Canadian-Armenian bass-baritone Vartan Gabrielian is a current ensemble member of the Canadian Opera Company. While still a student, he made his professional debut with the Opéra de Montréal performing the role of Sparafucile (Rigoletto).  During the 2021-22 season with the Canadian Opera Company, Gabrielian will be covering Bluebeard (Bluebeards Castle) and performing Bonze (Madama Butterfly), Betto (Gianni Schicchi), Dottore Grenvil (La Traviata), and will be the featured bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. He will also be appearing with the COC Orchestra in concerts and recitals. During the summer of 2021, Gabrielian debuted in a filmed production of Gustav Holst’s Savitri with Against the Grain Theatre performing the role of Death.  His busy 2018/2019 season included undertaking the title role of Sweeney Todd with the Curtis Opera Theatre and debuted the roles of Leporello and Commendatore in the Opera Philadelphia/Curtis Opera Theatre production of Don Giovanni. As a 2018 member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, Gabrielian covered the roles of Bonze (Madame Butterfly) and Leslie Groves (Doctor Atomic) in addition to featured apprentice scenes from Rigoletto and Grapes of Wrath.  In prior seasons, he has been featured at the Chautauqua Institute in performances of Ariodante (King), La Bohème (Colline), Rigoletto (Sparafucile), Die Zauberflote (Sarastro) and more. Gabrielian is a recipient of awards from numerous organizations including the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Career Bridges Schuyler Foundation, Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, Gerda Lissner Foundation, George London Foundation, and he was a Grand Finalist in the 2018 COC Ensemble competition. He is also a recipient of the prestigious inaugural 2019 Gerda Lissner IVC Award.  A graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Voice and Master’s Degree of Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Marlena Malas and Armen Boyajian.