Taryn Fiebig has died following a long illness. The much-loved, highly regarded Australian soprano, who performed regularly for Opera Australia and Pinchgut Opera, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017. She withdrew from a number of roles to undergo treatment before returning to the stage in 2018. However, the cancer returned and she passed away on 20 March, 2021, aged 49.

Her family said in a statement that she died at home in Elizabeth Bay, NSW with her husband Jud Arthur, family members and friends by her side, surrounded by masses of soft pink roses.

Taryn Fiebig. Photograph © Steven Godbee

One of Fiebig’s final performances was in Pinchgut Opera’s film A Delicate Fire, set to the madrigals of 17th-century Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi, which was shot in 2020 during the COVID lockdown. She also appeared in Pinchgut’s productions of Vivaldi’s Farnace in 2019 and Rameau’s Anacréon & Pigmalion in 2017.

Pinchgut Opera’s Artistic Director, Erin Helyard, issued a statement paying tribute to the performer. “Taryn Fiebig was without question one of Australia’s greatest sopranos and she will forever be remembered as a superlative artist who lit up every stage she graced...