Dorothy Karayanis Obituary

Our beloved Dorothy Krebill Karayanis left this life on Aug. 3, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Dorothy was born Feb. 3, 1930, into a Mennonite family in rural Lee County, Iowa.

She attended elementary and secondary school, graduated from the State University of Iowa, majoring in piano and voice, and received a graduate diploma in vocal studies from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was at Curtis where she met Plato Karayanis, whom she married on Sept. 30, 1956, in New York City.

As Dorothy Krebill, she appeared in the original Broadway productions of Menotti's "Saint of Bleecker Street" and "Candide" by Leonard Bernstein. She and her husband spent eight years in Germany and Switzerland, singing in regional opera companies before returning to the U.S. to tour with the Metropolitan Opera National Company.

She sang leading mezzo roles with that company, most notably Carmen, Cherubino in Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," Suzuki in Puccini's "Madame Butterfly," and the title role in Benjamin Britten's "Rape of Lucretia."

Opera companies she appeared with included Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Philadelphia Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, Cincinnati, and San Diego Opera as well as the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels.

She sang Carmen in Bizet's "Carmen" at the Santa Fe Opera during the 1965 and 1966 seasons.

After she left the singing profession, she lived in Dallas, Texas, where her husband was General Director of The Dallas Opera. A breast cancer survivor, she was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Dallas and served as an Elder.

She also took joy in the many hours she spent in admirable pursuits such as bookbinding and calligraphy. Following Plato's retirement in 2000, they moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and joined the First Presbyterian Church, where she served as Deacon.

Dorothy was preceded in death by Plato, her beloved husband of 65 years, her parents, Barbara and Fred Krebill of Donnellson; and brother Maurice, sister-in-law Naomi, brother Richard, and sister-in-law Viola.

She is survived by many beloved nieces and nephews and their families. Countless friends and colleagues world-wide will miss her kind and generous spirit, sense of humor, and genuine friendship.

Plato and Dorothy were known for their gracious hospitality to their family and many friends. Carefully curated meals prepared by Dorothy and fine wine selected by Plato were the hallmarks of a delightful evening at the Karayanis home.

A country girl at heart, Dorothy loved the outdoors, traveling, reading, especially history and mystery novels, and above all, cooking and entertaining friends.

The family expresses its deep gratitude to the team at Montecito Santa Fe for their professional care, kindness, and compassion during Dorothy's stay as well as the Rivera Funeral Home for their compassionate handling of Dorothy's final arrangements.