Joyce Barker
Joyce Barker (6 June 1931 – 23 May 1992) was a South African soprano.
Joyce Barker was born in Mooi Rivier, a small town in
In 1956, she became the first winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and left the United Kingdom for Europe, where she studied with Maria Hittorff, Paula Köhler, Borishka Gereb, Mario and Katerina Baziola for voice production, and Edouardo Pedrazolli for opera. In 1959, she won the gold medal at the International Concours de Chant, as well as several other awards during this period of her life.
Returning to the UK, she performed in several productions with
Barker returned to South Africa in 1963 where she continued her singing career in opera, oratorio and cantatas for the four provincial arts councils as well as in broadcast media. She made additional guest appearances at the Royal Opera House in the 1970s. Prof Piet de Villiers was one of her accompanists. Joyce Barker died in Johannesburg on 23 May 1992.
References
J.P. Malan (1986), The South African Music Encyclopedia,