Biography
Soprano Arax Mansourian places particular emphasis on the musical heritage of her Armenian homeland, although the scope of her performances reaches considerably further. She has repeatedly championed the compositions of the Armenian cleric and musicologist Komitas, taking part in his unfinished opera Anoush and delivering the world premieres of several of his songs. Leading roles in operas by Puccini, Verdi, and Wagner have taken her to prominent stages across the globe, while her recital programs regularly interweave familiar works by Schumann and Schubert with pieces by Komitas, Barsegh Kanachyan, and Armen Tigranian.
Born on August 1, 1946, in Beirut as Արաքս Մանսուրյան, she relocated with her family to Armenia during infancy. Her grandparents perished in the Armenian Genocide. Her brother, composer Tigran Mansurian, has seen his works frequently programmed by Arax throughout her career. Early recognition of her vocal ambitions led her to the Romanos Meliqyan College of Music, after which she pursued further studies at the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory. During her conservatory years she appeared in festivals throughout the Soviet Union. Shortly after graduation she established herself at the Yerevan State Opera, making her debut there as Elisabetta in Verdi’s Don Carlo.
Her first commercial recording, the 1994 album Komitas with pianist Arthur Aharonyan, marked her entry into the discography. A separate recording of medieval Armenian chants has been aired annually on Armenian national television to mark Genocide Remembrance Day. After immigrating to Australia for marriage, she experienced a period without performances and considered returning to Armenia. Appearances as Leonora in a West Australian Opera concert staging of Verdi’s Il Trovatore and on the ABC series Swoon in 1995 helped restore her momentum. She joined Opera Australia for the first time in 1999 as Liu in Puccini’s Turandot and has since sung principal roles with that company as well as other leading Australian ensembles. The Armenian Music Center released Arax Mansourian: The Voice of the Centuries in 2007, a collection devoted to Armenian music spanning the Middle Ages. In 2010 the Armenian Ministry of the Diaspora awarded her the Medal of Komitas. She currently instructs Armenian vocal technique at the Sydney Conservatory and, beginning in 2012, has organized benefit concerts featuring her students in Australia, Armenia, and the United States, directing proceeds to the charity Donate Life. The Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory named her an honorary professor in 2015, the same year she issued the album Tigran Mansurian: Vocal Cycles.
Born on August 1, 1946, in Beirut as Արաքս Մանսուրյան, she relocated with her family to Armenia during infancy. Her grandparents perished in the Armenian Genocide. Her brother, composer Tigran Mansurian, has seen his works frequently programmed by Arax throughout her career. Early recognition of her vocal ambitions led her to the Romanos Meliqyan College of Music, after which she pursued further studies at the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory. During her conservatory years she appeared in festivals throughout the Soviet Union. Shortly after graduation she established herself at the Yerevan State Opera, making her debut there as Elisabetta in Verdi’s Don Carlo.
Her first commercial recording, the 1994 album Komitas with pianist Arthur Aharonyan, marked her entry into the discography. A separate recording of medieval Armenian chants has been aired annually on Armenian national television to mark Genocide Remembrance Day. After immigrating to Australia for marriage, she experienced a period without performances and considered returning to Armenia. Appearances as Leonora in a West Australian Opera concert staging of Verdi’s Il Trovatore and on the ABC series Swoon in 1995 helped restore her momentum. She joined Opera Australia for the first time in 1999 as Liu in Puccini’s Turandot and has since sung principal roles with that company as well as other leading Australian ensembles. The Armenian Music Center released Arax Mansourian: The Voice of the Centuries in 2007, a collection devoted to Armenian music spanning the Middle Ages. In 2010 the Armenian Ministry of the Diaspora awarded her the Medal of Komitas. She currently instructs Armenian vocal technique at the Sydney Conservatory and, beginning in 2012, has organized benefit concerts featuring her students in Australia, Armenia, and the United States, directing proceeds to the charity Donate Life. The Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory named her an honorary professor in 2015, the same year she issued the album Tigran Mansurian: Vocal Cycles.
Albums
