Kenny, Yvonne (1950-…), is an internationally renowned Australian opera soprano. Kenny performs regularly throughout Europe and North America, singing with the world’s top opera companies and orchestras.
Kenny was born in Sydney on Nov. 25, 1950. She took singing lessons at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music as a hobby while studying for a science degree at the University of Sydney. Following her graduation in the early 1970’s, she decided to pursue a singing career.
Kenny studied at La Scala Opera School in Milan, Italy, in 1973 and 1974. In 1975, she won the Kathleen Ferrier competition, a highly regarded singing competition in the United Kingdom. She made her operatic debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in 1975 and her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the same year. She remained there for many years, gaining a reputation for her roles in operas by the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the German composer George Frideric Handel. She also has performed with the English National Opera, beginning in 1977.
Kenny has made many recordings, including “Handel Arias,” which was awarded Best Classical Recording in the 1998 Australian Record Industry Association’s ARIA awards. In 1989, Kenny was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to music. The Order of Australia is Australia’s highest award for service to the country or to humanity.
