With her rare and unique voice, American mezzo-soprano Aria Minasian has rich and versatile performance experience in a vast array of repertoire and roles. The 2025-2026 season holds exciting role and house debuts for Ms. Minasian as Vitellia in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, the Alto Soloist in Martines' Dixit Dominus, and the Soprano II Soloist in Haydn's Missa brevis under the baton of Maestra Erin Freeman with the City Choir of Washington in D.C. This spring Aria will be debuting as Der Komponist in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos with Pacific Northwest Opera, conducted by Maestro Jonathan Khuner and directed by Mitchell Kahn. 

During the 2024-2025 season, Ms. Minasian returned to Wolf Trap Opera as a 2nd year Studio Artist to cover the title role of Bizet’s Carmen, conducted by Maestro José Luis Gomez and direction of John de los Santos, as well as covering Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, conducted by Maestro Geoffrey McDonald and directed by Katherine M. Carter. While at Wolf Trap Aria also performed as a Bridesmaid in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and the Studio Spotlight Concert as Delia in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims and April in Sondheim's Company. Ms. Minasian was a Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist with Virginia Opera covering Donna Elvira and Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, performing Mercédès in Bizet’s Carmen, covering Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, performing Clerk #1 and covering Lola Loving in the world premiere of Damien Geter’s Loving v. Virginia, directed by Denyce Graves and conducted by Maestro Adam Turner. 

A charismatic and willing musician, Ms. Minasian has collaborated and worked with several composers and librettists on their works, including Pulitzer Prize-Winning composer Kevin Puts on his opera Elizabeth Cree (2024), Tom Cipullo on his new opera Hobson’s Choice (2023 workshop premiere), librettist Virginia Sierra and composer Roberto Sierra on their large chamber ensemble piece I am Carmen Miranda (2022), James Stephenson on his Symphony No. 2 (2022), and Grammy Award-Winning composer Christopher Theofanidis on the world premiere of his work Door Out of the Fire (2021). 

Ms. Minasian was a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera for the summer of 2024, covering Anna 1 in Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins, performing in the chorus of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte & Puccini's La bohème, and covering Madeleine in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night, directed by Ryan & Tanya McKinny. Recent operatic highlights include Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Olga in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Taller Daughter in Mazzoli’s Proving Up, Forester’s Wife & the Owl in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, Aunt Lou in Still’s Highway 1, USA, and Madame de la Haltière in Massenet’s Cendrillon with University of Michigan Opera. Additional recent partial roles and opera scenes, many of which Aria hopes to perform fully in her career, include the title role in Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma, Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème, Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther, Maddalena in Verdi's Rigoletto, Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo, & 2nd Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

Earning the Presidential Scholarship from Lawrence University, Aria graduated with her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, cum laude, and went on to receive the Full Merit Scholarship from the University of Michigan for both her Master of Music and Specialist of Music in Vocal Performance graduate degrees, working with mezzo-soprano Freda Herseth. During her time at Lawrence, Aria performed the demanding role of The Celebrant in Bernstein's Mass, a role written for baritones or tenors, where she was double cast with a baritone. This fully immersive production, directed by Copeland Woodruff and conducted by Maestro Andy Mast, collaborated with deaf actor Robert Schleifer, with all performers signing in American Sign Language. Folloiwng the success of the production, Mass was awarded 3rd Place in NOA's Best Opera Production and 3rd Prize in The American Prize - Opera Production (2020). 

In the competition circuit, Aria has been a Washington District Winner and Western Canada District Encouragement Award Winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition (2019 & 2020), a Semi-Finalist in the Jensen Foundation Competition (2025), a Finalist in Eugene Opera's Vocal Competition (2019), Semi-Finalist in The American Prize in Chamber Music - Professional Division and Teatro Grattacielo's Camerata Bardi International Vocal Competition (2020), the 2nd Prize Winner of Seattle Opera Guild's Singers' Development Awards (2020), 1st Prize Winner of the Friends of Opera Competition (2021), Grand Prize Winner of the Patricia Crump Competition (2023), and the recipient of the prestigious George Shirley Award (2024), amongst additional awards.

Aria recently made house debuts with Pacific Symphony as Giovanna in Verdi's Rigoletto, conducted by Maestro Carl St. Clair and directed by Kathleen Belcher, and with Dexter Community Orchestra as the Alto Soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 led by Maestro David Schultz. Ms. Minasian can be heard on recordings of An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs, recorded in 2021 with collaborative pianist Dr. Sara Chiesa, featured on Thomas Hampson’s Hampsong Foundation and Song of America. The recording project was created by Dr. Louise Toppin, who created the anthology, and led Aria to a passion for uplifting BIPOC composers and their works.

Introduced to the wonder and power of music at a young age, thanks to her grandparents and parents’ love of everything from Yo-Yo Ma to The Beatles, to Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, and Etta James, Aria began her musical journey as a classical pianist, training for over a decade and winning awards before finding her passion for opera. Ms. Minasian has an extensive background in vocal pedagogy, receiving her training from Professor Ken Bozeman and Professor Joanne Bozeman in vocal acoustics and pedagogy, and Dr. Karen Leigh-Post in studies on the brain and mind-body relationship, and optimal performance. ​Though a typical day for her includes rehearsals, practice sessions, coachings, and the occasional artistic epiphany, when not on stage or studying, Aria loves going for hikes, practicing yoga, spending time with friends, family, and her two dogs, and is a deeply committed Mariners baseball fan.