Ara Berberian In 1963 he was promoted from the chorus to singing roles with the NYCO, beginning with Leandro in "The Love for Three Oranges" in April of that year. He sang several more roles with NYCO through 1967, including Collatinus in "The Rape of Lucretia", the Commandant in "Don Giovanni", the Major-Domo in "Capriccio", Osmin in Mozart's "Abduction from the Seraglio", and Tiresias in "Oedipus rex" among others. He later returned to the NYCO in 1977 to create the role of Gene Henderson in the world premiere in Leon Kirchner's "Lily". From 1965-1968 Berberian was committed to the San Francisco Opera,
June Bronhill Merry Widow", "Orpheus in the Underworld", "Die Fledermaus" and "Rigoletto" at the Sydney Opera House in 1975. In 1976, she decided to move back to Australia permanently. In Australia she appeared in operas such as "Il Seraglio" ("Die Entführung aus dem Serail") and a Victoria State Opera production of Donnizetti's "Maria Stuarda" in July 1976, directed by Robin Lovejoy with a cast including Nance Grant conducted by Richard Divall. She played operetta roles such as Josephine ("H.M.S. Pinafore"), Phyllis ("Iolanthe") and Ruth ("The Pirates of Penzance"). She also had roles in "The Maid of the Mountains", "Call Me Madam", "A