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Today, January 9, marks the 95th birthday anniversary of renowned Armenian folk singer, People’s Artist of the Soviet Union Ofelya Hambardzumyan.

Ofelya Hambardzumyan was born in Yerevan in 1925. She started singing from early childhood and lured listeners with her great voice when performing with the folk instruments ensemble of the pioneer-schoolchildren’s city palace.

Prominent singer Araksya Gyurzadyan once said she was one of the first people, who listened to the schoolchild, approached and praised her and called on her to receive a musical education and become a professional singer. The future singer graduated from the Romanos Melikyan Musical College and was invited to the Public Radio’s folk instruments ensemble where she spent an entire life dedicating herself to the ensemble directed by Aram Merangulyan, armdiasporamuseum.com reports.

Like many Armenian singers, Ofelya Hambardzumyan also sang songs composed by Armenian classical and contemporary troubadours, took a glance at composers’ songs and always strived to instill in each song her own expressiveness and particularities of her voice range.

Her repertoire includes classical Armenian music and folk songs. She is especially recognized for her interpretations of Sayat-Nova's songs, including "Fahradn Mirats", "Yis Kanchum em Lalanin", and others. She has also performed the music of Fahrad, Jivani, Sheram. In addition, she performed the songs of her contemporary ashughs, Shahen, Havasi, and Ashot; she was often the first performer of these songs.

In 1959, Ofelya Hambardzumyan was awarded the People's Artist of the USSR. In 2011 she was awarded the "Mesrob Mashtots" medal.

The singer passed away on 13 June 2016.