Armenians in Film
Featuring musical and dance performances
You will be mesmerised by this extraordinary cultural event featuring a special concert by Natalie Aroyan, Principal Soprano with Opera Australia and Dr. Hayk Arsenyan, New York based pianist-composer, featuring 6 short films by Armenian Film-makers. Performances by AGBU Tamzara Armenian Dance Group.
Natalie Aroyan - Soprano
Acclaimed as a true Verdian Soprano ~ a voice full with rich colour, voluptuous tone and dramatic firmness in her lower register Soprano.
Natalie Aroyan is a member of Opera Australia's Principal ensemble, performing regularly at the Sydney Opera House. Her major roles have included Title Role in Aida, Odabella in Attila, Mimì in La Bohéme, Desdemona in Otello, Micaëla in Carmen, Elvira in Ernani, Rachel in La Juive, Helen of Troy in Mefistofele and Amelia in Simon Boccanegra.
In 2008 Natalie was awarded first place in the Opera Foundation New York Competition and Herald Sun Aria Competition. In 2099 she commenced her Professional Studies Diploma at Mannes College, New York, studying with Soprano Ruth Falcon.
Natalie has attended "Solti Te Kanawa Accademia" program in Tuscany, Italy, where she worked with both Maestro Richard Bonynge and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. In 2010 she worked with Maestro Renata Scotto in Tampa and participated in The American Institute of Music (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, where she won first place and awarded the audience vote in the 49th Meistersinger Competition Finals.
On her return to Australia in 2011, she was awarded first place in The Italian Opera Foundation competition which enabled her to spend a year in Italy studying with soprano, Mirella Freni at the Accademia of Bel Cando in Modena, Italy.
Natalie has made her international debuts in Korea as Micaëla (Carmen) for Sugi Opera Co., Italy as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra at Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, and title role of Aida during The Verdi Festival in Bussetto at Teatro Verdi. In 2023 she made her debut in the title role of Adriana Lecouvreur with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House. Her opening night success continued to soar through the remainder of the season.
Dr. Hayk Arsenyan – concert Pianist
New York based pianist Hayk Arsenyan has appeared in numerous recitals throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas, in venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Salle Cortot (Paris), Cadillac-Shanghai Concert Hall (China), Kumin Hall (Tokyo), Petranka Mozarteum (Prague), Auditorio Delibes (Valladolid), Dar-Al-Assad Opera House (Damascus), Sala Cervantes (Havana), MoBU (Sao Paolo), Tchaikovsky Hall (Moscow), Philippines National Museum (Bacolod), and televised recitals at the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, the Phillips Collection Series in Washington DC and at the Nixon Presidential Museum in Los Angeles.
At the age of 11 Mr. Arsenyan made his debut at the Armenian Philharmonic performing his own Requiem for the piano and orchestra. At the age of 17, he made his European debut as a soloist with the Radio France National Philharmonic Orchestra and was awarded a platinum medal by the City of Paris. In 2007, Mr. Arsenyan debuted at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall performing with Pinchas Zukerman and the Manhattan Chamber Sinfonia.
A long-time professor at NYU Tisch School, Dr. Arsenyan has presented guest lectures and masterclasses at universities and conservatories around the globe, such as University of Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia, the Hong Kong University, Waseda University in Tokyo, Manhattan School of Music in NY, University of Texas in Austin, and National Conservatory in Damascus. His critically acclaimed book on interpretation of 18th century Spanish music by Antonio Soler "El Mundo de Soler" is published by the prestigious publishing house Boileau Editorial de Musica in Barcelona. www.SolersWorld.com
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa and a Master’s degree from the Gnessins Music Academy in Moscow. In 2007 he received a full-tuition Yevgeny Kissin award for Professional Studies at Manhattan School of Music in New York. Mr. Arsenyan also studied the piano at École Normale Supérieure de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot.
Armenian in Film – presented by Dr Hayk Arsenyan
The AGBU Performing Arts ‘6 Short Films’ has been showcasing works by award winning Armenian filmmakers at the Film Society of Lincoln Center since 2015, the most distinguished film venue in the US, and at the prestigious Curzon Victoria film theater in London.
These talented artists are graduates of prestigious film schools, such as NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Columbia University and UCLA, and have screened their films at legendary festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sunset Film Festival, and more. The screening is followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers, moderated by a renowned film industry professional.