Aram Barsamian

Aram Barsamian, baritone, received his B. M. degree from CSU Fullerton and his M. M. degree from the University of Southern California, honored as the Outstanding Music Graduate. While still completing his master’s degree, he made his professional opera debut as Schaunard in La bohème, with the New West Symphony. In 1996 he made his debut with Sacramento Opera, as Schaunard, which led to his re-engagement with the company for the productions of Gianni Schicchi, Il barbiere di Siviglia, The Merry Widow, Tosca, Carmen, Rigoletto, Les côntes d’Hoffmann, La traviata, Roméo et Juliette, and La Cenerentola. In 1997, while a member of the prestigious Merola Opera Program, he sang the role of Dandini in La Cenerentola, co-starring Joyce di Donato. Immediately thereafter, he made his San Francisco Opera debut in Britten’s last opera, Death in Venice. Favorite roles include Malatesta in Don Pasquale (Opera Santa Barbara), Belcore in L’elisir d’amore (Pacific Repertory Opera), Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte (Pacific Repertory Opera), Belfiore in Verdi’s Un giorno di regno (Lyric Opera of Los Angeles), and Papageno in The Magic Flute (Nevada Opera Studio). The baritone has sung the role of André in several concert performances of Jules Massenet’s opera Thérèse and is a co-founder of The Thérèse Project. Mr. Barsamian is a two-time district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

An active concert artist, Mr. Barsamian sang in “Debbie and Friends”, the concert that inaugurated Meng Concert Hall in 2006, singing alongside distinguished CSUF alumna Deborah Voigt. The baritone has performed the solos in numerous oratorios, among which are Messiah, Judas Maccabaeus, the Requiems by Mozart, Fauré, Brahms and Duruflé, St. John Passion, Ich habe genug, Dixit Dominus, etc. In 2011-2014 he performed recital programs honoring the poetry of Francesco Petrarch and Heinrich Heine at La Sierra University, Pasadena City College, Mt SAC, CSULA and the Intimate Opera Company.

Mr. Barsamian began his teaching career in 2001, at La Sierra University, where he directed/conducted Massenet’s operas Cendrillon (2004) and Thaïs (2006), as well as Pauline Viardot’s salon opera Cendrillon (2008). He joined the faculty of CSULB’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music in 2014. Currently, he is the Coordinator of Classical Vocal Studies and the Director of Opera Studies at Fullerton College. The baritone has also served on the voice faculties of Pasadena City College and Mount San Antonio College. A member of the Pacific Chorale since 2004, Mr. Barsamian is currently the bass section leader, as well as Assistant to the Artistic Director and Language Coach.