NEW YORK (AP) — Asmik Grigorian laughs when she recalls that she had been singing professionally for more than a decade when the International Opera Awards proclaimed her the “best young female singer” of 2016.
“So for 12 years I was nothing, and then I immediately became the best!” the Lithuanian soprano joked in an interview.
Now at the peak of her career and seemingly able to sing just about any role she chooses, from Dvorak’s lyrical “Rusalka” to Puccini’s dramatic “Turandot,” Grigorian is about to make her Metropolitan Opera debut in another Puccini classic, “Madame Butterfly.”
“My only regret is not having booked her sooner,” said Met general manager Peter Gelb. “Asmik is an operatic force of nature, one of the greatest and most complete vocal and acting packages in recent operatic history.”
Growing up in Vilnius she had plenty of exposure to opera. Both her parents, tenor Gegam Grigorian and soprano Irena Milkeviciute, were opera singers and both appeared at the Met, where Asmik traveled with them while a young girl.
Married couple are charged with fraud after 'dine
Artists paint giant mural to honor Kobe Bryant and Gianna in Manila
China adopts measures to promote recovery of inbound tourism
Spanish league football match: Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad
Who's made the cut for Meghan's new Montecito inner circle? Polo wives, Britney Spears' ex
Chinese cities to see tourism peak in New Year's Day holiday
China arrests over 1,500 for illegal acts related to cyberspace rumors
Highlights of opening ceremony for China's 14th National Games
Struggled with 'I am not a robot' captchas lately? It's not just you... they're getting harder
Xi Jinping Visits Ancient Shudao in China's Sichuan
Microsoft and Amazon face scrutiny from UK competition watchdog over recent AI deals
Xi to Attend Opening Ceremony of Chengdu Universiade