Yvonne Kenny is the 2019 Australian of the Year in the UK – the top honour from the Australia Day Foundation. The distinguished lyric soprano was presented with the Award at a gala dinner at Australia House in London, on Australia Day.

Kenny made her opera debut in 1975. The following year, she debuted at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in the world premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s We Come to the River, after which she joined the company where she was a member until 1996. She has sung at many of the world’s leading opera houses, and returned regularly to perform as a guest artist with Opera Australia.

Kenny is internationally recognised for her recordings of French and Italian bel canto repertoire for Opera Rara, and has made a number of albums for ABC Classics including Simple Gifts in 1995, which because the first Australian classical recording to reach gold. She provided the voice of Dame Nellie Melba in the 1988 television mini-series Melba, and was one of the artists who performed at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She now works predominantly as a vocal teacher.

Kenny was made a Member of the Order of Australia...