Ohanessian was born in Baghdad in 1927 to a well-to-do Armenian family . Her father , born in Persia , had settled in Baghdad after a time in India working with the British . Her mother and two uncles were orphaned survivors of the Armenian Genocide . Both parents encouraged her to study music . Ohanessian enrolled in the Institute of Fine Arts , graduating with special mention as a piano major . Upon graduating , she served as an assistant to her Romanian piano professor , Julien Hertz . An Iraqi governmental scholarship allowed her to further her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London with professor Max Pirani . Four years later , she received her LRAM in piano performance and pedagogy , and a second major in singing . She went on to receive a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Juilliard School in New York City , which culminated in a debut performance at Carnegie Hall . Her scholarship was then extended for another year , due to the 14 July Revolution in Iraq
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Beatrice Ohanessian