Singer - Soprano

Elvira Uzunian

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Elvira UZUNIAN, soprano was the principal soloist at the Armenian State Opera House. During a distinguished 30-year career, she played 25 leading roles.

She was also much in demand as a solo concert and recording artist, with more than 100 performances taped by Soviet National Radio Network in Moscow.

A film career (Madame Uzunian played dramatic acting parts in five films) and regularly published articles on music in the press enhanced her status as an outstanding and unique exponent of the art.

Elvira UZUNIAN was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. She studied at the Tbilisi State Conservatory of Music and in Moscow with the legendary Bolshoi soprano Yelena Katulskaya. While still a student at the Tbilisi Conservatory, she took part in a competition held at the Armenian State Opera House in 1962. She was immediately invited to join the Operas Company. She graduated early and made her debut as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata in 1963.

Association with the famous American tenor Jan Peerce made a strong impact on the young singer's career. Jan Peerce came to Yerevan (Armenia) and Tbilisi Opera House (Georgia) to star in productions of La Traviata and Rigoletto.

Elvira UZUNIAN, the young star of the Opera House was trusted to sing opposite him. In one of his interviews after a joint performance, he called Madame UZUNIAN "an extremely charming and brilliant singer with a beautiful voice". During the week, Jan Peerce took on the role of Elvira UZUNIAN's mentor and teacher. She sang for him every day and he gave her valuable advice on singing and performing.

Madame UZUNIAN's American debut took place in 1970. She went on a two months concert tour with the members of the Yerevan Opera that took them to New York (Carnegie Hall, Hall of the Untied Nations), Chicago, San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, and Canada. While on tour, Madame UZUNIAN often sang the Scene of Anush's madness from "Anush" by the Armenian composer Armen Tigranian to great critical and public acclaim. While singing most of the Western repertoire, she gained great popularity in Georgia and Armenia for her performance of "Anush" and other Armenian and Georgian classical operas. She was awarded the title of People's Artist in both Armenia and Georgia. She also scored a triumph as Maria in the first production of "West Side Story" to be staged in the Soviet Union. Madame UZUNIAN sang leading roles in the premiere productions of Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Consul" and "The Telephone" in Armenia. The production of "The Telephone" was later made into an opera on film.

An avid promoter of operatic art, Madame UZUNIAN created a unique and successful cycle of concerts titled "From the Pages of Opera". She performed arias, duets, excerpts from operas by many composers from Mozart to Menotti. She pioneered this form of concert performances in the Soviet Union.

Madame UZUNIAN has performed throughout the former Soviet Union. Performances and concert tours have taken her to Germany, Canada, Egypt, Eastern European countries, South East Asia, and the United States.

To be able to see a review of her last CD from "FANFARE"
visit Elvira Uzunian's TbilArtNet Gallery Page in Georgia

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