The Guardian (Prince Edward Island), Canada
August 12, 2005 Friday
with Isabel Bayrakdarian
Who: Isabel Bayrakdarian.
Place of birth: Lebanon.
Currently resides: Toronto and Madrid (Spain).
Next concert: After the Indian River Festival concert on Aug. 14, it
will be the Opening Night Gala Concert in New York.
When and where: Sept 18, 2005 Metropolitan Opera House, New York.
Type of music performed: Opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, by Mozart, in the
role of Susanna
CDs released: Joyous Light, Azulao (2004 Juno for Best Classical
Album), Cleopatra (2005 Juno for Best Classical Album) and Pauline
Viardot: Songs
Most dominant musical influences: Armenian sacred music, Mozart,
Middle-Eastern music, and Fado (the folk music of Portugal).
Most important personal influences: Christian faith, the books of
Paulo Cuelho, mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne!
Defining career moment: winning the Metropolitan Opera National
Council Auditions in 1997
What is it that inspires you to sing? By believing in yourself and
having faith in God, you can accomplish almost anything.
Favourite place to sing: Any concert hall which has excellent
acoustics.
Favourite song to perform: An Armenian lullaby called Oror which my
mother used to sing to me.
Favourite singer: Classical singer: Cecilia Bartoli and Renee
Fleming, and Non-Classical: Cesaria Evora
Favourite movie: The Princess Bride.
Favourite food: Sushi.
Person I most admire: My mom!
Best thing about being on the road: Seeing incredible new sights,
experiencing and living with different cultures and, of course,
shopping for unique items and gifts.
Worst thing about being on the road: Doing all the things above
without my husband, Serouj Kradjian, with whom to share everything!
Ultimate ambition: To still have the same wide-eyed enthusiasm and
joy about life and music 50 years down the road!
If you weren’t a singer, what career would you choose? Biomedical
Engineering, in which I actually hold an honours degree from
University of Toronto.
Website:
GRAPHIC: Isabel Bayrakdarian will be on stage at St. Mary’s Church in
Indian River on Aug. 14, as part of this year’s Indian River
Festival.