Giovanna Sestini
1748–1814 (age 66)
Biography
A native of Italy, Giovanna Sestini brought the brightness of her lyric soprano to London’s theatres, enchanting audiences with a blend of comedy and tenderness that suited both opera seria and lighter fare.
Her long career, which saw her grace the boards of the King’s Theatre and other houses, left an imprint on the capital’s musical life, and those who knew her in Camden remembered her warmth well after she retired; her memorial rests within St Pancras Old Church, a quiet place of repose for the singer.