Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano Edna Garabedian has performed to critical and popular acclaim in the United States, and throughout South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She is best known for her numerous performances of the roles of Amneris, Carmen, Eboli, Santuzza, Azucena and Kostelnicha and Suzuki.

Gian Carlo Menotti, hailed Ms. Garabedian for her presentations of Mother, Agatha, and Baba in his productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mari Golovin, The Medium.

Ms. Garabedian made her professional debut in the role Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with the New York City Opera where she was also featured in Julius Caesar and Tales of Hoffman.

Soon thereafter, she performed leading roles with the San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, Houston Opera, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, Baltimore Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Buffalo Opera, Spoletto Festival, Edmonton Opera, Virginia Opera, Florentine Opera, and Portland Opera.

Abroad, Ms. Garabdeian was a frequent leading artist at Stuttgart Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Karlsruhe Opera, Nurnburg Opera, Kassel Opera, Staatsoper Bonn, and Munich Opera.

Ms. Garabedian won the first-place title of several prestigious awards including Weyerhauser Awards, Sullivan Awards, Rockefeller Awards, and awards from the Metropolitan Opera and Baltimore Opera Auditions.

In 1970, Ms. Garabedian was the Gold Medalist in the 4th Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia. Most recent awards include the 2012 Fresno County Women’s Lawyers Hall of Fame, 2011 Spirit of Compassion, 2010 Horizon for Outstanding Performing Artists, Top 10 Professional Women in Business, the Roosevelt Achievement Award, among many others.

As a vocal pedagogue, Ms. Garabedian traveled extensively throughout South America concertizing and training artists at the International Music Institute of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She held the distinction of Chair of Voice and Opera for University of Connecticut, University of the Pacific, and Bowling Green State University. She has served as Professor of Voice on the Faculty of Northern Illinois University, California State University of Fresno, American University, and San Francisco State University. Her private voice students have gone on to claim top prizes in opera and perform at Teatro alla Scala and the Metropolitan Opera of New York, Broadway Touring Companies, among others. Recently,

 

Ms. Garabedian is hailed with great success in China, training Artists for the Hangzhou Music Association. She participated in the development of Western opera for Hangzhou Opera and the opera program of Taiwan.

Ms. Garabedian was Deputy Stage Director for Raffa Productions “cast-of-a-thousand” European touring production of Aida that featured noted opera stars, Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, and
Raina Kabaivanska.

 

Ms. Garabedian has directed over 100 productions throughout the United States and Asia, and supports the furtherance of contemporary composers and compositions.

 

In 1999, Ms. Garabedian founded the Fresno International Grand Opera and in 2000, the California

Opera Association, a full-production, Summer Arts and Education Program for aspiring and emerging young artists based in Fresno, California. Currently, Ms. Garabedian is training artists worldwide in career development, voice lessons and therapy, stage directing, and is CEO / Artistic Director of California Opera Association.

 

With distinction and honor, Ms. Garabedian served as an adjudicator in Montalto Uffogo, Italy for the Ruggero Leoncavallo Voice Competition, Aug, 2018, and will joined the Opera San Luis Obispo as stage director for The Magic Flute following successful productions of Madame Butterfly and Oklahoma.

 

Forthcoming productions in the 2025 season include L’enfant et les sortilèges by Ravel, Suor Angelica by
Puccini, and Ariadne auf Naxos by Strauss.