Armand Tokatyan

An Armenian born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, he travelled to Egypt with his parents where he sang in cafés to a favorable response.

His operatic debut was in 1921 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Puccini's Manon Lescaut.

Dorothy Kirsten in her autobiography writes the following about Tokatyan:[1] I recall how grateful I was to have him as a partner for my first performance of [La Traviata] at the Met because there had been no orchestra rehearsal.

Tokatyan afforded me a sense of security, having sung Alfredo innumerable times in that theatre.

As Alfredo his noble appearance helped me create the illusion that I was desperately in love with him.