{{Short description|Australian soprano}} thumb|Patti Russell in 1927 '''Patti Russell''' was an Australian soprano singer, playing in grand opera and Gilbert and Sullivan for nine years (1919–1928) to universal acclaim. Little is known of her early life, or any subsequent activities.
Russell was born of Scottish ancestry<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24193034 |title=The Playhouse |newspaper=The Mercury |volume=CXXVIII |issue=18,796 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=2 February 1928 |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> in Sydney and, with help from a Government scholarship, trained at the State Conservatorium of Music<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15814442 |title=Conservatorium of Music |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=25,249 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 December 1918 |access-date=31 July 2022 |page=15 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> under Mrs Haffenden Smith<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15631730 |title=Mrs Haffenden Smith's Recital |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=24,318 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 December 1915 |access-date=18 July 2022 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and Madame Slapoffski.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239233674 |title=Vocal Recital |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) |issue=11980 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=3 October 1917 |access-date=17 July 2022 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> While still a student, she was chosen at a NSW State Orchestra concert, to sing Schubert's aria ''The Shepherd on the Rock''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120517505 |title=A Sydney Songbird. |newspaper=The Sunday Times (Sydney) |issue=1820 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=12 December 1920 |access-date=31 July 2022 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In 1918, against her parents' wishes,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130601451 |title=Not a Stage Child. |newspaper=The World's News |issue=1315 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=26 February 1927 |access-date=31 July 2022 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> she joined Frank Rigo's Grand Opera Company (taken over by J. C. Williamson in 1919), winning praise for her Nedda in ''Pagliacci''<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article148561805 |title=Australian Grand Opera |newspaper=Table Talk |issue=1750 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=6 February 1919 |access-date=17 July 2022 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and Marguerita in ''Faust''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159655190 |title=Grand Opera Season Ended |newspaper=The Sydney Mail |volume=XVI |issue=393 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=8 October 1919 |access-date=17 July 2022 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She came to public attention for the way she replaced Amy Castles as Mimi in ''La bohème'' at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney on 29 September 1919, with no opportunity of rehearsal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239645500 |title=A New Mimi |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) |issue=12600 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=30 September 1919 |access-date=17 July 2022 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> She also stepped in for Strella Wilson as Elsie Maynard in ''The Yeomen of the Guard''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15967564 |title=Amusements |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=26,247 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=18 February 1922 |access-date=31 July 2022 |page=15 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Other favorite roles were Antonia in ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', Phyllis in ''Iolanthe'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221497710 |title=Crotchets & Quavers |newspaper=The Sun (Sydney) |issue=912 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=19 September 1920 |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=21 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Lili in ''Lilac Time'', Mad Margaret in ''Ruddigore'', and Yum Yum in ''The Mikado'', perhaps her last role in Australia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24248724 |title=Amusements |newspaper=The Mercury (Hobart) |volume=CXXIX |issue=19,053 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=29 November 1928 |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The star of so many performances did not appear again in newspaper advertisements or reviews. There was no benefit for her, no farewell, just the occasional historical reference.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218360053 |title=Rigo Grand Opera |newspaper=The Forbes Advocate |volume=18 |issue=9 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=21 January 1929 |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27996081 |title="Ruddigore" |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=30,596 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 January 1936 |access-date=1 August 2022 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
A less flattering critic was A. L. Kelly:<blockquote>Miss Patti Russell does unequal work; sometimes singing well, but frequently showing limitations of style and vocal resource. She looked well and did her best work as Phyllis in ''Iolanthe''.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Triad |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1115862831/view?sectionId=nla.obj-1244519816&partId=nla.obj-1116014474#page/n15/mode/1up |author=A. L. Kelly | date=February 1927 |title=Gilbert and Sullivan |via=Trove |access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref></blockquote>
In January 1936 someone reported she had been seen in England.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246489210 |title=A Stroller in the Town |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) |volume=5 |issue=294 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 January 1936 |access-date=18 July 2022 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Patti}} Category:Date of birth missing Category:Date of death missing Category:20th-century Australian women opera singers