Ingrid Bjoner

Ingrid Kristine Bjoner Pierpoint (8 November 1927 – 4 September 2006) was a Norwegian soprano who had a international opera career between 1956 and 1990. She was particularly celebrated for her portrayal of Wagnerian heroines and for her performances in operas by Richard Strauss. In addition to performing in operas, Bjoner was an active concert soloist and recital performer throughout her career.

She was born at Kråkstad in Akershus, Norway. Her parents were Johan Bjoner (1877–1950) and Alma Prestangen (1890–1982). She was the eighth of nine childrenborn to a farming family.Bjoner was educated as a pharmacist at the University of Oslo during which time she also studied voice with Gudrun Boellemose. She drew considerable public notice after an extraordinary performance at Oslo Cathedral which reoriented her path towards a professional musical career. She travelled to Germany for further voice lessons with Paul Lohmann at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt and Franziska Mattienseen-Lohmann in Düsseldorf.

In 1956, Bjoner made her first professional appearance singing the role of the Third Norn for a radio broadcast of Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung produced by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and starring Kirsten Flagstad as Brünnhilde. In 1957 she made her stage debut as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Norwegian National Opera; reprising the role later that year for her debut at the Wuppertal Opera. Bjoner went on to sing several more roles in Wuppertal between 1957-1959. Also in 1957, she portrayed the title role in Handel's Rodelinda at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre through the invitation of Flagstad.