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A memorable mezzo has died

October 20, 2015 by norman lebrecht

3 comments.


‘The gorgeous mezzo soprano Patricia Kern … passed away yesterday,’ reports her former student, the Canadian bass-baritone Trevor Bowes.

Welsh born, Patricia was a star of Sadlers Wells in the 1960s, going on to appear at Covent Garden, Chicago and Washington DC before becoming an influential teacher in Toronto.

Patricia was 88. She was widely treasured and will be widely missed.

patricia kern

Her Lieder voice has an almost-vanished Ferrier timbre.


Comments (3)

  1. Federico says:

    I remember her excellent interpretation of Romeo and Juliet for Philips with Robert Tear and Colin Davis. RIP

  2. Nick says:

    She will also be fondly remembered in Scotland where she was a regular guest artiste with Scottish Opera in the 1970s and where her roles included Ottavia in Poppea, Genevieve in Pelleas and Hermia in Midsummer Night’s Dream.

  3. James Alexander says:

    @Nick. Yes good memories of her performances in Glasgow. She was also a superb Hansel on a seminal recording of the Humperdink masterpiece in English if I recall correctly. RIP.


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