Dolukhanova, Zara

(also Zarui Agas’evna Dolukhanova). Born Mar. 15, 1918, in Moscow. Soviet singer (mezzo-soprano). People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR (1955) and the RSFSR (1956).

In 1937, Dolukhanova graduated from the Gnesins Institute of Music and Pedagogy. From 1939 she was a soloist at the Yerevan Spendiarov Theater of Opera and Ballet, from 1944 on All-Union Radio and Television, and from 1959 at the Moscow Philharmonic Society. Dolukhanova has a voice of enormous range—from a deep mezzo-soprano to a high soprano—and an impeccable vocal technique. She has exquisite taste and a great feeling for the style of works she performs. Dolukhanova’s chamber repertoire is diverse and includes the works of Soviet, Russian, and Western composers. She has sung in many countries of the world. Dolukhanova received the State Prize of the USSR in 1951 and the Lenin Prize in 1966.