, Glyndebourne and English National Opera through the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In 1972 she made her American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, singing Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni, cementing her reputation on the international stage.
Later in her career Vaughan transitioned to mezzo-soprano roles, including a televised performance as Lady Penelope Rich in Britten's Gloriana at English National Opera in 1984, and she also appeared on screen, including as an opera singer in the 1982 film Victor/Victoria. In recognition of her contribution to music, the University of Wales awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1990, presented by the Prince of Wales.