Isobel Buchanan


1954 -

Operatic soprano. Born in Glasgow and brought up in Cumbernauld, Buchanan was educated at Cumbernauld High School and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She had a stratospheric early career; after success in Scotland she joined Australian Opera in 1975 and made her professional debut as their production of The Magic Flute, the youngest Principal Artist in that company's history. She returned to Britain with the Australian actor Jonathan Hyde, who she married, and made her British debut at Glyndebourne in 1978.

Buchanan sang around Europe and the BBC made her the subject of a documentary in 1981. However, she lost her singing voice due to a thyroid condition and withdrew for more than 20 years, but recovered and returned to the stage in 2015. She also teaches at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.


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