Helen Ispirian
The mezzo-soprano Helen Ispirian with Armenian-Upper Franconian roots studied singing, dance and acting at the University of Music & Performing Arts in Vienna as well as classical singing and music pedagogy at the Berlin University of the Arts with KS Prof.Ute Florey (Döring). She also had lessons with Reiner Goldberg (Berlin State Opera) and participated in master classes with Peter Svensson (Vienna) as well as with Dörthe Maria Sandmann (Institute for Early Music at the UdK Berlin).
Before discovering her love for baroque music, the versatile artist had a guest residency at the German Theater Almaty in Kazakhstan; she sang and performed the title role in the Russian premiere of Georg Kreisler's "Tonight: Lola Blau! " at the Meyerhold Center in Moscow and founded the band GASTARBAiTERKA, which mixed German chanson with balalaika and accordion sounds and gave concerts, among others, at the invitation of the German Embassy and the Goethe Institute both in Moscow and several times in the Ural and Siberia.
In Germany Helen Ispirian worked mostly in duo with pianists and accordionists in the field of chanson and song in Leipzig, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Hof and Berlin, as well as in experimental projects, among others, with the Sonar Quartet Berlin in the Villa Elisabeth or Werkhalle Wiesenburg, festivals of literature and other places. In 2021, she performed at the official celebrations of the Diaspora Armenians on the Genocide Victims' Memorial Day. She has also directed two short films. The musical film "Hear Us Sweet Freedom!" realised with OrgaVoce and was awarded at international festivals and subsequently published by the Goethe Institute. As part of Neustart Kultur, Helen received a grant from the German Music Council and was selected for another artist grant from the Music Fund.
Since 2016 Helen regularly is engaged as an alto by high level classical choirs. She worked with renowned conductors like Daniel Barenboim, Roland Böer, Justin Doyle, Mirga Gražinytė‐Tyla, Florian Helgath, Oscar Jockel, Kiril Karabitz, Marcus Merkel, Michael Sanderling, Nathalie Stutzmann, Juraj Valčuha, a.o. in concert halls like Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus, Berliner Dom, Staatstheater Darmstadt, Waldbühne, concert hall of Bamberger Symphoniker, Bad Kissinger Sommerfestspiele, St.Thomas Church Leipzig, Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg.