American Soprano Judith Blegen Dies at 85

American soprano Judith Blegen has died at the age of 85, closing a career that spanned 21 seasons and 20 roles at the Metropolitan Opera.

Blegen sang 284 performances at the Met between 1970 and 1991, according to the company's memorial page. She made her debut there in 1970, the turning point of her career. Her signature New York roles included Adina in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" opposite Luciano Pavarotti, and Sophie in Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier," which she sang 37 times, including in a 1982 television broadcast.

Where did her career begin?

Blegen was born in Fayette County, Kentucky, on April 27, 1941. She attended high school in Missoula, Montana, and began voice lessons with John L. Lester, head of the voice department at the University of Montana. Before studying voice, she studied the violin.

She later trained in voice at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 1962 she attended the Music Academy of the West, and she then went to Rome to continue her studies.

Her operatic debut came in Nuremberg in 1965 as Olympia in "Les Contes d'Hoffmann." Her Italian debut followed the same year in Spoleto.

In Nuremberg she sang several roles, including:

• Lucia in "Lucia di Lammermoor"
• Susanna in "Le Nozze di Figaro"
• Zerbinetta in "Ariadne auf Naxos"

In 1969 Blegen made her Wiener Staatsoper debut, again as Olympia, and her Santa Fe Opera debut.

What did she sing beyond the Met?

Her Met repertoire reached well beyond Adina and Sophie. She sang Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto," Juliette in "Roméo et Juliette," Gretel in Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel," and Mélisande in Debussy's "Pelléas et Mélisande."

She also performed with the London Opera House and the Palais Garnier. American television audiences knew her too: she made frequent appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

In 1991 Blegen retired from the stage. Her final Met appearance came that year as Marzelline in "Fidelio."

What remains on record?

Her discography includes Alban Berg's "Lulu-Suite," Menotti's "The Medium," Puccini's "La bohème," Mozart's "Zaide," Haydn's oratorio "The Creation," and Fauré's "Requiem." She recorded three solo recital albums, one of which featured lieder by Richard Strauss and Hugo Wolf, among others.

She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance for her recording of Berg's "Lulu Suite." In 1983 Montana awarded her the Governor's Arts Award, a recognition of the state where her musical education began.

Blegen is survived by her son, Tom Singher. Her recorded legacy, from Mozart to Berg, remains the most direct measure of a voice that carried from Missoula to the Wiener Staatsoper.