Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian kicks off East Coast, Canada tour

Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian Kicks Off East Coast Canada Tour

NEW YORK — Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian is launching an imaginative concert series across the East Coast of Canada and in New York City this November. Her program, titled "Ancestral Songs, Prayers and Lullabies," celebrates the musical lineage inspired by Gomidas and continued by his followers Parsegh Ganatchian and Mihran Toumajan.

In an interview with Lisa Terrizzi of the Friends of Armenian Cultural Society, who is organizing the Boston concert, Bayrakdarian reflected on her artistic path and lifelong dedication to revealing and sharing Armenian musical heritage.

Interview Excerpt

Lisa Terrizzi (L.T.): Did you grow up in a musical household, and what drew you specifically to voice?

Isabel Bayrakdarian (I.B.): My first love was, and still is, Armenian sacred music. Discovering and singing our ancient hymns has been a deeply personal journey—one that leads forward, inward, and upward. I grew up playing piano and singing in the Armenian church choir in Lebanon. When I began voice lessons as a teenager in Canada, my goal was to communicate with God freely through singing, supported by strong technique.

Author’s Summary

Isabel Bayrakdarian’s new concert series honors Armenian musical tradition while reflecting her spiritual passion and artistic evolution.

The Armenian Weekly — 2025-11-07