Astghik Khanamiryan
The Armenian soprano Astghik Khanamiryan (Astrik Khanamiryan) discovered her love for music at an early age. After graduating from the State Music Conservatory in Yerevan in 2007, she gained her initial stage experiences in roles such as Lisa in "The Queen of Spades," Tatiana in "Eugene Onegin," and Zemfira in "Aleko." She continued her studies in Vienna, where she performed roles including Michaela, Violetta, and the Mother in "Hansel and Gretel."
Astghik Khanamiryan's professional career in Austria began with performances at the Palais Palffy with the Wiener Mozart Orchestra and the Prayner Konservatoriums Orchestra. These performances were quickly followed by large-scale concerts across Europe, including appearances at the Hohenloher Kultursommer, Musikwelten Schrems, and the Viennese Imperial Concerts.
From 2018 onwards, Ms. Khanamiryan's career saw significant milestones. In 2018, she sang the role of Abigaille (Verdi) at the Heidenheim Opera Festival in Germany. The following year, she made her debut as Turandot (Puccini) at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo and starred in the title role of "Giovanna d'Arco" (Verdi) at TOBS in Switzerland. In 2020, she performed the role of Anna Bianca in the opera "Palla de’ Mozzi" by Gino Marinuzzi at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari.
In 2022, Ms. Khanamiryan portrayed Abigaille (Verdi) at the "Opera in the Quarry" festival in Austria, Turandot (Puccini) at the Banská Bystrica Opera House, and at the Cologne Opera. In 2023, she performed Turandot at the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki, a performance broadcast live on OperaVision. This was followed by the soprano part in the Verdi Requiem in Banská Bystrica and a summer performance of Turandot in her hometown at the Opera House in Yerevan.
The 2023/2024 season saw Ms. Khanamiryan in roles such as Lady Macbeth (Verdi), Tosca (Puccini), and Aida (Verdi) at the Aalto Theater in Essen, and Lady Macbeth (Verdi) at the Graz and Coburg Operas. She also performed Amelia in "Un ballo in maschera" by G. Verdi at the Cologne Opera in 2024.
In the 2024/2025 season, she will sing Leonora in "La forza del destino" in the premiere at the Aalto Theater. Additionally, she will be seen in the roles of Tosca (Puccini), Aida (Verdi), and Abigaille (Verdi).
Ms. Khanamiryan has been praised for her powerful and versatile voice, with critics lauding her “dramatic top notes and touching lyrical passages” in Aida (Uli Rehwald), her “psycho-erotic marital warfare par excellence” and her “inexhaustible noble voice [that] transforms Verdi's brilliant Shakespeare opera into an expressive bel canto thriller deluxe” in Macbeth (Roland H. Dippel), and her versatile mezzo voice that “almost too nobly overshadowed the excellent ensemble of singers” (Michael Vieth). In Giovanna d'Arco, she demonstrated “seemingly inexhaustible power reserves, unending breath, and immense vocal versatility,” achieving “a captivating interpretation” (Jan Krobot). Her portrayal of Abigaille in Nabucco was highlighted for its “dramatic power in the high notes and masterful handling of demanding octave leaps” (Online Musik Magazin).