Astghik Khanamiryan

Armenian soprano Astghik Khanamiryan, also known as Astrik Khanamiryan, has been a member of the Aalto Theater Essen ensemble since the 2023/24 season. Her repertoire there includes Aida, Tosca, Lady Macbeth, Abigaille in Nabucco and Leonora in La forza del destino. Her engagements there in 2026 extend to Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello and the Lady in Hindemith’s Cardillac, alongside Minnie in La fanciulla del West. Announced engagements for 2026/27 include Mimì in La bohème and, in 2027, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana and further appearances as Minnie.

Turandot has taken Ms. Khanamiryan to opera houses across Europe. She sang the title role at Teatro Massimo Palermo in 2019, followed by engagements at Cologne Opera, State Opera Banská Bystrica and the Armenian and Finnish national operas. Her appearances as Turandot also include Essen in 2025 and engagements in Wiesbaden in 2025 and 2026. These performances complement her continuing work in Verdi: Lady Macbeth has brought her to Graz and Coburg as well as Essen, while her 2026 engagements include Amelia in Un ballo in maschera at Theater Erfurt.

Other Verdi appearances include Abigaille at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe and Amelia at Bucharest National Opera in 2025, following Abigaille at Oper im Steinbruch in St. Margarethen in 2022. Her repertoire also encompasses less frequently performed Italian works. She sang Anna Bianca in Gino Marinuzzi’s Palla de’ Mozzi at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in 2020 and the title role in Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco at Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn in 2019 and 2020.

Earlier roles include Nedda in Pagliacci and Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana at the Oper im Berg Festival in Salzburg, Mimì in productions at Schloss Braunfels and Schloss Amerang, and Antonia in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Opernakademie Bad Orb. Ms. Khanamiryan also appeared regularly in operetta at Austria’s Romantik Theater between 2014 and 2018. Her concert work includes Verdi’s Requiem in Banská Bystrica in 2023 and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Essen in 2024, continuing an activity that began with early performances in Austria, including with the Wiener Mozart Orchestra at Palais Palffy.

Ms. Khanamiryan received her formal training at the State Conservatory in Yerevan, graduating in 2007 with a diploma in opera performance. During her studies in Yerevan she also gained stage experience in the Opera Studio. She subsequently attended the opera class at the Vienna Conservatory, completing it in 2010. She won First Prize at Grandi Voci in Salzburg in 2016. Her distinctions in 2018 included first prizes at the Marcello Giordani Competition in Noto and Voci dal Mondo in Turin, a special debut prize in Noto, a diploma and State Opera prize at the Gabriela Beňačková Competition in Banská Bystrica, and the Arca d’Oro award for young talents in Turin.