Opera Australia has posted news of the death of Rosemary Gunn, a Scottish mezzo-soprano who enjoyed a four-decade career with the company.
Rosemary joined the company in 1972 and, in 1977, won both the Pan Pacific Final of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in Honolulu and the Sydney Sun Aria. Her roles with Opera Australia included Amneris, Brangäne, Fricka, Octavian, Ruggiero, Marina, Adalgisa, Nicklausse, Orlofsky, Meg Page, Suzuki, Maddalena, Dorabella, Mallika, Iolanthe, Queen of the Fairies, Kate Pinkerton, Giovanna, Tessa, Wellgunde, Third Lady, Antonia’s Mother, Nicklausse & The Muse, Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia, Flora Bervoix, Lola, Rosette, Gertrude, Enrichetta in I Puritani, Vera Boronel in The Consul, Mrs Judd in Voss, Edwina in Lake Lost, Baba the Turk, Marcellina, Mrs Sedley, Herodias, Magdalene, 1st Sprite in Rusalka, Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, Fenena, The Abbess & La Principessa in Suor Angelica, Mme Larina, Geneviève in Pelléas et Mélisande, Kabanicha in Káťa Kabanová, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, Katisha, Little Buttercup, Mistress Bentson, The Aunt in Jenůfa, Berta and a handful of other roles.
She retired from performing professionally after a season of Lucia di Lammermoor in 2008. She was married to bass-baritone Graeme Williams who was a long-time chorister with Opera Australia. Her devotion to our company and the artform was evident in the regular phone conversations she and I shared over many years — always eager to learn of the development of young singers and the company itself. Rosemary was totally devoted to her baby Dachshund Ela. Rosemary’s passing this week brings great sadness that we have lost a very fine talent, company member and friend.
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