Mina Foley was a New Zealand coloratura soprano

Coloratura soprano

A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...

, who rose to prominence in the 1950s. She was the first of many to study under the acclaimed singing teacher Dame Sister Mary Leo

Sister Mary Leo

Dame Sister Mary Leo, DBE, RSM was a New Zealand nun who is best known for training some of the world's finest sopranos, including Dames Malvina Major, Kiri Te Kanawa and Heather Begg....

. Other prominent singers who studied with Mary Leo included the internationally renowned soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Kiri Te Kanawa

Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...

, soprano Dame Malvina Major

Malvina Major

Dame Malvina Lorraine Major, GNZM, DBE is a New Zealand opera singer. She was born in Hamilton, New Zealand into a large musical family. As a child she performed at various concerts, singing mainly country and western pop and music from the shows. She received her first classical training in 1955,...

, and mezzo-soprano Heather Begg.

The voice

Foley's voice was famously dubbed "The voice of the century".

Unfulfilled ambitions

Mina Foley was the most promising young soprano of her time, and critics of the time predicted many great thing of her. Unfortunately, whilst studying abroad, Foley had a severe and unfortunate mental breakdown. As a result, she retired in 1961, and she did not sing again.

Recordings

Very few recordings exist of Foley. In 2001, The early years, a compilation of some of Foley's earliest recordings (Between the period of 1948-1954, was recorded. Included in the compilation are recordings of Verdi's 'Sempre Libera', Mozart's 'Der Holle Rache' (performed in English), Bellini's 'Casta Diva'and Donizetti's 'O luce di quest'anima'.