Shuard, Amy
Shuard, Amy
Shuard, Amy, English soprano; b. London, July 19, 1924; d. there, April 18, 1975. She studied at London’s Trinity Coll. of Music. Her principal vocal instructors were Ivor Warren, Ernst Urbach, Gustav Sachs, and Eva Turner. In 1948 she gave a series of lecture-recitals in South Africa, and then made her operatic debut as Aida in Johannesburg in 1949. Returning to London, she sang at the Sadler’s Wells Opera until 1955. From 1954 to 1974 she was a principal member of London’s Covent Garden. She also sang in Italy, Vienna, Bayreuth, San Francisco, and Buenos Aires. In 1966 she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Her most acclaimed role was Turandot, but she also won admiration for her Brünnhilde, Sieglinde, Lady Macbeth, Santuzza, Elektra, Káta Kabanová;, and Jenůfa.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire