Revered American opera star Lili Chookasian has died at the age of 90.
The celebrated contralto passed away at her home in Connecticut on Tuesday (10Apr12).
She started out as a concert singer, before making her debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera house in 1962 in La Gioconda.
Chookasian went on to enjoy a long career which included 290 performances at the Met alongside the cream of the classical music world.
She retired in 1986 and joined the faculty of the Yale School of Music, where she was made a professor in 2010.
The star is survived by three children, 11 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.