Death of soprano and agency founder, 66

Patrick Togher, co-founder of the Australian artists agency, has announced the sudden death of his wife and partner, Romola Tyrrell.

‘It is my sad and heartbreaking duty to tell you that my beautiful wife (and Co-Director of PTAM) Romola TYRRELL passed away peacefully in her sleep yesterday morning, aged 66. Although she has suffered from heart problems for a few years, her death has come as an absolute shock.

‘Rom is well-known to so many of you; her supreme musicality, generosity of spirit and keen financial acumen have been of inestimable benefit to PTAM for the past 25 years.

‘Personally, I am utterly devastated. She has been the love of my life for the past 40 years. I am fortunate that I have been able to step back from many of my responsibilities for the next week to 10 days – that said, Natalie and I will maintain a business-as-usual approach to our artistic and financial operations.

‘Our two children, Micaela and Matthew, have joined me at our family home in The Southern Highlands.‘

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Romola Tyrrell sang the role of Donna Maria in the ABC’s television opera Quiros by Peter Sculthorpe. She recorded regularly for the ABC and 2MBS-FM and was a founding member both of The Song Company and Voiceworks. The Australian Ballet engaged her to perform Songs of the Auvergne as an accompaniment to Of Blessed Memory.

Operatic appearances included Micaela in Carmen and Countess Stasi in The Gypsy Princess for State Opera of South Australia, Yum-Yum in The Mikado for West Australian Opera, Ilia in Idomeneo for Sydney University and the title role in The Gypsy Princess for Dunedin Opera Company, New Zealand.

In 1998, Romola co-founded Patrick Togher Artists’ Management.