Biography

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Canadian-Armenian bass-baritone Vartan Gabrielian is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company’s ensemble and the Santa Fe Apprentice program. While still a student, he made his professional debut with the Opéra de Montréal performing the role of Sparafucile (Rigoletto).

Highlights in his 2022/23 season include his role and festival debut as Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress) at the Verbier Festival conducted by James Gaffigan, and his role and house debut as Masetto and Commendatore (Don Giovanni) at the National Arts Centre, and Nourabad (Les pêcheurs de perles) at the Vancouver Opera. At the Canadian Opera Company, Gabrielian returns to perform Jailer (Tosca) and Dottore (Macbeth) in addition to covering Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) and Banco (Macbeth). A sought-after concert performer, Gabrielian will also be performing Verdi’s Requiem under the baton of Francis Choinière and Handel’s Messiah with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Recent appearances include performing the title role in Le nozze di Figaro at the Trentino Music Festival, Betto (Gianni Schicchi), Armed Guard (Die Zauberflöte), and Dottore Grenvil (La traviata) at the Canadian Opera Company, the title role of Sweeney Todd at Curtis Opera Theatre, and Leporello and Commendatore (Don Giovanni) at Opera Philadelphia. In prior seasons, he has performed the following roles at the Chautauqua Institute: King (Ariodante), Colline (La Bohème), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Masetto (Don Giovanni), and Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte).

In 2022, Gabrielian was a finalist at the Belvedere Competition and was also the Western Canada District winner in the Metropolitan Opera Competition. He has been a recipient of awards from numerous organizations including the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Career Bridges Schuyler Foundation, Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, Sylva Gelber Foundation, Gerda Lissner Foundation, and the George London Foundation.