Anahit Mekhitarian (also spelled Mkhitaryan or Mkhitarian) (; russian: Анаит Мхитарян; born 6 March 1969) is an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

operatic soprano. A leading soloist of the National Theater of Opera and Ballet of Armenia, she was conferred the title of Honored Artist of Armenia in 2003. In 2013 on the occasion of Republic day, she was awarded medal for . She has won first prize at three international singing competitions: the Francesc Viñas International Singing Competition (Spain, 1990), the

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Gius ...

International Competition (Italy, 1991), and the Julián Gayarre International Singing Competition (Spain, 1996).

Life and career

Mekhitarian, was born in Echmiadzin, Armenia. She graduated with Honours from the Yerevan Conservatory, first in the piano department and then in the voice department. In 1990, at the 28th International Francesc Viñas International Singing Competition in Barcelona, Spain, with Magda Oliviero as the president of the judging panel, Mekhitarian won the First Prize. Less than a year later, in 1991, she was awarded the First Prize at the 23rd

International Competition in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, with

Dame Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possess ...

as the president of the judging panel. Her third victory came in 1996, when she won the First Prize at the 6th Julián Gayarre International Singing Contest in

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

, Spain, with José Carreras as the president of the jury. In the course of her career she has appeared throughout Europe as well as in North and South America, Australia, and the Middle East. Her opera appearances include the Gayarre Opera Theater (as Lucia in ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoo ...

''), the Roman Theater in Mérida "Festival de Teatro Clasico" (as Paolina in ''

Poliuto ''Poliuto'' is a three-act ''tragedia lirica'' (or tragic opera) by Gaetano Donizetti from the Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, which was based on Pierre Corneille's play ''Polyeucte'' written in 1641–42. It reflected the life of the e ...

'') in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

and the Teatro Colón in

A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...

(as Desdemona in '' Otello''), at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles (as Anush in ''Anush''), and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow (as Norma in ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) *555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Lazi ...

''),.Kadiev, Arkady (13 January 2003)
"Ереванская Норма"
("Norma from Yerevan"). Итоги. Retrieved 1 March 2013 . She has performed concerts at the

Gran Teatre del Liceu Gran may refer to: People *Grandmother, affectionately known as "gran" * Gran (name) Places * Gran, the historical German name for Esztergom, a city and the primatial metropolitan see of Hungary * Gran, Norway, a municipality in Innlandet cou ...

Palau de la Música Catalana Palau de la Música Catalana (, en, Palace of Catalan Music) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan '' modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for ...

Salle Gaveau The Salle Gaveau, named after the French piano maker Gaveau, is a classical concert hall in Paris, located at 45-47 rue La Boétie, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It is particularly intended for chamber music. Construction The plans for ...

St John's, Smith Square St John's Smith Square is a redundant church in the centre of Smith Square, Westminster, London. Sold to a charitable trust as a ruin following firebombing in the Second World War, it was restored as a concert hall. This Grade I listed ...

, Malmö Concert Hall, Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid,

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

in Saint Petersburg and Kolonni Zalin Moscow, amongst others. She is a principal soloist at the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia in Yerevan. Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia
Soprano soloists
. Retrieved 23 February 2013. In 2003 she was conferred the title of Honored Artist of Armenia. In 2009 she gave a gala concert conducted by Miquel Ortega in celebration of the 75th anniversary of National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet in Yerevan. Mekhitarian is married to Armen Hakobyan, a professor at the Armenian State University of Economics.

Repertoire

Mekhitarian's repertoire includes these significant roles:Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia

. Retrieved 23 February 2013. * Bellini: ''

'' (Norma) *Bellini: ''

I puritani ' (''The Puritans'') is an 1835 opera by Vincenzo Bellini. It was originally written in two acts and later changed to three acts on the advice of Gioachino Rossini, with whom the young composer had become friends. The music was set to a libretto ...

'' (Elvira) *Bellini: ''

La sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eu ...

'' (Amina) *

Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''bel canto'' opera style duri ...

: ''

Don Pasquale ''Don Pasquale'' () is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Pavesi's ...

'' (Norina) *Donizetti: ''

Linda di Chamounix ''Linda di Chamounix'' is an operatic ''melodramma semiserio'' in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Gaetano Rossi. It premiered in Vienna, at the Kärntnertortheater, on 19 May 1842. Performance history '' ...

'' (Linda) *Donizetti: ''

'' (Lucia) *Donizetti: ''

'' (Paolina) *

Leoncavallo Ruggero (or Ruggiero) Leoncavallo ( , , ; 23 April 18579 August 1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Although he produced numerous operas and other songs throughout his career it is his opera '' Pagliacci'' (1892) that remained h ...

: '' Pagliacci'' (Nedda) *

Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Robert le d ...

:'' Dinorah'' (Dinorah) * Mozart: ''

The Abduction from the Seraglio ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (Konstanze) * Rossini: ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based ...

'' (Rosina) * Tigranian: '' Anoush'' (Anoush) * Tchouhadjian: ''Arshak II'' (Olympia) *Tchouhadjian: ''Karine'' (Karine) *

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

: '' Otello'' (Desdemona) *Verdi: ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had co ...

'' (Gilda) *Verdi: '' La traviata'' (Violetta)

References

External links

Official website

Anahit Mekhitarian singing the aria "Casta diva"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mekhitarian, Anahit Armenian operatic sopranos Living people 1969 births 21st-century Armenian women opera singers 20th-century Armenian women opera singers People from Vagharshapat