Koharik Şirinian (1860 – ?) (), 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 and ...

quarter of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, in 1860. Şirinyan stepped onto the stage in 1869. In 1874, she played a girl's role in the theatre of

Güllü Agop Hagop Vartovyan (), better known as Güllü Agop (), (took later the name Yakub because converted to Islam), (1840 in Istanbul – 1902 in Istanbul) was an Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Armenian theatre director as well as an occasi ...

(1840–1902). Her voice type was close to

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

. 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 Bursa () 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 Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

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

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...

Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

(reigned 1876–1909), Governor of Bursa

Ahmed Vefik Pasha Ahmed Vefik Pasha () (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 governmental duties, including pr ...

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

's '' Les brigands'',

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

'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 Tchouhadjian (; ; 1837 – March 11, 1898) was an Ottoman Armenian composer and conductor, and the founder of the first opera institution in the Ottoman Empire. Biography Tchouhadjian was born in Constantinople. He studied at composer ...

'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 (5 January 1919 – 29 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 Henri-IV, Lycée Napoléon. After the Franco-Prussian War he became editor of the magazi ...

'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 20th-century deaths Date of death unknown Actresses from Istanbul Armenians from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century actresses from the Ottoman Empire Ethnic Armenian actresses Armenian operatic sopranos 19th-century women singers from the Ottoman Empire