Mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom, 20-year star of the Metropolitan Opera, dead at 94

Metropolitan Opera star Blanche Thebom dead at 94

SAN FRANCISCO — Blanche Thebom, a mezzo-soprano who sang more than 350 performances with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, has died at age 94.

From the 1944 to 1967, Thebom was a star of the Met, part of a wave of American opera singers to gain international fame. She was best known for her Wagner performances, including roles as Brangaene in “Tristan and Isolde” and Fricka in “Die Walkuere.”

Born in Monessen, Pa., Thebom was discovered while singing in a shipboard lounge as a teenager.

After retiring from the Met, she taught opera at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, then established the Opera Arts Training Program in San Francisco to nurture the talent of young girls.

A longtime friend says Thebom died March 23 of pneumonia in her San Francisco home.