Celebrated opera singer Elizabeth Connell has passed away at the age of 65.
The South African soprano had been battling lung cancer and she died in London on Saturday (18Feb12).
After kickstarting her career at Ireland's Wexford festival in 1972, she quickly became one of the most sought after sopranos and she achieved international recognition when she sang at the opening of Australia's Sydney Opera House in 1973.
Connell graced the stage at most of the world's greatest opera houses, with her last appearance on stage last February (11) in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot in the Czech Republic city of Prague.