During her meteoric singing career, she became most famous for singing Mahler's mezzo-soprano roles with the renowned conductors Claudio Abbado and Sir George Solti on some of the world's greatest stages.

She is most recently remembered as a local teacher of
music.

Ms Wilson was born in Otley, the daughter of Lawrence Wilson, chairman of Lawrence Wilson and Son Ltd, the manufacturer of Silver Cross prams. She was educated at Harrogate Ladies College, and, after studying at the Royal Manchester College of Music, went on to begin her professional career with the BBC Northern Singers.

She studied with Otakar Kraus in London and won Arts Council and Martin Musical Scholarships. She made her London recital debut at the Wigmore Hall as part of the Young Musicians series and then went on to join Kent Opera.

In 1980, she was a finalist in the Hertogenbosch International Singing Competition, in Holland, and, during that same year, joined Dr Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in her prestigious master class series in London and Germany and performed on Swiss television.

It was this television appearance that catapulted Ms Wilson into the international limelight and she was immediately invited by Claudio Abbado to perform in Mahler's Rückert Lieder with the European Community Youth Orchestra in Sicily in 1981.

Abbado again invited her to perform the following year with the London Symphony Orchestra in London and Lausanne, and with l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva.

Ms Wilson was attracting a great deal of attention and, while working with Abbado, was invited by Sir George Solti to sing Mahler's Third Symphony with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Edinburgh Festival and at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Ms Wilson went on to perform as a soloist on various international stages including Geneva's Grand Theatre in Wagner's Parsifal, The Royal Albert Hall in Mahler's Second Symphony, in Japan and Holland with the Royal Ballet's production of Mayerling, and at the Royal Opera House in Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Ms Wilson retired from her international singing career in the early 1990s and returned to Yorkshire with her youngest son, then aged 11.

She combined her musical talent and gift for inspiring a joy of music in children and adults alike by building an impressive reputation as a much-loved singing and piano teacher in Harrogate.

Ms Wilson was also passionate about the world around her, pursuing lifelong interests in gardening, conservation, archaeology and art.

She leaves her partner, David Reeve, and her children Julian, Lucinda and Tim.

Her funeral was held last week in Harrogate.