Asmik Grigorian, Gintaras Rinkevičius & the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra

Asmik Grigorian is an artist of rare emotional intensity and genuine dramatic truth. Her name resonates on the world’s leading stages — from the Salzburg Festival to the Metropolitan Opera, from the Wiener Staatsoper to Teatro alla Scala. Following her triumph in Salzburg in 2018, the press wrote of “the birth of a new world star,” while The New York Times noted her “electrifying stage presence and unerring sense of dramatic truth.”

Born in Vilnius into a family of two celebrated opera artists — tenor Gegham Grigorian and soprano Irena Milkevičiūtė — Asmik absorbed the culture of the operatic stage from childhood. At just 22, she performed Violetta in La Traviata in her native Vilnius and soon received her first international engagement. Her parents became her first teachers, instilling not only vocal foundations but also an artistic philosophy: naturalness of sound, respect for the word, and fearlessness in dramatic exploration.

Her path was not an effortless ascent without trials. Early success came with immense pressure, and the singer had to fundamentally rebuild her technique, restoring freedom and stability to her voice. This period became a turning point. Critics later described her as “technically flawless and dramatically irresistible,” and the German magazine Opernwelt named her “Singer of the Year.” She has also received the Singer of the Year title from Opus Klassik and the International Opera Awards — the latter often referred to as the “Oscar of opera.”

Grigorian’s repertoire includes the major roles of Puccini, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, and Wagner. Her Cio-Cio-San, Tosca, Salome, Tatyana, Rusalka, and Lady Macbeth have become defining interpretations of recent years. Directors such as Romeo Castellucci, Barrie Kosky, and Dmitri Tcherniakov create productions with her unique stage nature in mind, while leading conductors invite her to the most significant projects across Europe and the United States.

Riga audiences remember Asmik Grigorian from her collaboration with the Latvian National Opera during the artistic leadership of Andrejs Žagars. She appeared in Riga in Carmen, Don Giovanni, Manon Lescaut, and Il Trittico, and twice took part in the Opera Festival gala concerts in Sigulda. These performances became an important part of her early artistic journey and left a lasting impression on Latvian audiences.
Since then, her career has reached a truly global scale: New York and London, Milan and Vienna, Paris and Salzburg have become постоянные stops on her artistic route.

On September 12 in Riga, for the first time in Latvia, Asmik Grigorian’s signature roles will be presented in the format of a grand solo concert with orchestra. This is a rare opportunity to hear the artist beyond theatrical staging — in a concentrated form of voice and dramaturgy, where each aria becomes a self-contained story. A fragile physical presence paired with a powerful, richly colored timbre. Intellect and intuition. Sincerity shaped by years of search and dedication.

An evening where a great voice meets a great personality.