This week we celebrate the birthdays of two great artists whose contributions to London’s flourishing opera scene from the 1960s through the 1980s cannot be overstated.

Welsh soprano Margaret Price was renowned for her vocal purity, an attribute that made her an ideal interpreter of Mozart, while the opulence of her tone allowed her to move with equal success into the works of Verdi, Strauss, and Wagner.

Australian soprano Marie Collier excelled across a wide range of styles, particularly in roles that drew on her natural glamour and magnetic stage presence. Sadly, her career was tragically cut short at the height of her vocal powers.