Usti Kugas

Born in Tbilisi. She studied at a local secondary school and in the singing class of a music school. In 1956 she graduated from the history faculty of the A. Pushkin Pedagogical Institute in Tbilisi, and in 1963 from the Sarajishvili Conservatory in Tbilisi. From 1962 she worked at the A. Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yerevan as a soloist. She performed in numerous operas. She appeared in a number of films. In 1965 she became a laureate of the Transcaucasian Music Competition held in Tbilisi. She toured with concerts in Germany, Canada, Egypt, the countries of Eastern Europe, South-East Asia and the USA. From 1992 she lived in the USA, where she gave numerous concerts. She collaborated with the Armenian community of the USA. In Boston she founded and led the organisation "Help Young Talents". She was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Armenian SSR in 1978, and of the Georgian SSR in 1985.