Ara Berberian was an American bass and actor who had an active international career in operas, concerts, and musicals from the early 1960s until his retirement from the stage in 1997.
19 Facts About Ara Berberian
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Ara Berberian notably had an 18-year association with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where he gave a total of 334 performances between 1979 and 1997.
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Ara Berberian sang over 100 roles during his career, including those of Osmin in Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio and Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto.
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Ara Berberian died on February 21,2005, in Boynton Beach, Florida.
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Ara Berberian then matriculated to the University of Michigan where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a Master of Laws degree.
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Ara Berberian left the team after one season to join the newly created United States Army Chorus in 1956, becoming an enlisted soldier in the United States Army.
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Ara Berberian made his debut in 1958 with the Turnau Opera in Woodstock, New York, as Don Magnifico in Rossini's La Cenerentola.
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Ara Berberian later returned to the NYCO in 1977 to create the role of Gene Henderson in the world premiere in Leon Kirchner's Lily.
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From 1965 to 1968 Ara Berberian was committed to the San Francisco Opera, making his debut with the company in the title role of Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle with Beverly Wolff as Judith and Gerhard Samuel conducting on May 25,1965.
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In 1966 Berberian portrayed the role of the Traveller in Britten's Curlew River at the Caramoor International Music Festival.
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Ara Berberian returned to Santa Fe the following year to portray the roles of Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin and the First Nazarene in Salome.
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Ara Berberian sang with the Baltimore Opera Company, Cincinnati Opera, the Florentine Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, New Orleans Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and the San Antonio Grand Opera Festival among others.
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Ara Berberian made his Metropolitan Opera debut on April 21,1979, as Kecal in The Bartered Bride in an out of town performance in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Ara Berberian made his first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera House as Zacharie in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Le prophete on September 25,1979.
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Ara Berberian sang at the Met for 18 consecutive seasons, portraying more than 100 roles.
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Ara Berberian earned high critical acclaim in the realm of network television.
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Ara Berberian was of Armenian ancestry and, in addition to his operatic repertoire, sang and recorded music by Armenian and Armenian-American composers such as Komitas and Alan Hovhaness; he recorded three LP albums of the latter composer's songs.
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Ara Berberian opened Game 3 of the 1984 World Series singing "The Star-Spangled Banner".
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Ara Berberian was an active environmentalist and had a keen interest in preserving forest land and old barns.