The Armenian-Canadian mezzo-soprano, Nora Sourouzian, captivates audiences worldwide with her rich and expressive voice and captivating stage presence. After studying at McGill University in Montreal and a stint in the Young Artists Program of the Internationaal Opera Centrum Nederland in Amsterdam, Nora Sourouzian honed her skills at the Staatstheater Kassel. Her talent blossomed, opening doors to the most prestigious opera houses, including the Zurich Opera, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Opéra du Châtelet in Paris, the Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg, the Teatro Sao Paolo in Lisbon, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Den Norske Opera in Oslo, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, the Komische Oper Berlin, the Leipzig Opera, the Cologne and Essen Opera, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the Quebec and Montreal operas, Palm Beach Opera, Seattle Opera, Bellas Artes in Mexico, and the New National Theatre in Tokyo. Her talent has also been recognized by renowned conductors such as Paolo Carignani, Cyril Diedrich, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Marc Minkowski, Leif Segerstam, Ed Spanjaard, and Franz Welser-Möst.
With nearly 50 roles in her repertoire, Nora Sourouzian demonstrates vocal agility and an ability to embody diverse characters. She excels in dramatic mezzo-soprano roles, such as Azucena in Il trovatore, Amneris in Aida, Eboli in Don Carlo, and Carmen, a role she has performed in over 20 productions. Nora Sourouzian does not limit herself to the great classics. She boldly explores rarer works, revealing the richness and diversity of her talent. Her repertoire includes Massenet operas such as Thérèse, La Navarraise (where she shone in the role of Anita) and Don Quichotte (in the role of Dulcinée) and finally Werther (in the role of Charlotte). She also ventures into contemporary compositions, such as Daugherty's Jackie O. (where she played Callas), Nuno Cortez Real's Rapaz de Bronze (in the role of Florinda), and Dvořák's Dimitrij (in the role of Marfa).
Her interest in discovery leads her to explore varied French opera universes, such as Théodore Dubois's Aben Hamet and Fauré's Pénélope, an opera in which she triumphed at the Wexford Festival. She returned there to perform Herodias in Mariotte's Salomé.
Finally, her interpretation of Ježibaba in Rusalka was critically acclaimed, demonstrating her ability to master both classical and contemporary roles.
She is particularly recognized for her interpretations of Mahler's works, such as the poignant Lied von der Erde and the profound 3rd Symphony, as well as for the subtlety of her singing in the same composer's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Her interpretation of Schönberg's Lied der Waldtaube, excerpted from Gurrelieder, is also remarkable. She has also performed Haydn's cantata Arianna a Naxos, Mozart's Requiem, and Beethoven's 9th Symphony. She masterfully handles Berlioz's Les Nuits d'été, Wagner's Wesendonck-Lieder, as well as Frank Martin's cycle Le Cornet and his oratorio Golgotha.
In 2024-25, she opened the season with Azucena in Il trovatore at the Staatstheater Braunschweig, where she also appeared on stage as the Prioress Madame de Croissy in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites. As part of the May 2025 International Festival, she will perform the mezzo-soprano part in Verdi's Requiem at the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden under the direction of Leo McFall.
Nora Sourouzian, a passionate artist whose voice and talent continue to resonate on the world's opera stages.
