Helpmann Award-winning soprano Taryn Fiebig was one of Australia most popular and versatile artists.
Taryn Fiebig Photo: Steven Godbee
"...the sweetest, most clearly coloured singing of the evening came from Taryn Fiebig as Zerlina, whose voice has an almost ideal mixture of fresh brightness, golden clarity and warmth." (Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald)
Taryn Fiebig (born Perth, Western Australia, February 1st, 1972), was highly charismatic, vibrant and deeply social artist, whose background as a high-achieving academic student, cellist, actor and dancer at Churchlands Senior High School (Perth) set the framework for a stellar career as a major music theatre and opera star.
In 2017, she sang Musetta (La Bohème) for Opera Australia; Michal (Saul) for the Adelaide Festival; major roles in Pinchgut Opera’s Triple Bill and the title role in The Merry Widow for West Australian Opera; in concert, she was a soloist with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Auckland Philharmonia and the Opera Australia Orchestra.
Taryn returned to Opera Australia in 2018 in Metamorphosis and made major concert appearances at the Adelaide Festival, the Huntington Festival, for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and the West Australian Youth Orchestra. 2019 engagements included Despina (Cosi fan tutte) for Opera Australia and Selinda (Farnace) for Pinchgut Opera.
Taryn performed with all the major Australian opera companies, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Ensemble and the Sydney, West Australian, Adelaide and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.
Internationally, she sang for the Edinburgh Festival (as Lucy Joy in Opera Australia’s production of Bliss), in America for the LA Ear Unit and in the UK with the English Chamber Orchestra and for BBC Radio 4.
In 2004, Taryn joined the Young Artists Program at Opera Australia, where she remained as an ensemble member until becoming a freelance artist in 2010.
Her roles for Opera Australia included: Susanna, Zerlina and Despina in Sir David McVicar's trio of Mozart productions (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte), Pamina and Papagena in The Magic Flute, Musetta in La bohème, Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Oscar in Un ballo in maschera, Clorinda in Cenerentola, Lisa in La sonnambula, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Aphrodite in The Love of the Nightingale, Karolka in Jenufa and The Woodbird and Gutrune in Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Her performance as Lucy Joy in Bliss earned her a Helpmann Award.
For New Zealand Opera, she sang Esmeralda in The Bartered Bride in 2012.
A musical theatre highlight for Taryn was over 200 performances as Eliza Dolittle in Opera Australia’s tour of My Fair Lady through Australia and New Zealand
Gilbert and Sullivan roles have included The Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, both Tessa and Gianetta in The Gondoliers and Yum-Yum in The Mikado.
Taryn was also an accomplished cellist leading both the Western Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian Youth Orchestra and often appeared in concert as both singer and cellist.
In 2015 Taryn married New Zealand-born baritone, farrier and former professional rugby union footballer Jud Arthur, becoming a much-loved stepmother to his children.
In December of 2017, Taryn was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and whilst undergoing rigorous treatment, continued to produce some of her best, most passionate and powerful performances.
Taryn died at home in Elizabeth Bay NSW on Saturday March 20, 2021, surrounded by family and friends, age 49.
