Hripsime Aghakaryan
Pianist
Barseg Tumanyan
Bass
- Bass
Biography
Barseg Tumanyan was born in 1958 in Yerevan, Armenia. He graduated from the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan under the tutelage of the famous baritone A. Karapetyan.
He studied at Teatro alla Scala and, later, moved to Moscow to study at the State Conservatory of Music- with the famous Russian bass Y. Nesterenko.
He began his professional career singing at the Yerevan Opera.
By the late 80’s he was a soloist of the Alexandrov ensemble (official army choir of the Russian armed forces) and toured through Russia, America, Canada and Europe.
During this time he was honored at several international competitions including 3rd prize in Hertogenbosch (Amsterdam - 1981), Gold medal and Jean Donnel prize of Voci Verdiane vocal competition (Busseto - 1983), 2nd prize at Tchaikovsky competition (Moscow - 1986), Grand prize in Rio de Janeiro vocal competition (Rio de Janeiro - 1987).
But it was in 1989 participation in a Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, central London, which ultimately scaled his fate as a highly sought-after international artist singing in leading roles at the major opera houses around the world.
Throughout the years he has received acclaim, particularly for the roles of Attila (Covent Garden, Teatro Colon), Filippo II (Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, Victorian State Opera), Boris Godunov (Bayerische Staatsoper, Oper der Stadt Bonn), Assur (Metropolitan Opera, Concertgebouw), Escamillo (Metropolitan opera, Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, L‘Opéra Bastille de Paris, etc.) and Méphisto (Sydney Opera House, Opera National de Paris, Opera Marseille, Bercy Stadium of Paris, Victorian State Opera of Melbourne, Opera National de Lyon, etc).
Tumanyan debuted in Paris as Méphisto in Charles Gounod’s Faust with production by Nicolas Joel at Bercy Stadium. In the same role, he had a sensational debut at the Victorian State Opera.
He debuted in Germany in the title role of M. Mussorgsky’s "Boris Godunov" with production from J. Schaaf’s at the "Munich State Opera".
His USA debut took place at the "Boston Opera House" where he performed the role of Ramfis in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida" followed by performances of Filippo II in G. Verdi’s “Don Carlo” at the LA Opera and Washington Opera.
He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera rekindling his role as Ramfis in Aida and later for the same opera house performed Assur in G. Rossini’s “Semiramide” and Escamillo in G. Bizet’s "Carmen".
Other roles and repertoire performed during his career include that of "Ghost of Virgil" (Francesca da Rimini) from S. Rachmaninov, Colline (La boheme) and Timur (Turandot) from G. Puccini, King René (Iolanta) and Pan Golova (Cherevichki) both from P. I. Tchaikovsky, Don Basilio (Il babiere di Siviglia) from G. Rossini, and Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra), Wurm (Luisa Miller), Moser (I masnadieri), Oberto and Requiem all from G. Verdi. These performances occurred in some of the world’s foremost halls such as Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, the Konzerthaus and
Musikverein in Vienna, Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, Der Spanische Saal in Innsbruck, Oscar Peterson concert hall in Montreal, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal theater in Ireland, Savonlinna Castle in Finland, Victoria Hall in Genéve, The Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, Kremlin Palace in Moscow, St. Petersburg Palaces and Mariinsky concert hall, Astana chamber hall, etc.
Among the most noted conductors with whom he has collaborated are A. Pappano, B. Haitink, I. Marin, S. Young, M. Elder, Y. Simonov, M. Whun Chung, J. Rudel, V. Ashkenazy, R. Divall, A. Greene, R. F. de Burgos, N. Uljanov, G. Rozhdestvensky, A. Lombard, M. Ermler, M. Viotti, R. Saccani, J. Fiore, C. Orbelian, A. Buribaev, A. Mukhidin. etc.
Mr. Tumanyan is also well known as a vocal coach. He often works extensively with young singers. He has led masterclasses in universities and conservatories in cities like Marseille (France), Toronto and Montreal (Canada), Berlin and Weimar (Germany), Kitzbühel (Austria), and Shiyan (China), Teheran (Iran), and Astana (Kazakhstan).
In addition, he was invited as a jury member for several international singing competitions such as "Vocal competition President of Armenia" (Chief of the jury), "Delphic Games" (Russia), "Maria Bieşu" (Moldovia), "Erkegali Rakhmadiev" (Kazakhstan), "Gohar Gasparyan" (as a president of the jury in Armenia), International Vocal Competition in Cologne (Germany).
Since 2014 Barseg Tumanyan has been a leading soloist in the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet “Astana Opera” (Kazakhstan). He took part in a World Tour including Canada, USA, France, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
He studied at Teatro alla Scala and, later, moved to Moscow to study at the State Conservatory of Music- with the famous Russian bass Y. Nesterenko.
He began his professional career singing at the Yerevan Opera.
By the late 80’s he was a soloist of the Alexandrov ensemble (official army choir of the Russian armed forces) and toured through Russia, America, Canada and Europe.
During this time he was honored at several international competitions including 3rd prize in Hertogenbosch (Amsterdam - 1981), Gold medal and Jean Donnel prize of Voci Verdiane vocal competition (Busseto - 1983), 2nd prize at Tchaikovsky competition (Moscow - 1986), Grand prize in Rio de Janeiro vocal competition (Rio de Janeiro - 1987).
But it was in 1989 participation in a Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, central London, which ultimately scaled his fate as a highly sought-after international artist singing in leading roles at the major opera houses around the world.
Throughout the years he has received acclaim, particularly for the roles of Attila (Covent Garden, Teatro Colon), Filippo II (Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, Victorian State Opera), Boris Godunov (Bayerische Staatsoper, Oper der Stadt Bonn), Assur (Metropolitan Opera, Concertgebouw), Escamillo (Metropolitan opera, Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, L‘Opéra Bastille de Paris, etc.) and Méphisto (Sydney Opera House, Opera National de Paris, Opera Marseille, Bercy Stadium of Paris, Victorian State Opera of Melbourne, Opera National de Lyon, etc).
Tumanyan debuted in Paris as Méphisto in Charles Gounod’s Faust with production by Nicolas Joel at Bercy Stadium. In the same role, he had a sensational debut at the Victorian State Opera.
He debuted in Germany in the title role of M. Mussorgsky’s "Boris Godunov" with production from J. Schaaf’s at the "Munich State Opera".
His USA debut took place at the "Boston Opera House" where he performed the role of Ramfis in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida" followed by performances of Filippo II in G. Verdi’s “Don Carlo” at the LA Opera and Washington Opera.
He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera rekindling his role as Ramfis in Aida and later for the same opera house performed Assur in G. Rossini’s “Semiramide” and Escamillo in G. Bizet’s "Carmen".
Other roles and repertoire performed during his career include that of "Ghost of Virgil" (Francesca da Rimini) from S. Rachmaninov, Colline (La boheme) and Timur (Turandot) from G. Puccini, King René (Iolanta) and Pan Golova (Cherevichki) both from P. I. Tchaikovsky, Don Basilio (Il babiere di Siviglia) from G. Rossini, and Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra), Wurm (Luisa Miller), Moser (I masnadieri), Oberto and Requiem all from G. Verdi. These performances occurred in some of the world’s foremost halls such as Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, the Konzerthaus and
Musikverein in Vienna, Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, Der Spanische Saal in Innsbruck, Oscar Peterson concert hall in Montreal, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Royal theater in Ireland, Savonlinna Castle in Finland, Victoria Hall in Genéve, The Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, Kremlin Palace in Moscow, St. Petersburg Palaces and Mariinsky concert hall, Astana chamber hall, etc.
Among the most noted conductors with whom he has collaborated are A. Pappano, B. Haitink, I. Marin, S. Young, M. Elder, Y. Simonov, M. Whun Chung, J. Rudel, V. Ashkenazy, R. Divall, A. Greene, R. F. de Burgos, N. Uljanov, G. Rozhdestvensky, A. Lombard, M. Ermler, M. Viotti, R. Saccani, J. Fiore, C. Orbelian, A. Buribaev, A. Mukhidin. etc.
Mr. Tumanyan is also well known as a vocal coach. He often works extensively with young singers. He has led masterclasses in universities and conservatories in cities like Marseille (France), Toronto and Montreal (Canada), Berlin and Weimar (Germany), Kitzbühel (Austria), and Shiyan (China), Teheran (Iran), and Astana (Kazakhstan).
In addition, he was invited as a jury member for several international singing competitions such as "Vocal competition President of Armenia" (Chief of the jury), "Delphic Games" (Russia), "Maria Bieşu" (Moldovia), "Erkegali Rakhmadiev" (Kazakhstan), "Gohar Gasparyan" (as a president of the jury in Armenia), International Vocal Competition in Cologne (Germany).
Since 2014 Barseg Tumanyan has been a leading soloist in the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet “Astana Opera” (Kazakhstan). He took part in a World Tour including Canada, USA, France, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
