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Gegham Grirorian (opera singer, tenor)

The world-famous tenor Gegham Grigorian was born on January 29, 1951 in Yerevan (Republic of Armenia).

Grigoryan graduated from Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, the class of People's Artist of Armenia professor Sergei Danielyan. Grigorian made his first appearance on the big stage in 1971 at age 20, in 1972 he went to West Berlin to appear with solo concerts.

In 1975 he made his debut at the Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater of Armenia after A. Spendiaryan in the role of  Edgar (opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" by  Donizetti). This is followed by Saro (opera "Anush" by Tigranian), Tirith ("Arshak II"  by Chukhajyan),  Sayat Nova ("Sayat-Nova" by  Harutyunyan), Count  Almaviva ("The Barber of Seville" by Rossini), Faust ("Faust" by Gounod).

In the 1970s he was already a famous singer in the former Soviet Union. In 1978 he took part in the competition of the School of Art in Milan at the theater "La Scala" and was one of the four lucky winners who were  invited to qualify for this school. During his traineeship in Italy, he participated in several concerts. In "La Scala" Gegham Grigorian made his debut in the role of Pinkerton ("Madame Butterfly" by Puccini). After that performance, he signed a contract with the theater "La Scala" on the leading rols of the operas "Boris Godunov" and "Tosca," conducted by Claudio Abbado, who was La Scala's principal conductor

Restricted to travel to abroad

Unfortunately, the Soviet Union authorities, for unknown reasons, forbade him to act outside the territory of the Soviet Union for 10 years. In those years Grigorian was in the list of so-called restricted artists to travel abroad.

In 1980, Virgilijus Noreika, artistic director of Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre invites Grigorian  to work  In Vilnius. There Grigorian worked with the famous conductor Jonas Alex. He sang in the operas "Eugene Onegin", "Don Carlos", "Boris Godunov," "La Traviata," "Madame Butterfly," "Rigoletto" and many others. Since 1989, at the invitation of Valery Gergiev he performed at the Mariinsky Theatre  as the lead  singer.

Here Grigorian was a great success. In those years, the Mariinsky Theatre just gained fame. Gegham Grigorian made a great contribution in the formation and establishment of company of soloists, that always marks with a sense of gratitude the chief conductor and artistic director Valery Gergiev. Until now, in St.Petersburg and throughout Russia, opera fans remember the beautiful and dramatic voice and a magnificent performance of Gegham Grigorian.

Since 1990 the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse, and Grigorian had the opportunity to travel to foreign countries

Abroad Career

This stage of career of Grigorian began with debut at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1993, at the Royal Opera Hous (London), he made his debut in the role of Lensky ("Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky), and in the role of Herman ("The Queen of Spades" by Tchaikovsky) in 1995. Grigoryan sang at all famous and big Opera Houses and concert halls. Covent Garden (“Mazepa”, “Eugene Onegin”), Metropolitan Opera (“The Queen of Spades", "Aida", "War and Peace", " Un Ballo in Maschera", "Prince Igor", "Cavalleria Rusticana", "Tosca" ), La Scala ("Madame Butterfly", "La Forza del Destino", "Boris Godunov", "Khovanshchina," "Queen of Spades", "War and Peace”), Teatro Colon Buenos Aires (“Fedor", "Pagliacci", " Cloak ", “Norma “), Teatro dell 'Opera di Roma (“ Norma," "Aida"," Un Ballo in Maschera "," La Boheme ", etc.), Barlin Staatsoper (“ Prince Igor, " "Aida", “Il Trovatore, " “Queen of Spades ").

Grigoryan sang in New York, Washington, Tokyo, Paris, Vienne, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Monte Carlo, Geneva, Florence, Japan, etc.

Since 1990, Grigorian was a regular guest at various festivals: "Choregies d'Orange" (Orange, France), at the Summer Opera Season in the Baths of Caracalla (Teatro Dell Opera) (Rome, Italy), Ravenna Festival (Ravenna, Italy), Savonlinna Opera Festival (Savonlinna, Finlyadniya), Festival Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence, Italy), Puccini Festival (Torre del Lago, Italy), Salzburg Festiva (Germany), and many others. In the 1989-96 he was a member of the Committee of the artistic leadership at the Tours Festival (France). He fulfilled all of the most difficult parts for tenors ("Rigoletto" 208 performances, "Aida" 70 productions). He has worked with all the great singers of the classic genre, who created the history of classical performance of 20-21 centuries: Ghiaurov, Mirella Freni, Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Gena Dimitrova, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo. Conductors: Valeri Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Levis, Bartoletti, Svetlanov, Richter. Opera directors: Grenvik, Konchalovsky, Zeffirelli, Hugo de Ana, Giancarlo del Monaco, etc.

After ten years of abroad career Gegham Grigorian has been called one of the best tenors of the 20th century, the list of which is headed by the legendary Enrico Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Franco Corelli.

The artistic director of the Opera and Ballet National Academic Theatre of Armenia after A. Spendiaryan

In 2000 the President of Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan invited him to be the artistic director of the Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater of Armenia after A. Spendiaryan. He directed the theater in that position until 2007. In those years, the Theater staged the following operas directed by Grigorian: Verdi "La Traviata", Tigranyan "Anush", "David Beck" Chukhajyan "Arshak II" During the years of leadership of Grigorian the Theater staged  such  operas of directors invited by  Grigorian as  "Carmen", "Norma", "Aleko”, “ Don Juan.”  The concert version included the following operas: Tchaikovsky "Iolanta",  Mozart "The Magic Flute", Vivaldi "Tigran the Great". The following ballets were performed Aram Khachaturyan "Gayane" M.Mavisakalyan - L. Tchgnavoryan "Saint Hripsime and Trdat," Shchedrin "Carmen - Suite".

Bellini's "Norma" was filmed in the pagan temple of Garni with the artistic staff of theater, (Director: Boris Hayrapetyan (Russia), Production of Spendiaryan Opera and Ballert Theater and Union of Cinematographers of Russia)

From 2015 at the request of the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the troupe of the Opera House, Gegham Grigoryan returned to the Opera and Ballet National Academic Theatre of Armenia as artistic director.

Recordings

By order of Philips Classics Records, Gegham Grigorian has recorded the following operas:

"War and Peace" by Prokofiev http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-War-Peace-highlights-Kirov/dp/B002HSRYDO/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1446061407&sr=1-7&keywords=Gegam+Grigorian

"The Queen of Spades" http://www.cdvpodarok.ru/pages-DVD/classic/obj_id17887_cd12713_attribute_type5/Tchaikovsky+Pique+Dame+Gergiev

"Iolanta" by Tchaikovsky http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Iolanta-P-I/dp/B0000041B9

"Prince Igor" by Borodin

"Sadko" by Rimsky-Korsakov http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Vladimir-Galouzine-Grigorian-Alexashkin/dp/B000FIMG7M

"La Forza del Destino" by Verdi http://www.amazon.com/Forza-Del-Destino-Giuseppe-Verdi/dp/B0000041KU

Filmography

"The Queen of Spades" (St. Petersburg, the Mariinsky Theatre),

"War and Peace" (productions of the Mariinsky Theatre and Covent Garden, the director - Grenvik)

"War and Peace"(productions of the Mariinsky Theatre, Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the director - Kanchalovsky)

"Sadko"

"La Forza del Destino" http://www.tutti-magazine.fr/test/detail/Verdi-La-Force-du-Destin-Mariinsky-Gergiev-DVD-fr/#amazon_box

"Almast" (1985, "Armenfilm")

"Arshak II" (1988,"Armenfilm")

"Norma" (production of National Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia after A. Spendiaryan)

Awards and prizes

Honored Artist of Lithuania (1982)

People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia (1985)

The owner of Medal of Movses Horenatsi (2006)

The owner of the first degree medal for his services to his country (2011)

1982 - Laureate of the Tchaikovsky Competition

1975 - Winner of the contest Glinka

1972 - Winner of the contest of musicians Caucasus

1970 - Winner of the contest Spendiaryan

Other state and international prizes and diplomas