Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Barig Nalbantian is a lyric coloratura soprano with a 4-octave range. Her onstage energy combined with a solid vocal technique, precise runs and an exciting higher register has moved audiences in Germany, Austria, Italy, England and the United States. Most recently, Barig has performed in festivals and house concerts (Hauskonzerte) with a repertoire of 20th century Armenian and American composers, such as Leonard Bernstein, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Konstantin Orbelian and Komitas. She has been gathering Armenian compositions to stage a cabaret-style, autobiographical show that explains the unusual history of western Armenians and their diaspora, which also showcases her Middle-Eastern Armenian roots. A CD of these pieces will be released in the near future. Other current projects include Queen of the Night (Königin der Nacht-Die Zauberflöte) and Cunegonde (Candide).

Barig discovered her musical abilities at an early age while still attending the Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She began taking piano lessons with Dr. Carl Suppa (Curtis Institute of Music). Her enthusiasm and talent led her to the Bryn Mawr Conservatory where she began her vocal training with Kim Kronenberg-Russell. She then went on to study vocal performance at the New York University Department of Music and Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Pina Mozzani and Joan Caplan, respectively. While a resident of New York City (1993-2000), she sang with the Bronx Opera and Dicapo Opera companies. In addition, she has given concerts at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall) and Lincoln Center (Merkin Hall) in New York, and at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.