PRESS OFFICE
Armenian Holy Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese
Contact: Deacon Hagop Arslanian, Assistant to the Primate
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont Quebec H2V 3H2
Tel; 514-276-9479, Fax; 514-276-9960
Email; adiocese@aol.com
Website;
The Canadian Primate presents world renowned Soprano Isabel
Bayrakdarian with the St. Sahag-St. Mesrob highest Insignia of the
Armenian Church
On Sunday, February 27, 2005 during the Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity
Armenian Apostolic Church of Toronto at 920 Progress Avenue, His
Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate presented Mrs. Isabel
Bayrakdarian with the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II
Catholicos of all Armenians and the St. Sahag-St. Mesrop the highest
Insignia of the Armenian Church “in appreciation of her contribution
to the Armenian Church Sacred Music”.
The Holy Trinity Armenian Church was filled with the faithful of the
community. Toronto Armenians had the opportunity to witness this
momentous occasion and express their good wishes for her many
accomplishments and extend their congratulations upon receiving these
richly deserved awards. Rev. Arch. Fr. Zareh Zargarian accompanied by
choir of Holy Trinity Armenian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
The church choir was honored to have Isabel Bayrakdarian, join them in
the singing of the Holy Mass.
Isabel Bayrakdarian is an exemplary member of the Armenian Holy
Apostolic Church who through her name and voice recognition has
introduced the music of our Church and the Armenia people to a wider
listening audience. She is a young soprano who gained international
prominence with her astonishing voice. Her biography includes singing
with leading orchestras and has played various roles in Operas
including Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Zerlina in Don Giovani
and Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare in the spring of 2002. Her success as
Catherine in the world premiere of William Bolcom’s A View from the
Bridge at the Lyric Opera of Chicago prompted the theatre to invite
her as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in 2001 and as Susanna in Le
Nozze di Figaro for the fall of 2003.
In 2000 she made her debut at Milan’s La Scala in Bernstein’s West
Side Story, her Paris debut at the Theatre Des Champs-Elysees as
Cleopatra in Adolf Hasse’s Marc-Antonio e Cleopatra under Rene Jacobs,
and her Carnegie Hall debut in Marilyn Horne’s Birthday Gala. Her
other European engagements have taken to Karlsrhe, Montpellier, and
Dresden.
The first prize in the Placido Domingo Opera 2000 Competition is her
more resent award. Previously she is the winner of the Metropolitan
Opera National Council Award, the 2000 Leonie Rysanek Award from the
George London Foundation, the Marilyn Horne Foundation Award and the
Canada Council grant, among many others.
In addition to her operatic engagements, Mrs. Bayraktarian has
appeared in recital with Placido Domingo in Los Angeles and at a Gala
for the National Arts Centre with artists Yo-Yo Ma and Pinches No.5
for CBC Television, for which she earned a Gemini nomination. Canada’s
CTV Network has featured her in a full documentary.
In 2002 she performed at the Paris Opera (the Bastille) the San
Francisco Opera and made her debut at New York’s Metropolitan
Opera. She recorded her treasured CD of Armenian Church hymns called
“Luys Light”