Armenian People's Artist Raisa Mkrtchyan Dies at 84
Armenian People’s Artist Raisa Mkrtchyan dies at 84
Raisa Mkrtchyan, a celebrated Armenian soprano and People's Artist of Armenia, has died at age 84. Born in Sevan in 1942, Mkrtchyan trained at the Romanos Melikyan Music College and Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan. She became the first performer of songs by prominent Armenian composers including Arno Babajanyan and Konstantin Orbelyan, and served as a soloist with the Armenian Television and Radio Estrada Symphony Orchestra beginning in 1968. Over her career, she recorded more than 400 songs, many archived in Armenian Public Radio and Television's Golden Collection. Mkrtchyan performed internationally and became one of Armenia's most recognized voices in popular music. She received the title of People's Artist of Armenia in 2006, along with the Movses Khorenatsi Medal and the 1st Class Order "For Services to the Homeland."
