Varduhi, you have literally lived in the opera since childhood. Please tell me how, in your opinion, the opera has changed during this time regarding respect for talent and hard work?

— The opera, like the whole world, has changed a lot. On the one hand, today young artists have more opportunities to express themselves, to be heard, and to go international. This is a huge plus. On the other hand – the rhythm became faster, sometimes the result is valued «here and now», rather than a long, painstaking path of becoming. But I believe that true talent and genuine hard work always remain valuable. In the opera it is impossible to deceive – a scene immediately shows how much work, discipline and love for the profession you have.

Shushan Sargsyan has been nominated for the «Grammy». It is a tremendous success. I think it is promising for all opera art. I think her opera will be performed in 100 years too. Do you agree?

— I have not yet heard the opera by Shushan Sargsyan, but the very fact of being nominated is already a great achievement. I am truly proud that she is Armenian. This is an important moment not only for her personally but also for our entire culture. Such events draw attention to contemporary opera and show that the genre is alive and evolving. If music is genuine and true, it will surely finds its listener and pass the test of time.

Let’s imagine. Concert on the Republic Square in Yerevan. Which arena for performance will you choose first?

— In the first place I would choose some Armenian aria. And if we talk about the international repertoire, it would be the aria «O mio babbino caro» by Giacomo Puccini. It is very popular and designed for a wide audience. It has incredible sincerity, simplicity and at the same time great emotional depth. Furthermore, it’s music that touches everyone – no matter how familiar a person is with opera. For such a place and such an audience, it would sound especially warm and genuine.

Varduhi, our regular question: please advise which opera to go to the audience for the first time? What to choose for a romantic date? Which one would be good for a family night?

— For the first acquaintance with the opera I would recommend something very melodious and understandable, such as «Traviata» Verdi. She is easily captivating and very emotional – after her, as a rule, you definitely want to come to the opera again.
For a romantic date will be perfect «La boheme» or «Madama Butterfly» Puccini will be perfect—they have a lot of tenderness, romanticism, love and lyrics.
For a family evening you can choose «The Magic Flute» by Mozart – it is bright, lively, humorous and will suit the audience of any age.

Varduhi, thank you for your time and a very interesting conversation!