Ara Berberian

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Ara Berberian
Born
Ara Berberian

(1930-05-14)14 May 1930
Detroit, Michigan, US
Died21 February 2005(2005-02-21) (aged 74)
Boynton Beach, Florida
, US
Occupation(s)Actor, Opera Singer

Ara Berberian (

Verdi's Rigoletto
.

Biographic data

Berberian was born in

Detroit, Michigan, on May 14, 1930. He died on February 21, 2005, in Boynton Beach, Florida
.

Early life and education

Born in Detroit, Berberian attended the

Culver Military Academy, a college preparatory school in Culver, Indiana, from which he graduated in 1948. One of his classmates and friends at Culver was baseball executive George Steinbrenner. He then matriculated to the University of Michigan where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a Master of Laws degree. While there he also studied voice privately with Kenneth Westerman and performed in several operas, musicals, and choral ensembles at the University.[1]

After working as a lawyer for one year, Berberian became a pitcher in 1955 with a minor-league baseball team affiliated with the

Beverly Peck Johnson of the Juilliard School. Over the next few years he sang as a soloist with the Robert Shaw Chorale and the New York City Opera (NYCO).[1]

Career

Berberian made his debut in 1958 with the

Abduction from the Seraglio, and Tiresias in Oedipus rex among others. He later returned to the NYCO in 1977 to create the role of Gene Henderson in the world premiere in Leon Kirchner's Lily
.

From 1965 to 1968 Berberian was committed to the San Francisco Opera, making his debut with the company in the title role of Béla Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle with Beverly Wolff as Judith and Gerhard Samuel conducting on May 25, 1965. Other roles he sang with the company included Alvise Badoero in La Gioconda, Biterolf in Wagner's Tannhäuser, The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, both Charles V and the Friar in Don Carlos, Ferrando in Il trovatore, Inspector in The Visitation, Narbal in Hector Berlioz's Les Troyens, Orest's tutor in Elektra, Pimen in Boris Godunov, A rag picker in Louise, Samuel in Un ballo in maschera, The Speaker in The Magic Flute, the Wise Man in Christophe Colomb, and Man in the United States premiere of Kurt Weill's Royal Palace.[2]

In 1966 Berberian portrayed the role of the Traveller in Britten's

New Orleans Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and the San Antonio Grand Opera Festival
among others.

Berberian made his

La boheme on January 23, 1997.[4]

Berbarian's talents were not limited to the operatic stage, however. He also earned high critical acclaim in the realm of network television. In 1971 he collaborated with

CBS Television. Nearly a decade earlier in 1964, he also collaborated with Antonini in CBS's televised adaptation of Hector Berlioz's sacred oratorio L'enfance du Christ in the role of Father.[5][6][7][8][9]

Berberian was of

Komitas and Alan Hovhaness; he recorded three LP albums of the latter composer's songs. He also opened Game 3 of the 1984 World Series singing "The Star-Spangled Banner
".

Berberian was an active environmentalist and had a keen interest in preserving forest land and old barns.[1]

Videography

The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4538, 2009

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Ara Berberian, 74, a Bass In Opera and Musical Theater". The New York Times. February 24, 2005. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  2. ^ "San Francisco Opera Performance Archive". archive.sfopera.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Santa Fe Opera archives". Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  4. ^ Inmagic, Inc. "Metropolitan Opera Association". archives.metoperafamily.org. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Ara Berberian". IMDb. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  6. ^ "And David Wept". 14 April 1971. Retrieved 20 April 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
  7. ^ "Alfredo Antonini". IMDb. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Laderman, Ezra". Milken Archive of Jewish Music. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  9. ^ "L'enfance du Christ". 20 December 1964. Retrieved 20 April 2018 – via www.imdb.com.

External links

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