Arya Balian

Arya Anoush Balian (AGMA, age 18) is a first year in college and has been performing professionally since she was seven. Arya has a professional manager (LTM Management) and is an active member of the AGMA union. She received Bethesda Magazine’s 2021 “Extraordinary Teen Award.” Arya was cast in nine operas with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, including the main vocal role of Third Spirit in Mozart's “The Magic Flute” (libretto in English) at the Kennedy Center Opera House. She was also cast as Dritte Knabe in “Die Zauberflöte” at the Siena Italy Music Festival (libretto in German) and once again as Third Spirit in the “The Magic Flute” with the INSeries Opera company (libretto in English). In addition, she performed the principal role of Miles in Britten’s "Turn of the Screw” and last summer was cast as Papagena in the “The Magic Flute” (libretto in German) at the Miami Music Festival. Arya was also a soloist with the Choral Arts Youth Choir at the Kennedy Center. In addition to her numerous performances at the Kennedy Center, Arya has performed at Carnegie Hall and other prestigious venues, including the Sydney Opera House. Arya was also featured live on PBS TV’s annual July 4th Special, “A Capitol Fourth,” as one of the backup singers to Keala Settle in her song, “This is Me.” Arya has sung in five languages: Armenian, Italian, French, German, and English and has won national and international vocal competitions. Together with the ensemble cast of “Oliver!” at Round House Theatre, she was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. For professional sports teams, Arya has sung the US national anthem with her sister, including for the NBA Washington Wizards basketball team twice at Capital One Arena and the MLB Orioles baseball team at Camden Yards. She also has performed the anthem for the NY Mets virtually with her sister for their 2020 Labor Day game. She has sung at the Embassy of Armenia in DC, on Armenian Public TV, and on the Voice of America's weekly morning TV show, “Pari Louys,” where she was a featured guest. Arya was a principal in TV/Radio/Web commercials, was cast in a PBS documentary, “Sultan and Saint,” and voiced the narrator of PBS Kids' “Sproutlet Stories.” Arya is dedicated to making art and music accessible to all students through her leadership with the Citizen Artistry movement. During the pandemic, in addition to her many other virtual activities, Arya taught voice lessons—for free—to young children across the US. She was President of the National Opera Teens Advisory Committee (Opera America) and was a student advisor with the Kennedy Center Youth Council. Active in her Armenian community as well, as a member of a grassroots organization and with the Armenian Youth Federation, among others, Arya feels strongly that even a single voice makes a difference.