December 21, 2009 - 16:43 AMT
Yerevan to host concert dedicated to Gohar Gasparyan's 85th birth anniversary
A concert dedicated to soprano Gohar Gasparyan's 85th birth anniversary will take place on Tuesday, December 22 in Yerevan. Concert organizers are the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre after Alexander Spendiaryan and Armenia's Ministry of Culture.

"The concert program includes performances by the prominent singer's best students and soloists from the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (David Babayan, Narine Yeghyan. Sofia Sayadyan, Hovhannes Ayvazyan, Armenuhi Seyrabyan etc.), as well as laureates of the contest in memory of Gohar Gasparyan. The audience will listen to works by Armenian and foreign composers," Lena Levonyan, Head of Soloists' Department at National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Gohar Gasparyan born in an Armenian family in Cairo, on December 14, 1924, is also known as the "Armenian nightingale". Gasparyan studied at a Music Academy in the city. In 1948 she migrated to Soviet Armenia along with hundreds of thousands of other Armenians from the Middle East.

From 1949 she had performed 23 operas at the Armenian Opera Theater. She also taught at Yerevan State Conservatory. Gasparyan was a People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Work. She was also honored with Mesrop Mashtots order.

Her repertoire included about 500 works by Russian, French. German and Italian composers. Gohar Gasparyan died on May 16, 2007.