Karina Vartanian, Soprana singler, completed her BA degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City in 2025. She and her mother, Norma shared conversations about their Armenian heritage and Karina's experience growing up having been a high risk preemie baby. Just wait till you hear all about her experiences and struggles that Karina overcame as a young child and even today. Norma had to watch her daughter struggle and often fall, but she wanted Karina to fully understand that in life you have to be able to pick yourself up and keep going. Originally from Long Island, New York, Karina and Norma are very close and have been through so much together. Yet they're able to look back at some of the hard times and laugh in amazement at both of their accomplishments. Norma is a private music teacher and flutist.
This was the first email response SHLTMM received from Karina stating, "my mom and I have always been really close. She has always been super supportive of me wanting to pursue music. She always knew along with her late father that I would grow up to be musical because as a baby I would hum and sing songs before I was able to speak. I’ve been really blessed with great parents who both attend nearly every one of my performances since I first started performing. I’m very lucky to have a very supportive and close family."
If truly was effortless speaking with Norma and Karina. Norma shared stories of her mother and father, both Armenian and both very present in her life, especially before and after Karina was born. As I mentioned earlier, Karina was a preemie baby and Norma was bed ridden in the hospital for a number of weeks before her daughter was born. Norma's mother , Karina's grandmother instilled confidence in her daughter and helped her stay strong during the tough times. Again, the pediatric doctor's told Norma that her baby may not make it to certain milestones, yet Norma was confident because of her mother's endless support and wisdom.
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC:
https://www.msmnyc.edu/livestream/vartanian-2025/
CLASSIC LYRICS ARTS:
https://www.classiclyricarts.org/karina-vartanian-berkshires
Recent Performances
BIO:
KARINA VARTANIAN is a recent graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where she earned her Bachelor of Music and received the Josephine C. Whitford Award, a commencement honor recognizing exceptional achievement. Her partial opera role credits include Frasquita (Carmen), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), and Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro). Karina recently participated in the Bel Canto Masterclass with Maya Sypert and performed in a concert with The Art Song Preservation Society of New York (2025). This summer, she will make her operatic role debut as Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Winter Harbor Music Festival. In 2019, she was a solo finalist in the Armenian Youth Talent Competition at Carnegie Hall. She was invited to sing for the pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I at the Rainbow Room (2023) and was recently invited to perform at the 40th Anniversary Banquet celebrating Archbishop Anoushavan at Terrace on the Park. Karina is a contracted soloist with The Opera Collective (2024–25) and a proud recipient of the AGBU Arts Scholarship (2023–25). At MSM, she served as Chair of Communications for the Womxn Organization, where she helped launch the school’s first-ever Women’s History Month series and programmed the inaugural Women’s History Month Concert. She currently serves as a Board Member and Social Media Manager for The Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/p/Karina-Vartanian-Soprano-100094657226530/#
IG:@KARINAVARTT
LINKEDIN:KARINA VARTANIAN
youtube.com/@karinavartt