Lisa Gasteen

Who is Lisa Gasteen?

Lisa Kinkead Gasteen AO, is an internationally acclaimed Australian operatic soprano, renowned for her performances of the works of Wagner. She won the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1991. She has not performed since 2008, due to neuro-muscular spasms in her neck, and has cancelled all her engagements through to 2012.

Lisa Gasteen was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where she was a pupil of Margaret Nickson. In 1982 she won the Australian Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and in 1984 she was awarded the Covent Garden Scholarship. In the same year she sang in the Queen's 60th Birthday Gala at the Royal Opera House.

She made her operatic debut in 1985 with the Lyric Opera of Queensland as the High Priestess, followed by Desdemona. She has been a regular guest artist with Opera Australia and her many roles with the company include Miss Jessel, Madame Lidoine, Ortlinde, Leonora, Elsa, Donna Elvira and Donna Anna, Aida, Elisabetta, Elisabeth and Amelia. For Victoria State Opera she has sung Elisabetta, Elisabeth, Desdemona, Aida and Leonora.