Berberian Cathy, *4 July 1928 Attleboro, Massachusetts, †6 March 1983 Rome, American singer (soprano) of Armenian origin. She studied at New York University and Columbia University. She began her vocal studies in 1949 in Milan under G. del Vigo, and then in Paris under M. Freund. She gave concerts from 1953. As an outstanding interpreter of contemporary music, she participated in many music festivals, including in Venice, West Berlin, Lisbon, Palermo, Vienna, Brussels, and also in the Warsaw Autumn festivals (1961, 1963, 1974). She took part in the premieres of works by L. Beria, J. Cage, S. Bussotti, and others. In collaboration with L. Berio (she was his wife from 1950 to 1965), she created a new form of musical recital, combining singing with elements of acting and pantomime, using staging and lighting effects. She recorded a number of albums (Philips, Vox Turnabout, Columbia, to name a few) with contemporary music, including works by L. Berio. She was also involved in teaching and composed (among others, Stripsody for solo voice, 1966). She has published a number of articles on the interpretation of contemporary vocal music, including those translated into Polish: Nowa wokalistyka we współczesnej twórczości artystycznej [The new vocality in contemporary music] (“Ruch Muzyczny,” 1970, no. 21), “Pierrot Lunaire” w nowym świecie [“Pierrot Lunaire in a new world] (“Ruch Muzyczny,” 1970, no. 23), Teraz i niegdyś [Now and then] (“Ruch Muzyczny,” 1970, no. 24).
