Armenian Prelacy of Canada Press Office
3401 Olivar Asselin
Montreal, Quebec H4J 1L5
Tel: (514) 856-1200
Fax (514) 856-1805
E-mail: prelacy@armenianprelacy.ca

Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Canada
bestows the prestigious “Sourp Mesrob Mashdots” medal to Canadian Armenian
soprano, Isabel Bayrakdarian

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy Sea of Cilicia, acting upon the
request of His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Armenian
Prelacy of Canada, bestows the prestigious “Sourp Mesrob Mashdots” medal to
Canadian Armenian soprano, Isabel Bayrakdarian.

The official awarding ceremony of the “Sourp Mesrob Mashdots” medal took
place on Sunday, August 15, 2004 during the celebrations of Assumption of
the Holy Mother of God at the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Toronto by
His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Hagopian.

Born in Beirut, Ms. Bayrakdarian began singing Armenian liturgical music in
the church choir at the age of three, and even continues to do so today. Her
debut album, Joyous Light, was a collection of medieval Armenian sacred
music dating from the 5th century onwards. It reached no.1 in the classical
charts across Canada within days of its release.

Ms. Bayrakdarian has received numerous awards throughout her career, most
recently taking home a Juno for her second album, Azulão. She can also be
heard on the Grammy award-winning soundtrack, Lord of the Rings, The Two
Towers, as well as Atom Egoyan’s Ararat.

Ms. Bayrakdarian’s upcoming engagements include Suzanna in a new production
of Le nozze di Figaro with Los Angeles Opera, a debut with the San Francisco
Symphony (Mahler’s 2nd Symphony) and a recording project this summer. During
the 2004/2005 she returns to the Metropolitan Opera, to the Lyric Opera of
Chicago twice, and she makes her debut with the Pittsburgh Opera. In
concerts and recitals she appears in Montreal, Washington, Toronto,
Victoria, Edmonton and Vancouver, Yerevan, Armenian among other cities.

Management: Ronald A. Wilford and Elizabeth Crittenden; Columbia Artists
Management Inc.; Tel: (212) 841-9501; Fax: (212) 841-9687.

Armenian Prelacy of Canada Press Office
3401 Olivar Asselin, Montreal, Quebec H4J 1L5 Tel: (514) 856-1200; Fax (514)
856-1805; E-mail: prelacy@armenianprelacy.ca

Isabel Bayrakdarian’s publicist: Barbora Krsek; Tel: (416) 534-3337;
Fax: (416) 534-5661; E-mail: publicity@classicalpr.com