A Beloved Singer Has Passed Away: Son Confirms Death of Judith Blegen

A talented vocalist has sadly died at age 85.

Judith Blegen, a Metropolitan Opera mainstay and frequent Tonight Show guest, died Thursday. The Met first announced the news.

Blegen’s son, Tom Singher, confirmed the passing, noting it was “not unexpected” and that “she passed peacefully.”

Blegen was a leading soprano for The Met for 21 seasons; the company remembered her for “combining a sweet, silvery voice and enchanting stage presence.” Those who missed her starring roles in L’Elisir d’Amore and Der Rosenkavalier, among others, might be more familiar with her appearances alongside Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. PBS also broadcast some of her stage work on Live from the Metropolitan Opera.

The soprano retired from performing in 1991 due to safety concerns after a stalking incident, according to The Missoulian.

In Singher’s moving tribute to his mother, which can be read in full on Facebook, he reflects on her “devotion to the art” and how her “focused intensity was a superpower.”

Ken Benson, a classical singer manager, memorialized Blegen on Facebook, noting his helped him early in his career and praising her work. “I knew her in those early years, and she helped me take my very first steps into the professional music world by allowing me to assist her in small projects. She remains a role model in her repertoire and every young soprano should listen to her recordings. So should everyone else, for their sheer beauty and pleasure. Judy will be very fondly remembered and greatly missed.”