£100.00
La Stupenda: The Voice of the Century
Wednesday 28th October 2026Doors open 6:00 PM | Event starts at 6:30 PM
Exhibition Hall
Australian High Commission
Strand, London WC2B 4LA
La Stupenda: The Voice of the Century
The Tait Memorial Trust is proud to present a special London celebration marking the centenary of Dame Joan Sutherland’s birth, held in the magnificent Exhibition Hall at Australia House on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
Bringing together a distinguished company of Australian and New Zealand singers and international guest artists, the evening will celebrate Dame Joan’s extraordinary voice, theatrical spirit and enduring influence on generations of performers.
Thank you for the wonderful response to our celebration La Stupenda, The Voice of the Century on the 28th October. We are now at capacity, but cancellations do sometimes arise.
Would you still like to join us?
Please click below to join the waiting list. We will contact you if a place becomes available.
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Click the button to open an email addressed to the Trust.
A special new addition to La Stupenda
The Tait Sutherland Chamber Orchestra
We are delighted to announce that the Centenary celebration will now feature the
Tait Sutherland Chamber Orchestra, featuring alumni of Sinfonia Smith Square,
conducted by Natalie Murray Beale.
This has been made possible through the generous support of an anonymous donor and allows us to present this remarkable repertoire with the colour and immediacy of live orchestra while retaining the intimate character of the evening.
Help bring La Stupenda to life
For those who would like to play a special part in this centenary celebration,
we are inviting friends and supporters of the Trust to support particular
elements of the concert.
Supporters will be acknowledged in the concert programme unless they
prefer to remain anonymous.
The artists
An exceptional company
Internationally established artists appear alongside leading young Australian and New Zealand singers developing careers in the UK and Europe.
Cassandra Wright*°†
2026 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award winner, Theater Freiburg
Alasdair Kent†
2016 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award winner, La Scala, Vienna State Opera and Paris Opera
Karl Huml
Salzburg Festival, former ensemble member of the Vienna Volksoper
Duncan Rock*°
Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House and English National Opera
Valda Wilson*°†
Chosen by Richard Bonynge as featured soloist at Dame Joan Sutherland’s Westminster Abbey memorial, former ensemble member of the Saarländisches Staatstheater
Lyla Levy-Jordan*†
2025 Lady Fairfax La Scala Opera Award winner
Bella Marslen*°†
Royal College of Music Opera School, Samling Scholar 2026
Eden Shifroni*†
2024 Australian Singing Competition winner, Alastair Jackson International Opera Award, Royal College of Music Opera School
Special guests
Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono
New Zealand-born Samoan tenor, Jette Parker Artist at The Royal Opera and winner of the 2023 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition. Appearing by kind arrangement with The Royal Ballet and Opera.
Ellie Neate
Appearing as a guest courtesy of Opera Rara. Lisette in Opera Rara’s recording of Puccini’s final version of La rondine.
Soraya Mafi
Appearing as a guest courtesy of Opera Rara. Lancashire-born soprano and former English National Opera Harewood Artist, with appearances at Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera and Garsington Opera. She sings the Bell Song from Delibes’ Lakmé.
* Tait Memorial Trust Awardee or supported artist
° Australian Music Foundation Awardee or supported artist
† Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation alumnus
The Tait Memorial Trust is contributing £5,000 towards Eden Shifroni’s support through the Alastair Jackson International Opera Award. The award is funded by Dr Alastair Jackson AM and administered by Melba Opera Trust.
Dress code: Cocktail & Lounge Suit
Drinks and canapés
With thanks
Presented by The Tait Memorial Trust
in association with
The Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation.
We gratefully acknowledge Voyager Estate,
our official wine sponsor, Mr Roses UK,
our official floral sponsor,
VEC Acorn Charitable Trust,
our programme sponsor, and MindBerry Group,
supporting our artists’ catering.
Our thanks also go to
Peter and Leslie MacLeod-Miller
for their generous support, to
Glenn Hurstfield and Opera Rara
for supporting Soraya Mafi, to Opera Rara
for Ellie Neate’s participation, and to the anonymous donors
supporting our artists and orchestra.
We thank the Australian High Commission,
Australian Music Foundation,
Royal Ballet and Opera,
Opera Rara and
Sinfonia Smith Square
for their support in bringing this celebration together.
With generous support from Dr Alastair Jackson AM.
La Stupenda: Joan Sutherland, A Life in Pictures
To mark Dame Joan Sutherland’s centenary, the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation has produced a magnificent new collector’s edition celebrating her extraordinary life and career.
This substantial hardback volume brings together rare photographs, personal stories and reflections on one of the greatest operatic careers of the twentieth century.
Special Tait pre-sale: £75
Copies may be collected at Australia House on 28 October, or delivered by post within the UK with postage and packing added at checkout.
Supporting the Tait
All private donations are tax-deductible in the UK, and we also have our Australian sister organisation,
The Tait Performing Arts Association
,
which shares our philosophy and is tax-deductible in Australia.
You can donate easily and securely via:
Or you may wish to support our work in another way:
Past Concerts
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Stars of Covent Garden in Recital – March 9th
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Leslie Howard and Friends – March 16th
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The Golden Age of Musical Theatre – March 23rd
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Joseph Tawadros AM – The Art of the Oud – March 2nd
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Ein schöner Abend with Annabelle Traves – April 27th
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