Constantine Orbelian – internationally renowned pianist and conductor – has just been appointed artistic director of Armenia’s National Academic Opera and Ballet in Yerevan.

As the San Francisco-born son of Armenian and Russian émigrés, Constantine has always honored both sides of his heritage. His ties to Russia were cemented with his appointment in 1991 as chief conductor of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra: the first-ever American to lead a major Russian ensemble. Another seminal link to both nations’ musical culture came via his late uncle Konstantin (with whom he was often confused): a prominent Armenian-Russian bandleader and film composer.

Constantine’s many awards and titles from the Russian Federation attest to his manifold contributions to that nation’s musical life. Meanwhile, he has maintained strong ties to Armenia, and his new appointment bespeaks his fame there. Read more information on Maestro Orbelian’s remarkable accomplishments.

Highlights of Constantine’s fifty-plus Delos discography include a critically acclaimed recording of the complete Verdi opera, Simon Boccanegra (DE 3457), featuring superstar baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky. His consummate pianistic skills can be sampled on DE 1043: Shostakovich, Mozart, Bach Piano Concertos. Of particular distinction is his GRAMMY-nominated recording of Virtuoso Rossini Arias (DE 3456) with the sensational bel canto tenor Lawrence Brownlee and Lithuania’s Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra: an ensemble he has served as chief conductor since 2014. Peruse his entire archive of Delos releases.