Meet Alvard Mayilyan

We were lucky to catch up with Alvard Mayilyan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alvard , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

Over the past years, I have had numerous opportunities to work in diverse environments and settings. In the opera and theater world, colleagues and collaborators frequently change. While there is always the possibility of working with someone again in the future, the short-term nature of many projects has likely shaped a specific work ethic in me.
I have been fortunate to work with outstanding professionals who consistently created a positive and inspiring work environment. Additionally, my background and rigorous education have significantly influenced my work ethic over the years.
Authenticity, honesty, and kindness are essential in professional settings, especially when teaching or working with youth. To these, I add another crucial value: punctuality. There is no greater asset than time, and respecting everyone’s time is of utmost importance.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am an opera singer, performer, educator, translator, and language coach. Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with students across a remarkable age range—from as young as 8 months to as old as 88 years. I particularly enjoy working with teenagers, as I feel I connect well with them. Adolescence is such a pivotal and delicate time when personalities are beginning to take shape, and I feel honored to contribute to their growth.
Speaking in modern terms, I often think we should refer to all teachers as influencers—don’t you agree? (Smile)

As an opera singer and performer, I have collaborated with numerous local opera companies, including Salt Marsh Opera, Regina Opera, New York Lyric Opera Theatre, and Atlanta Opera. My performances have also taken me to Europe and Armenia, my home country. Recently, I’ve been frequently engaged in concerts and projects that I manage myself. For me, the voice is a powerful instrument, and as long as it is used to bring joy to people’s hearts, that is what truly matters.
Currently, I am a staff singer at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, where I am fortunate to work alongside wonderful musicians and colleagues.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Of course, it takes more than three skills to succeed. We gain knowledge every day, and if there’s something we don’t know yet, that’s okay—we can always learn. However, certain skills, or rather principles, are particularly important to me, and these can only be cultivated intentionally: punctuality, integrity, and staying true to yourself.

As I’ve mentioned before, time is an invaluable resource—once it’s gone, it cannot be recovered. That’s why respecting someone’s time is a principle I hold dear.

Integrity is equally essential when working with others and contributing meaningful value to shared projects.

Finally, staying true to yourself is what makes your work unique. If you don’t genuinely enjoy what you’re doing, it will eventually become apparent to everyone around you.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

As I work on several concert projects, I am always seeking partners who are passionate about bringing beautiful music and engaging entertainment programs to their communities and venues. Recently, pianist Elena Kholodova and I performed a wonderful French program at the historic Wimbish House for the Atlanta Woman’s Club event. We are excited to present another French program on December 29 at Buckhead Art and Company as part of their New Year’s celebration and holiday market closing.

If you’re reading this and have a unique or unconventional venue that could be transformed into a creative and memorable performance space, I’d love to hear from you.

Feel free to connect with me on social media!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

[email protected]

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