What a year Anna has had.
Anna arrived at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, last autumn to begin her Bachelor of Music after a year of preparatory work with her mentor, Armenian-Canadian soprano Aline Kutan. She immediately made her mark.
In her very first year at McGill, Anna was cast as Bradamante in Handel’s Alcina with Opera McGill — a major role in one of Handel’s great operas.
Her achievements were not limited to the stage. Anna completed her first year with perfect grades across her courses, including Italian, history and her other academic subjects. Her accomplishments were also recognized by McGill University with substantial scholarship support.
Anna remained exceptionally active as a performer throughout the year. Her appearances included Isabella in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri in Opera McGill’s scenes program; Ariapalooza Cinque, where she performed “I Am Easily Assimilated” from Bernstein’s Candide; Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater at McGill’s Early Music Concert; Armenian folk songs at an Armenia Tree Project fundraiser; and Brahms duets with VOCE. In spring 2026, she appeared as a guest soloist with Ensemble Vocal Les Rugissants in ARCHES: Présence arménienne in Montreal.
And then came a remarkable summer.
Anna was accepted into the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival in the Czech Republic, spending a month studying and performing in Tábor and Prague.
There she sang Martinka in a scene from Smetana’s Hubička and performed two roles in Puccini’s Suor Angelica: La Zia Principessa, Angelica’s formidable aristocratic aunt, and La Badessa, the Abbess. She also participated in performances of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Don Giovanni at Prague’s historic Estates Theatre.
Now, as Anna begins her second year at McGill, there is more wonderful news. McGill University will continue its substantial scholarship support for her in 2026–27, at a level that places her among the most strongly supported voice students at the university.
The Atken Armenian Foundation, through the Haig and Virginia Misakyan Fellowship, will once again provide Anna with a full fellowship covering her room and board and the substantial remaining portion of her tuition expenses in Montreal.
None of this would be possible without the extraordinary generosity of the Misakyan family of Toronto, whose commitment to Anna’s development has been remarkable. Together, the support of the Misakyan family, the Atken Armenian Foundation and McGill University is giving Anna the stability to concentrate fully on developing her voice, musicianship and education.
Studying with Aline Kutan at McGill is an exceptional opportunity, and Anna has shown again and again that she is fully deserving of this support.
We are very proud of how far she has come — and very excited about what lies ahead.
Go Anna, go!