Hrachuhí Bassénz
SOPRANO
Hrachuhí Bassénz was born to a musical family in Yerevan, Armenia. After completing her violin studies, she graduated with distinction from singing at the State Komitas Conservatory of her hometown with Professor Gayane Geghamyan. Since 2006 Germany has been the center of her life and artistic creation. Her debut as Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore was the start of her career. Numerous roles have already become her calling card including Norma, Violetta, Mimi, Desdemona, Leonora, Donna Elvira, Contessa Almaviva, and Adriana Lecouvreur, which occupy the most important position in Ms. Bassénz’s repertiore. She works together with renowned opera houses such as Covent Garden, Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, Vienna State Opera, Semper Opera Dresden, Den Norske Opera & Ballet in Oslo as well as important conductors (Johannes Wildner, Marc Tardue, Daniel Oren, Antonio Pappano, Antonino Fogliani, John Fiore, Alexander Shelley, etc.) and directors (Laura Scozzi, Calixto Bieito, Mariame Clément, Dieter Kaegi, David McVicar and the legendary Elijah Moshinsky). In addition to the European repertoire, she participates actively in various cultural and charitable events of the Armenian Diaspora communities.
In 2011, she thrilled several thousand spectators in Europe’s largest classical open air concert in Nuremberg’s Luitpoldarena (Klassik Open Air) with works by Armenian composers such as Alexander Harutyunyan’s Sing for Me, Alexander Dolukhanyan’s The Swallow and Arno Babajanyans moving Vocalise accompanied by the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg under the direction of Dirk Kaftan. On the occasion of the 200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi, Ms. Bassénz performed the Verdi Requiem under the direction of three different conductors: with Bach Choir St. Lorenz and ensemble Kontraste conducted by Matthias Ank in the Lorenzkirche Nürnberg, in the Festspielhaus Congress Centrum Heidenheim with the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno and with the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker under the direction of Marcus Bosch, and in the Meistersingerhalle with the Nürnberger Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Alexander Shelley.
She has been awarded numerous prizes, including: “Singer of the Year” and “Audience Award” of the Musiktheater Gelsenkirchen, the Bavarian Art Prize, the 2nd prize of the international singing competition Voci Verdiane, as well as the “Gold Medal” of the Ministry of Culture and the “Komitas Medal” of the Diaspora Ministry of the Republic of Armenia.
CD recordings include the leading roles in Simon Mayr’s Il sagrifizio di Jefte and Vogel’s The Golden Fleece, “A Musical Sleigh Ride” with the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Westphalia, as well as contemporary music of Armenian composers such as. “The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church” by the Armenian composer Makar Yekmalian, “All Time Armenian Favorites” with the Kohar Symphony Orchestra and Choir (2003), “Vision” Vocal Music by Armenian Composers, and “Memories of Love” by Sirvart Karamanuk, accompanied by the famous pianist Sahan Artsruni (2005).
Important recent debuts include Norma at the Israeli Opera Tel Aviv, Adriana Lecouvreur, Donna Elvira and Amelia in Simon Boccanegra in London’s Royal Opera House (with live broadcasts by the radio station BBC 3), Mimi with the Dresden Semperoper and the Vienna State Opera as well as Norma at the Den Norske Opera & Ballet. Upcoming engagements include Donna Elvira, Contessa Almaviva, Antonia, Madame Butterfly and Tatjana at the Semper Opera Dresden, where she begins the season 2018/19 as a permanent ensemble member. Future guest appearances include Desdemona in Japan tour with Maestro Antonio Pappano and Violetta in London with Maestro Daniel Oren.
