Birth of Ofelia Hambardzumian (January 9, 1925)

One of the best interpreters of Armenian popular and troubadour songs in the 20th century, Ofelia Hambardzumian was born on January 9, 1925, in Yerevan. Her ringing voice captivated audiences from an early age as she performed with the orchestra of folk instruments of the Palace of Pioneers and Students in the Armenian capital. She studied and graduated from the Romanos Melikian musical institute and in 1944, at the age of nineteen, she became a soloist of the Radio and Television Folk Instrument Orchestra, directed by Aram Merangulian. She continued her performances until the end of the 1990s. She married musician Norayr Hovhannisian and had two children. One of them is the famed singer Tatevik Hovanesian.  She earned the title of People’s Artist of Armenia in 1959 and was decorated with the Order of the Badge of Honor in 1956 and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1985. In 2011, the Republic of Armenia bestowed on her the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots for her artistic career. 

The main feature of Ofelia Hambardzumian’s singing was her expressivity. Her repertoire was mainly made up of Armenian popular and troubadour songs, as well as songs by different composers. Her interpretations of the songs of eighteenth-century troubadour Sayat-Nova were particularly appreciated. Contemporary troubadours composed songs especially for her. 

The singer also toured the Soviet Union as well as Armenian communities of the Diaspora (Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, France, and the United States). She passed away on June 13, 2016, in Yerevan, and is buried in the Komitas Pantheon.