Judith Blegen

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Judith Blegen (April 27, 1943, Lexington, Kentucky)[1] is an American soprano, particularly associated with light lyric roles of the French, Italian and German repertories.

Life and career

Blegen was raised and attended high school in Missoula, Montana, during which time she began voice lessons with John L. Lester, head of the voice department at the University of Montana.[2][3] She studied first the violin with Toshiya Eto, and later voice at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with Eufemia Giannini-Gregory. In 1962, she attended the Music Academy of the West[4] where she studied with Martial Singher. In Rome, she studied with Luigi Ricci. She made her operatic debut in Nuremberg, Germany, as Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann, in 1965, where she subsequently sang Lucia, Susanna, and Zerbinetta. That same year, she appeared in Spoleto, Italy, as Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande.[5]

Blegin made her debut with the

London Opera House in London, in 1975, and at the Palais Garnier
in Paris, in 1977.

During the 1970s, Blegen was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

A singer with a radiant voice, polished musicianship, and charming stage presence, Blegen retired from the stage in 1991. She was married to former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra concertmaster Raymond Gniewek.

Blegen is a 1983 recipient of the Montana Governor's Arts Award.[6]

Recordings

Among Blegen's recordings are

Glass Armonica. She was also the soprano soloist on the first complete all-digital recording of Handel's Messiah, with the Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Richard Westenburg released by RCA Red Seal. Her performance of Carl Ruggles's song "Toys" is the opening track of Michael Tilson Thomas
's The Complete Music of Carl Ruggles.

Blegen recorded three solo recital discs in her prime years including an acclaimed collection of lieder by

Columbia Masterworks). She also made a joint recital recording of art songs and duets with Frederica von Stade
, also for the Columbia label, which introduced both young singers to the record-buying public in 1975.

Discography

  • RCA Red Seal
    , 1974
  • Carmina Burana (Orff) - Cleveland Orchestra, Chorus and Boys Choir, Michael Tilson Thomas, Cond., with Judith Blegen, Soprano, Kenneth Riegel, Tenor and Peter Binder, Baritone (CBS Records 1975/CBS Records Masterworks 1990)
  • Judith Blegen and Frederica von Stade: Songs, Arias and Duets, with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center,
    Columbia
    , 1975
  • Die Schöpfung & Harmoniemesse (Haydn), with Frederica von Stade, Kenneth Riegel, Simon Estes, the Westminster Choir and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein,
    Columbia
    , 1975
  • Songs of Strauss and Wolf with Martin Katz, piano,
    RCA Red Seal
    , 1976
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn), with Frederica von Stade, the Women's Voices of the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Ormandy,
    RCA Red Seal
    , 1977

Videography

References

General

  • The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia, edited by David Hamilton (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1987).
    ISBN 0-671-61732-X

Specific

  1. ^ A Conversation with Judith Blegen[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Judith Blegen". Montana Kids. Montana Office of Tourism. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  3. ^ Funk, Gary; Robert Hoyem (Spring 2005). "John Lester, Voice Builder 6 November 1899 - 13 May 1994". Montana Professor. 15 (2). Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  4. ^ "Alumni Roster". musicacademy.org. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Biography: Judith Blegen". Allmusic. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  6. ^ "Governor's Arts Awards". Montana Arts Council. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  7. ^ MET OPERA: JUDITH BLEGEN AND PAVAROTTI IN 'ELISIR' Donal Henahan, The New York Times, 3 March 1981

External links

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