in october 1980 norman returned to the operatic stage in the title role of "ariadne auf naxos" by richard strauss's at the hamburg state opera in germany. she made her united states operatic début in 1982 with the opera company of philadelphia, appearing as jocasta in stravinsky's "oedipus rex", and as purcell's dido. norman followed these with her first performance at the metropolitan opera in 1983, appearing as both cassandra and dido in "les troyens" by berlioz, a production that marked the company's 100th-anniversary season. according to "encyclopædia britannica": "by the mid-1980s she was one of the most popular and highly regarded dramatic soprano singers in the world." she was invited to sing at the second inauguration of u.s. president ronald reagan on january 21, 1985; performing "simple gifts" from aaron copland's "old american songs" at the ceremony. in 1986, norman sang at queen elizabeth ii's 60th-birthday celebration. that same year she appeared as a soloist in strauss's "four last songs" with the berlin philharmonic during its tour of the united states.