Georgina Stirling

Who was Georgina Stirling?

Georgina Ann Stirling was a Newfoundland opera singer, known by her stage name Marie Toulinquet. Born in Twillingate, Newfoundland, she became a world-renowned Prima donna soprano who played in opera houses throughout Europe and United States. She was Newfoundland's first opera singer and became known as The Nightingale of the North.

Stirling, daughter of Ann and William Stirling, was educated at Twillingate and Toronto and went on to study singing in Paris, Italy and Germany. She had taken the stage name "Toulinguet" which was the original French name for Twillingate. At the age of fifteen she played as a church organist in her hometown and early in her career had been instrumental in the formation of the Dorcas Society.

While in Paris Stirling had studied under the tutorship of Madame Mathilde Marchesi where she was discovered by a Milan opera company. She toured and accepted engagements with many operas such as the Opera Company of New York City, the Boston Harmony Orchestral Society and the Scalchi Opera Company. At the peak of her career she had developed a throat ailment that cut her singing career short. She eventually made a comeback as concert artist.