Soprano April Cantelo has died at the age of 96.

Born on April 2, 1928, in Purbrook, April Rosemary Cantelo attended Chelmsford County High School for Girls and went on to study in London under Vilém Tauský, Joan Cross, Imogen Holst, and others.

She began her career as a chorus member in Glyndebourne and made her debut in 1950 in Edinburgh as Barbarina and Echo. Shortly after Cantelo would make debuts at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and in Aldeburgh.

Her career eventually became associated with modern works creating roles for works by Hans Werner Henze, Kurt Weill, Malcolm Williamson, Gordon Crosse, Lennox Berkeley, Benjamin Britten, and John Eccles.

Cantelo also made several appearances at the Henry Wood Proms and sang such pieces as “Carmina Burana,” Vaughan Williams’ “Pastoral” Symphony, Berlioz’s “Les nuits d’été,” and Malcolm Williamson’s “Our Man in Havana.” She also sang the inaugural concert of the Purcell Room in London.

Throughout her career, she made numerous recordings of baroque works such as Händel’s “Messiah,” conducted by Walter Susskind, and Purcell’s “The Indian Queen” under Charles Mackerras.

Other recordings included excerpts from “Ariadne auf Naxos” as well as complete operas including Britten’s “The Little Sweep” and “Albert Herring,” and Williamson’s “Julius Caesar Jones.”

Cantelo famously married the conductor Colin Davis in 1949 and had two children, Suzanne and Christopher. However, the marriage ended in 1964 when Davis fell in love with Ashraf Naini.