Berberian's education included the study of mime, writing and opera at Columbia and New York Universities, Hindu and Spanish dancing, a position as soloist for the Armenian Dance Group and vocal study with Vigo. She debuted in Naples in 1957 and in the USA in 1960 at Tanglewood. Many composers have written works for her, including Stravinsky and Henze. Her repertoire covers a wide range of material, from 17th century opera to folksongs. She is also a composer, and Stripsody (1966) for solo voice and Morsicat(h)y (1971) for piano are examples of her work. ~ Lynn Vought