Gohar Gasparyan is a great Soviet singer of Armenian descent, the owner of a unique coloratura soprano. She is famous for performing almost all classical opera parties for women, in the Soviet Union the phrase "Gasparyan sings" has become synonymous with female opera. From this article you can find a biography of Gohar Gasparyan.
early years
Goar Mikaelovna Gasparyan (nee Khachatryan) was born on December 14, 1924 in Cairo (Egypt), in an Armenian family. While studying at Cairo's Galustyan College, Gohar first discovered singing inclinations in elective music classes. While studying at school, the girl also began to sing in the choir of the Armenian church of Gregory the Illuminator. Having received school education, the novice singer took up vocals professionally. Her teachers were Italians Vincenzo Carro and Elise Feldman. In 1940, the 16-year-old Goar was invited to Egypt's state radio - she remained his soloist for eight years, performing successful recitals and simultaneously continuing to study professional vocals.
In 1948, Gohar Gasparyan decided to move to the USSR. She settled in Armenia (at that time the Armenian SSR), because she loved her small Motherland and always wanted to live where her ancestors came from.
Opera work
In 1949, the twenty-five-year-old Gohar Gasparyan became the soloist of the Spendiarov Armenian Opera and Ballet Theater, in which she performed the title roles in twenty-three operas. Among them:
- Anush, Karine, Lakme and Norma in Tigranyan's operas of the same name;
- Chukhajyan, Delibes and Bellini;
- Lucia staged by Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti;
- Desdemona in Othello and Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto;
- Rosina in the "Seville Barber" by Rossini;
- Martha in the Tsar’s Bride and Shamakhanskaya Tsarina in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Golden Cockerel;
- Margarita in “Faust” and Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” by Gounod.
In the video below, you can see the performance of Gohar Gasparyan of the song-aria of Dinora from the opera of the same name by Giacomo Meyerbeer.
Other areas of activity
In addition to opera performances, Goar Mikaelovna actively toured the republics of the USSR and other countries (USA, England, France, Japan and many others). Her solo concerts included works by many composers such as Bach, Mozart, Handel, Grieg, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, as well as Italian, French, German and Armenian folk songs.
Gohar Gasparyan also appeared in films. Sometimes she voiced the vocal parts of the characters, as in the films The Secret of the Mountain Lake (1954), Karine (1967), Anush (1983), Arshak (1988). And sometimes appearing in film concerts, such as “The Armenian Concert” (1954), “On This Holiday Evening” (1959), “Gohar Gasparyan Sings” (1963), “Gohar” (1974).
In addition, since 1964, Goar Mikaelovna was a teacher at the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan, since 1973 she has been a professor at the Department of Vocal and Opera Art.
Gohar Gasparyan was also a deputy of the seventh and eighth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and a deputy of the fifth convocation of the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR.
Awards and titles
During her long musical career, Goar Mikaelovna became the owner of almost all the main awards of the Soviet Union.
In 1951, the singer received a third-degree Stalin Prize for her performance of Gohar in the opera Heroine.
In 1954, Gohar Gasparyan was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Armenian SSR, and in 1956 - People's Artist of the USSR.
In 1964, she received the State Prize of the Armenian SSR.
In 1981, Goar Mikaelovna was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples, in 1984 - the Order of Lenin and the title of Hero of Socialist Labor for his outstanding contribution to the development of musical art of the USSR. Also in 1984, Gohar Gasparyan became an honorary citizen of Yerevan.
In 1994, the singer was awarded the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots - the main state award of Armenia since 1993.
