Mezzo-soprano Sarita Stern has died at the age of 92.

Born in 1929, Stern was an influential singer and teacher. She went on to sing such roles as the title role of “Carmen,” Rosina in “The Barber of Seville,” and Suzuki in “Madama Butterfly,” among others. She also performed with the Durban Symphony Orchestra and Cape Town Opera as well as in the city of Vienna.

Stern went on to write a Memoir entitled “The Inner Voice of Sound,” which recounts her life as an opera singer.

She became a teacher at the UCT Opera School where she taught many students such as Violina Anguelov. In an interview, Anguelov described Stern as her “hero and role model” as well as her “greatest supporter.”