Luciano Pavarotti and Dame Joan Sutherland singing a scene from Gaetano Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, 1987. | Luciano Pavarotti

Enjoy this rare look behind the doors of the Joan Sutherland Theatre, before the space becomes alive with the activities and performances of the day. As part of our Decade of Renewal, important upgrades have been made to the accessibility of the Joan Sutherland Theatre, to ensure that the Sydney Opera House truly is a place for everyone. In this video you’ll see our new level passageway, providing an accessible path of travel from the Southern to the Northern Foyer. A new lift connects all level

Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti perform 'Brindisi' from Verdi's 'La Traviata'. The two opera greats are conducted by Richard Bonynge at the Sydney Opera House in 1983. | ABC Classic

Dame Joan Sutherland | Global Arts and Culture Community

What if Dame Joan Sutherland was your singing teacher? This archival footage from 1993 reveals La Stupenda's foray into vocal coaching. | ABC Classic

Classical Icons: Dame Joan Sutherland Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the passing of one of the world’s most celebrated operatic sopranos, whose voice combined beauty and power. Known as La Stupenda, Sutherland rose to international fame after her 1959 Covent Garden debut in Lucia di Lammermoor, receiving a rapturous reception for both her singing and acting. She soon signed an exclusive contract with Decca, capturing her career milestones, and from 1963 worked closely with her husband, conduc