Lord Strathcona awarded Gauthier a scholarship in 1906 that allowed her to return to Europe and continue her vocal studies . She returned there and continued both to study and give performances . Her first operatic performance came in 1909 in Pavia , Italy as Micaëla in Bizet 's Carmen . She landed a second operatic role as Mallika in Delibes ' Lakmé , which was being performed by the London Covent Garden opera company . The opera opened in June 1910 . Supposedly , Luisa Tetrazzini , the prima donna soprano of the company , feared that Gauthier 's voice would outshine her own , and demanded that Gauthier be removed from the opera . The company 's director acquiesced to Tetrazzini 's demands , informing Gauthier on opening night that she would not be performing . Gauthier reacted badly , and quit opera entirely .