Spanish opera star Montserrat Caballé dies aged 85

Her song 'Barcelona', performed with Queen singer Freddie Mercury, became the anthem for the 1992 Olympic Games.

Spanish soprano Monserrat Caballe.

Spanish soprano Monserrat Caballe. Source: AAP

Spain's world-famous opera star Montserrat Caballé has died in Barcelona at the age 85, Hospital Sant Pau confirmed.

Spokesman Abraham del Moral told AP news agency that the singer's family requested the cause of death not be released. 

She had been in the hospital since September.

A service for the singer, who has long suffered from health problems, will be held on Sunday with a funeral the following day, according to Barcelona authorities.

A 50-year career

Throughout her career, Montserrat Caballé starred in 90 opera roles, appearing on stage in 4,000 performances. 

She first made a global splash when "Barcelona", her song with Queen singer Freddie Mercury, became the anthem for the 1992 Olympic Games.



Born in April 1933 to a humble family in Barcelona, Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballé i Folc studied music at the Liceu Conservatory in the Catalan capital.

Her big break came in 1965 when she stepped in for another singer in the notoriously difficult role of Lucrezia Borgia in Donizetti's opera in New York.



Her debut went down in opera history as one of the greatest overnight successes ever.

She went on to tour the world in a career spanning 50 years, garnering international acclaim for her creamy voice and dramatic power.

Career highlights included a triumphant performance in Bellini's "Norma" at La Scala in Milan in 1972.

'Her voice will always stay with us'

Her vocal versatility meant she was as at home with Rossini and Donizetti as well as Mozart and Dvorak, while her energetic performance with Mercury showed her ability to break with tradition.

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez paid tribute to Caballé on Saturday, saying on Twitter that Spain had lost "a great ambassador of our country, a soprano recognised internationally".

"Montserrat Caballe, her voice and her tenderness, will always stay with us," he added.

Fans pay tribute

Fans posted messages honouring the singer on social media.

Her voice was described by her fans as inspirational, legendary and not of this world. 


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Source: AFP, SBS


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