The American singing sensation will continue to perform but only in recital.

Opera lovers in Melbourne will be treated to a concert performance by superstar soprano Renée Fleming next year when she joins the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in September. However anyone hoping to see the American singing sensation on stage performing one of the operatic roles that propelled her to international stardom will need to hurry, as the 55 year old singer has revealed that she intends to retire from opera performances in the next three years.

In an interview published by international news agency Reuters, Fleming admitted that while she will continue to be a creative consultant for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as giving recital performances, she would no longer wish to perform the soprano roles she has forged her career doing as it would be inappropriate dramatically given her age. “If I were a mezzo or a dramatic soprano then there are those parts, those character parts. But for the soprano there’s almost nothing,” said Fleming. While this might be a rather bleak view, Fleming is far from melancholy about the announcement. “I’m really happy with my life in opera – 54 roles was a lot to learn and perform, and so I think I may leave well enough alone,” Fleming confided. “I have another three years of various productions, so I’m not stopping just yet. Let’s not put the cart before the horse, but I’m thinking down the road.”

While Flemming may be winding down her career on the operatic stage, she has been steadily building her profile beyond the confines of the usual classical music devotee. This has included her most recent release, Christmas in New York, which features a number of duets with jazz and popular music artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Wynton Marsalis and Brad Mehldau. Flemming was also the first opera singer to perform the American national anthem at this year’s Superbowl, in front of a stadium of 80,000 spectators and a television audience reaching nearly 170 million.