Nora Sourouzian: A Captivating Voice at the Service of Opera

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Renowned Franco-Canadian mezzo-soprano Nora Sourouzian captivates audiences worldwide with her rich, expressive voice and magnetic stage presence.

 

Promising Beginnings and Acclaim

After studies at McGill University in Montreal and a period in the Young Artists Programme of the Internationaal Opera Centrum Nederland in Amsterdam, Nora Sourouzian honed her skills at the Staatstheater Kassel and won numerous singing competitions in Canada and was a finalist at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna, which earned her invitations to the world's greatest opera houses as 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 Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo, the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, the Komische Oper Berlin, the Leipzig Opera, the opera houses of Cologne and Essen, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, the opera houses of Quebec and Montreal, the Palm Beach Opera, the Seattle Opera, the Bellas Artes in Mexico, and the New National Theatre in Tokyo.

 

Emblematic Roles and Varied Repertoire

Her repertoire showcases her vocal agility and 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 operas by Massenet such as "Thérèse", "La Navarraise" (where she shone in the role of Anita) and "Don Quichotte" (in the role of Dulcinée). She also ventures into contemporary compositions, such as Daugherty's "Jackie O." (where she embodied Callas), Nuno Cortez Real's "Rapaz de Bronze" (in the role of Florida) and Dvořák's "Dimitrij" (in the role of Marfa).

Her interest in discovery leads her to explore diverse musical worlds, from Théodore Dubois' "Aben Hamet" to Fauré's "Pénélope", an opera in which she triumphed at the Wexford Festival. She has also returned there to perform Herodias in Mariotte's "Salomé".

Finally, her interpretation of Ježibaba in "Rusalka" has been critically acclaimed, demonstrating her ability to master both classical and contemporary roles.

She is particularly known 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 "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen" by the same composer. Her interpretation of Schönberg's "Lied der Waldtaube", from the "Gurrelieder", is also remarkable. She has also performed Haydn's cantata "Arianna a Naxos", Mozart's Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. She masterfully performs Berlioz's "Les Nuits d'été", Wagner's "Wesendonck-Lieder", as well as Frank Martin's cycle "Le Cornet", and his oratorio "Golgotha".

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An Accomplished Artist

Her discography includes recordings of operas and concerts, demonstrating her talent and collaborations with renowned conductors such as Paolo Carignani, Cyril Diedrich, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and Franz Welser-Möst.

Nora Sourouzian has won numerous singing competitions in Canada and was a finalist at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna, which earned her invitations to the world's leading opera houses.

 

Recent Engagements

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 International May Festival in 2025, she will perform the mezzo-soprano part in Verdi's Requiem at the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden under the direction of Leo McFall.

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Nora Sourouzian, a passionate artist whose voice and talent continue to resonate on the world's lyrical stages.