Karan Armstrong

Born December 14, 1941
Havre, Montana, U.S.
Died September 28, 2021 (aged 79)
Marbella, Spain
Education Concordia College
Occupation Operatic soprano
Organizations Deutsche Oper Berlin
Title Kammersängerin
Spouse Götz Friedrich
​
​(m. 1979; died 2000)​
Children 1

Karan Armstrong (December 14, 1941 – September 28, 2021) was an American operatic soprano, who was celebrated as a singing actress. After winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1966, she was given small roles at the Metropolitan Opera, and appeared in leading roles at the New York City Opera from 1969, including Conceptión in Ravel's L'heure espagnol, Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and the title roles in Verdi's La traviata, Offenbach's La belle Hélène and Puccini's La fanciulla del West. After she performed in Europe from 1974, first as Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen, and then as a sensational Salome at the Opéra du Rhin, she enjoyed a career at major opera houses, appearing in several opera recordings and films. Armstrong was for decades a leading soprano at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where her husband Götz Friedrich was director. She appeared in world premieres, including Gottfried von Einem's Jesu Hochzeit, Luciano Berio's Un re in ascolto and York Höller's Der Meister und Margarita. She was awarded the title Kammersängerin twice.

Armstrong was born in Havre, Montana. Originally trained as a pianist, she graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College in 1963. She later studied with Lotte Lehmann in Santa Barbara, California. She made her operatic debut in 1965 with a secondary company in San Francisco, as Musetta in Puccini's La bohème. She made her first appearance with the San Francisco Spring Opera the following year, as Elvira in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri.