What is joan cross?

Joan Cross (1900-1993) was a British soprano and opera director. She made her debut as a soprano at Covent Garden in 1928 and went on to become a leading soprano with the company, singing in productions of works by Verdi, Puccini, and Britten, among others. In 1946, she founded the English Opera Group with Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, and went on to direct many of the group's productions. She was also a pioneering director of opera on television in the 1950s and 1960s. Cross was made a CBE in 1950 and a DBE in 1973 for her services to music.