Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան)

Zabelle Panosian (June 7, 1891 – January 26, 1986) was an Armenian-American soprano.

She was born Takouhi Der Mesrobian in a Western Armenian-speaking town, Bardizag (now Bahçecik, Turkey). She emigrated to the United States in the spring of 1907 and was married to the photo-engraver Aram Sarkis Panosian, in Somerville, Massachusetts, with whom she had a daughter in 1908, the dancer Adrina Otero (later Adriana Joyce).

In March 1917 and June 1918, she recorded ten songs in Armenian and one song in French for Columbia Records' Woolworth Building studio in New York. She is best known for her rendition of Groung (Crane), a folk song that was at least three hundred years old at the time that she recorded it and sold well to Armenians through the 1920s until 1931 when Columbia deleted its Armenian-language catalog.

A contemporary of Armenian-American singers Torcom Bezazian and Amenag Chah-Mouradian, with the latter of whom she frequently performed, Panosian was a prolific fundraiser for Armenian causes from 1915 through 1919. She travelled to Europe and Egypt from 1920 to 1923. While living in Paris, she met Komitas and published an account of their meeting.

From 1923 onward, she lived in New York City. She continued to perform regularly through the 1930s including a concert tour of California, and less often through the 1940s and 50s including appearances in Brazil and Uruguay with her daughter as well as Armenian literary events in New York. In 1982, she donated $756,939 to the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 7, 1891, Died 1986

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1917 - 1918

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Trial 1917-02-21-01] Not documented 2/21/1917 Groung Zabelle Panosian Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor [Trial 1917-02-21-02] Not documented 2/21/1917 Im sirely zavagounks Zabelle Panosian Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58167 10-in. approximately March 1917 Caroun Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with violin and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58168 10-in. approximately March 1917 Der getso Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with violin and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58169 10-in. approximately March 1917 Mir khor babge kerezman Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with violin and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58170 10-in. approximately March 1917 Kilikia Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with violin and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58171 10-in. approximately March 1917 Groung Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with violin and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58172 10-in. approximately March 1917 Im sireli zavagounks Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with violin and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 58359 10-in. approximately June 1917 Tzain dour ov dzovag Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 84457 10-in. approximately June 1918 Mi lar pibool Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 84458 10-in. approximately June 1918 Khavarel yem Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 84463 10-in. approximately June 1918 Charmant oiseau Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 84465 10-in. approximately June 1918 Togh tcherke blbool Zabelle Panosian (Զաբել Փանոսյան) Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, soprano vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Panosian, Zabelle (Փանոսյան, Զաբել)," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/336294.

Panosian, Zabelle (Փանոսյան, Զաբել). (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/336294.

"Panosian, Zabelle (Փանոսյան, Զաբել)." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/336294

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