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Independence unites all Armenians: Isabel Bayrakdarian's interview to Armenpress
11:17, 20 September, 2013
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Canadian-Armenian opera singer,
prominent soprano, winner of a number of contests. A woman, who
performed in the world's major opera houses, recital stages and
concert halls. An artist with perpetual and exquisite talent. Isabel
Bayrakdarian is very popular in Armenia. Each of her visits becomes a
feast for her fans and experts of the realm, who highly appreciate her
art. "Armenpress" News Agency introduces interview with the
world-known singer.
- You visited Armenia at 2004. Have You been here since then? What are
your feelings about Your native country?
- Not only did I visit Armenia in 2004, I came back to get married in
Geghart, then came back again and again for many concerts and
opera-in-concert with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Later I
also recorded the album "Gomidas Songs", again with my good friends at
the APO, which got nominated for a Grammy in 2008.
- I know, that when You were young, You sang in Armenian church. What
do You remember of that experience and those days?
- When I think to the church of my childhood in Zahle Lebanon, the
immediate mental image is that of a small candle-lit church with dim
lighting, the sweet smell of incense and wax candles, and the 6-7 year
old me standing in choir in front of my mother, feeling protected by
her and enveloped by the love of God, while singing the incomparably
beautiful hymns and medieval sharagans of our church, which are the
direct pathway to God.
- Which Armenian artist does inspire You the best?
- If I have to choose (and there are many) I would choose Cathy
Berberian. First and foremost, I admire her versatility and her
artistry, which are completely unique. She took risks, explored new
repertoire, sang the entire range of the female voice, had many great
composers of the 20th century write new works for her, and on top of
that, she was extremely witty and funny as a person. I love her
curious mind and her love of life, which is something I identify with
and respect immensely.
- What are You working on at this moment? Is there a new soundtrack
which You are going to prepare?
- My new recording "Troubadour and the Nightingale" is going to be
released in a month and I'm happy to say that in addition to songs by
Ravel and my husband Serouj Kradjian, it will also include a group of
lovely troubadour songs by Sayat Nova, which were arranged for chamber
orchestra by Serouj.
- Tell us about Your teachers. Who made You love music and singing?
- The love of music was always within me, but if you don't have the
proper tools, you can't bring your passion to fruition. When I was
young and singing in church, I always felt that I should be doing more
justice to this divine music, and that the technical limitations of an
untrained voice was a hindrance to my communication with God. This is
the reason, pure and simple, as to why I started to take singing
lessons. It wasn't some grand fantasy about singing on stage and
making dazzling sounds and having people applaud.
Born in Lebanon of proud Armenian heritage and now a citizen of
Canada, Ms. Bayrakdarian moved with her family to Toronto as a
teenager. Her earliest singing experience was at church, which remains
- along with her family - the central focus of her life. She holds an
honors degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of
Toronto.
Ms. Bayrakdarian sings on the Grammy® award-winning soundtrack of the
blockbuster film The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, and her voice
can also be heard in the multiple award-winning Canadian film Ararat.
She has been honored with four Juno awards, Canada's highest recording
prize, most recently for her CD Mozart arie & duetti with fellow
Canadians Russell Braun and Michael Schade. Expanding her vast
discography, Ms. Bayrkdarian was a guest soloist with the Canadian
band Delerium on their 2007 Grammy® nominated dance remix "Angelicus."
Ms. Bayrakdarian is the subject of a CBC-TV film entitled A Long
Journey Home that documents her first trip to Armenia; on another trip
there she recorded a disc of songs by the country's national composer,
Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935), with Serouj Kradjian and the Armenian
Philharmonic Orchestra which is available on the Nonesuch label and
was a 2009 Grammy® nominee.
Exclusive Interview by Roza Grigoryan
Photos by Arthur Harutyunyan
© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/733638/independence-unites-all-armenians-isabel-bayrakdarians-interview-to-armenpress.html
From: A. Papazian
11:17, 20 September, 2013
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Canadian-Armenian opera singer,
prominent soprano, winner of a number of contests. A woman, who
performed in the world's major opera houses, recital stages and
concert halls. An artist with perpetual and exquisite talent. Isabel
Bayrakdarian is very popular in Armenia. Each of her visits becomes a
feast for her fans and experts of the realm, who highly appreciate her
art. "Armenpress" News Agency introduces interview with the
world-known singer.
- You visited Armenia at 2004. Have You been here since then? What are
your feelings about Your native country?
- Not only did I visit Armenia in 2004, I came back to get married in
Geghart, then came back again and again for many concerts and
opera-in-concert with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Later I
also recorded the album "Gomidas Songs", again with my good friends at
the APO, which got nominated for a Grammy in 2008.
- I know, that when You were young, You sang in Armenian church. What
do You remember of that experience and those days?
- When I think to the church of my childhood in Zahle Lebanon, the
immediate mental image is that of a small candle-lit church with dim
lighting, the sweet smell of incense and wax candles, and the 6-7 year
old me standing in choir in front of my mother, feeling protected by
her and enveloped by the love of God, while singing the incomparably
beautiful hymns and medieval sharagans of our church, which are the
direct pathway to God.
- Which Armenian artist does inspire You the best?
- If I have to choose (and there are many) I would choose Cathy
Berberian. First and foremost, I admire her versatility and her
artistry, which are completely unique. She took risks, explored new
repertoire, sang the entire range of the female voice, had many great
composers of the 20th century write new works for her, and on top of
that, she was extremely witty and funny as a person. I love her
curious mind and her love of life, which is something I identify with
and respect immensely.
- What are You working on at this moment? Is there a new soundtrack
which You are going to prepare?
- My new recording "Troubadour and the Nightingale" is going to be
released in a month and I'm happy to say that in addition to songs by
Ravel and my husband Serouj Kradjian, it will also include a group of
lovely troubadour songs by Sayat Nova, which were arranged for chamber
orchestra by Serouj.
- Tell us about Your teachers. Who made You love music and singing?
- The love of music was always within me, but if you don't have the
proper tools, you can't bring your passion to fruition. When I was
young and singing in church, I always felt that I should be doing more
justice to this divine music, and that the technical limitations of an
untrained voice was a hindrance to my communication with God. This is
the reason, pure and simple, as to why I started to take singing
lessons. It wasn't some grand fantasy about singing on stage and
making dazzling sounds and having people applaud.
Born in Lebanon of proud Armenian heritage and now a citizen of
Canada, Ms. Bayrakdarian moved with her family to Toronto as a
teenager. Her earliest singing experience was at church, which remains
- along with her family - the central focus of her life. She holds an
honors degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of
Toronto.
Ms. Bayrakdarian sings on the Grammy® award-winning soundtrack of the
blockbuster film The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, and her voice
can also be heard in the multiple award-winning Canadian film Ararat.
She has been honored with four Juno awards, Canada's highest recording
prize, most recently for her CD Mozart arie & duetti with fellow
Canadians Russell Braun and Michael Schade. Expanding her vast
discography, Ms. Bayrkdarian was a guest soloist with the Canadian
band Delerium on their 2007 Grammy® nominated dance remix "Angelicus."
Ms. Bayrakdarian is the subject of a CBC-TV film entitled A Long
Journey Home that documents her first trip to Armenia; on another trip
there she recorded a disc of songs by the country's national composer,
Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935), with Serouj Kradjian and the Armenian
Philharmonic Orchestra which is available on the Nonesuch label and
was a 2009 Grammy® nominee.
Exclusive Interview by Roza Grigoryan
Photos by Arthur Harutyunyan
© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/733638/independence-unites-all-armenians-isabel-bayrakdarians-interview-to-armenpress.html
From: A. Papazian