Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian makes belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Madame Butterfly

By MIKE SILVERMAN
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Opera singer Asmik Grigorian is at the peak of her career, but there’s one major opera venue she hasn’t yet performed at — New York’s Metropolitan Opera. That changes Friday when Grigorian will take the stage in the title role of “Madame Butterfly,” a role she’s earned acclaim for from fellow performers and critics alike. Grigorian is very familiar with the Met — both her parents were opera singers and she accompanied them to performances there. Grigorian had to retrain her voice after overextending it earlier in her career, but in recent years she has been considered one of opera’s top sopranos.