17 Facts About Karan Armstrong

Karan Armstrong was an American operatic soprano, who was celebrated as a singing actress.

Karan Armstrong appeared in world premieres, including Gottfried von Einem's Jesu Hochzeit, Luciano Berio's Un re in ascolto and York Holler's Der Meister und Margarita.

Karan Armstrong later studied with Lotte Lehmann in Santa Barbara, California.

Karan Armstrong made her operatic debut in 1965 with a secondary company in San Francisco, as Musetta in Puccini's La boheme.

Karan Armstrong made her first appearance with the San Francisco Spring Opera the following year, as Elvira in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri.

In 1966, Karan Armstrong won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, which led to her engagement by the house for small roles.

Karan Armstrong first appeared there on October 2,1966, as one of the servants in Die Frau ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss, conducted by Karl Bohm, alongside Leonie Rysanek and Christa Ludwig.

Karan Armstrong continued to perform regularly at the Met through the spring of 1969, in roles such as the Paggio in Verdi's Rigoletto, Annina in Verdi's La traviata, and the Dew Fairy in Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel.

Karan Armstrong appeared as a guest at the Santa Fe Opera as Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in 1968.

Karan Armstrong appeared at the theatre many times through 1977, singing such roles as Conception in Ravel's L'heure espagnol, Blonde in Mozart's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, and the title roles in La traviata, Offenbach's La belle Helene and Puccini's La fanciulla del West, among others.

Karan Armstrong appeared in Berlin and helped shape the Deutsche Oper Berlin for almost four decades in over 400 evenings and twenty-four different roles.

Karan Armstrong gave her roles psychological credibility, often in productions with her husband as director.

Karan Armstrong performed in Vienna, Paris, at The Royal Opera House, Los Angeles, and at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Karan Armstrong appeared in several operatic world premieres, including Gottfried von Einem's Jesu Hochzeit, Giuseppe Sinopoli's Lou Salome, Luciano Berio's Un re in ascolto, York Holler's Der Meister und Margarita, Desdemona und ihre Schwestern by Siegfried Matthus, and Cosima, by Matthus.

In 1985, Karan Armstrong was named a Kammersangerin in Stuttgart; in 1994, she received the title in Berlin.

Karan Armstrong was married for many years to the stage director and impresario Gotz Friedrich.

Karan Armstrong died in Marbella, Spain, on September 28,2021, at the age of 79.