Few singers have possessed a more comprehensive and magisterial vocal technique than Josephine Veasey, who has died aged 91. Gifted with a warm, vibrant and distinctive mezzo-soprano voice that had unprecedented power and emotional appeal, she was aided too by film-star looks and an instinctive feel for characterisation – all qualities that would combine to so impress conductors, audiences, impresarios and record companies alike throughout the second half of the 20th century.
While serving as one of Covent Garden’s leading singers for almost three decades, she was also in demand at major operatic venues worldwide. In later years, her fame as a teacher and vocal coach would come to equal her reputation as a performer.
