Koharik Şirinian (1860 – ?) ( hy, Գոհարիկ Շիրինյան), also known as Koharik Shirinian or Koharik Schirinian , was an Ottoman-Armenian actress and soprano.

Career

Koharik Şirinian was born in

Kumkapı Kumkapı (meaning 'sand gate' in Turkish) is a quarter in Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located along the northern shore of Marmara Sea. Up to recent times, Kumkapı is the center of the Armenian community of the city, boasting a school an ...

quarter of old

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, in 1860. Şirinyan stepped onto the stage in 1869. In 1874, she played a girl's role in the theatre of Güllü Agop (1840–1902). Her voice type was close to

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

. Between 1878 and 1880, she played singing male roles in operettas on the stage. In 1879, Şirinyan appeared with Bayzur Fasulyeciyan and Tahuki Hiranuş Satenik on stage in

Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...

, in the beginning in a garden theatre called "Melekzade".. As theatre was sanctioned in Istanbul by

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

Abdul Hamid II Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...

(reigned 1876–1909), Governor of Bursa

Ahmed Vefik Pasha Ahmed Vefik Pasha ( ota, احمد وفیق پاشا ) (3 July 1823 2 April 1891) was an Ottoman statesman, diplomat, scholar, playwright, and translator during the Tanzimat and First Constitutional Era periods. He was commissioned with top-rank ...

promoted it. In 1882, she joined the Ottoman-Armenian Serovpe Bengliyan Operetta Group as soprano. Şirinyan was one of the most important members of the Ottoman-Armenian Serovpe Bengliyan Operetta Group thanks to her superior ability. Şirinyan performed in the operatta roles of the Fiorella in

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...

's ''

Les brigands ''Les brigands'' (''The Bandits'') is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Meilhac and Halévy's libretto lampoons both serious drama (Schiller's play ''The Robbers'') ...

'',

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable success in the 1870 ...

's ''

Giroflé-Girofla ''Giroflé-Girofla'' is an opéra bouffe in three acts with music by Charles Lecocq. The French libretto was by Albert Vanloo and Eugène Leterrier. The story, set in 13th century Spain, concerns twin brides, one of whom is abducted by pirates. ...

'' and Fatma in

Tigran Chukhajian Tigran Gevorki Chukhajian ( hy, Տիգրան Չուխաճեան, tr, Dikran Çuhacıyan; 1837 – March 11, 1898) was an Ottoman Armenian composer and conductor, and the founder of the first opera institution in the Ottoman Empire. Biography ...

's '' Leblebici hor-hor agha'' as well as the male role of Prince Miniapur in ''Mongol te Great''. She took roles in almost all tragedies in the repertory of Bengliyan Operette Group. After the Serovpe Bengliyan Group was disbanded, Şirinyan joined the Mardiros Minakyan Group in 1887. Şirinyan played in dramatic roles in

Jacques Laurent Jacques Laurent or Jacques Laurent-Cély (6 January 1919 – 28 December 2000) was a French writer and journalist. He was born in Paris, the son of a barrister. During World War II, he fought with the Algerian Tirailleurs. Laurent was elect ...

's ''Frou-Frou'' and

Georges Ohnet Georges Ohnet (3 April 1848, in Paris – 5 May 1918) was a French novelist. Life and career Ohnet was educated at the Collège Sainte-Barbe and the Lycée Napoléon. After the Franco-Prussian War he became editor of the magazines ''Pays'' an ...

's ''Le Maître de forges''. In the early 1900s, she was for a while with the Ottoman Comedy Group of Reşat Rıdvan Bey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirinyan, Koharik 1860 births Actresses from Istanbul Armenians from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century actresses from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century Armenian actors Ethnic Armenian actresses Stage actresses from the Ottoman Empire Armenian operatic sopranos Date of death unknown 20th-century Armenian women opera singers 19th-century Armenian women singers