Taryn Fiebig

Australian opera soprano (1972–2021)

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

Died| 20 March 2021(2021-03-20) (aged 49)

Sydney, Australia

Education| University of Western Australia
Occupation| Operatic soprano
Organizations| Opera Australia
Awards| Helpmann 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[edit]

Born in Perth,[1] Fiebig initially graduated as a cellist from the School of Music at the University of Western Australia,[2] before commencing vocal training, occasionally marrying the two on stage, with her cello accompanying her own singing.[3][4]

## Career[edit]

She joined Opera Australia in 2005 as a principal soprano.[2][5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

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[2] opposite UK actor Richard E. Grant.[3][8] 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.[8][9]

In 2011, she sang Yum-Yum in Opera Australia's production of The Mikado which was televised on ABC Television.[10] 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.[11][12]

More roles include Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff (2014), Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte (2016), Gutrune in Wagner's Götterdämmerung (2016)[6] and Mother in Metamorphosis by the Australian composer Brian Howard (2018).[13] For latter role she won her second[5] Helpmann Award in 2019 for Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera.[14] In 2019, for Pinchgut Opera, she performed as Selinda in Vivaldi's Farnace.[15]

## Personal life[edit]

Fiebig was married to Australian composer Iain Grandage;[16] she married New Zealand-born baritone Jud Arthur in 2015.[3] Actress Melissa George is her cousin.[17]

Fiebig died from ovarian cancer in Sydney on 20 March 2021, aged 49.[1][2][8]

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.[18]

## Discography[edit]

* 2002: Thyme & Roses (16 folk songs), with Jayne Hockley (harp), MBT Publishing
* 2007: Old American Songs (Foster, Copland, Weill, Rorem, Grainger), with Juan Jackson (tenor), Andrew Greene (piano), ABC Classics 4766169[19]
* 2007: French Baroque Cantatas (Montéclair, Stuck), with Fiona Campbell (mezzo-soprano), Ensemble Battistin, ABC Classics 4765941
* 2020: On Eternal Love (Hahn, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Poulenc, R. Strauss), with Scott Davie (piano), ABC Classics 0028948556151[7]
* 2022: SHE – Survival, Hope, Empowerment ("She" (Aznavour), arias, Lieder), Fiebig also accompanying herself on cello; with Guy Noble (piano, conductor), SSB Orchestra; string quintet; choir, including Cheryl Barker, Peter Coleman-Wright, John Longmuir, Jud Arthur[20][21]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Litson, Jo (21 March 2021). "Taryn Fiebig has died". Limelight. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
2. ^ a b c d Vale Taryn Fiebig UWA 22 March 2021
3. ^ 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.
4. ^ McCallum, Peter (31 March 2021). "Versatile, compelling and magnetic opera singer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
5. ^ a b Galvin, Nick (21 March 2021). "Taryn Fiebig, award-winning soprano, dies aged 49". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
6. ^ a b "Taryn Fiebig". Opera Australia. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
7. ^ 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.
8. ^ a b c "Vale Australian soprano Taryn Fiebig, who has died aged 49", ABC Classic, 21 March 2021
9. ^ "Helpmann Awards Winners 2010". Archived from the original on 8 September 2010.
10. ^ The Mikado review, ABC Arts, 18 November 2011
11. ^ "Memorable re-visioning of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Sydney Opera House". Bachtrack. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
12. ^ "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
13. ^ 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
14. ^ "2019 Nominees and Winners". Helpmann Awards. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
15. ^ "Taryn Fiebig". Pinchgut Opera. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
16. ^ "Taryn & Jud". The Australian Women's Weekly. 29 April 2019 - via PressReader.
17. ^ "Who is the soprano that made Prince Charles cry?" by Penny Travers, Good Housekeeping, 23 January 2015
18. ^ "Inaugural Taryn Fiebig Award winner announced". Edith Cowan University. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
19. ^ James Manheim. Old American Songs at AllMusic
20. ^ Guy Noble (18 March 2022). "Guy Noble on Taryn Fiebig and her final album". Limelight.
21. ^ "SHE – Survival, Hope, Empowerment", official website

## External links[edit]

* Official Taryn Fiebig website (archived)
* Performance schedule, Operabase
* Taryn Fiebig at IMDb
* Taryn Fiebig at AllMusic
* Interview and clips on YouTube, Alan Kohler, The Australian, March 2016

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