Edna Garabedian Edna Garabedian Edna Garabedian is an American operatic mezzo-soprano, voice teacher, and opera director. Born to Armenian immigrants to the United States in Fresno, California, Garabedian studied singing with William Vennard at the University of Southern California, Lotte Lehmann at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Anna Hamlin in New York City, and Rosa Ponselle in Baltimore. In 1961 she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She made her professional opera debut in 1965 as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" with the New York City Opera. She went on to sing leading roles with the Baltimore Opera Company,
Ildikó Komlósi Naxos at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan; Cavalleria Rusticana (Santuzza) and Carmen at the Arena in Verona; Aida at the Frankfurt Oper, at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome and at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan under the baton of Riccardo Chailly for the opening of the 2006–2007 season; Cavalleria Rusticana and Oedipus Rex (Jocasta) at the Teatro Regio in Turin; Verdi’s Requiem in Cagliari; Cavalleria Rusticana at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and in Naples; Bluebeard's Castle in Bilbao; Verdi’s Requiem with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowski in London; Dvorak’s Requiem at the Gran Teatre del