Isabel Bayrakdarian's Nonesuch debut album, Gomidas Songs, has been nominated for a Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance. The Junos, which honor the best recordings from Canadian artists, will be presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences this Sunday, April 18, in a ceremony in St. John's, Newfoundland. The awards presentation will be broadcast on CTV. For more information, visit junoawards.ca.

Bayrakdarian has previously received three Juno awards, among many other accolades. Born in Lebanon of Armenian heritage, Bayrakdarian is a Canada citizen, after having moved with her family to Toronto as a teenager. She holds an honors degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto.

On Gomidas Songs, the soprano examines the legacy of Gomidas Vardabet, the 19th-century composer who preserved, transcribed, and interpreted the lullabies, hymns, folk dances, and ancient songs of his Armenian homeland. Bayrakdarian, says Time magazine, "combines lyricism with remarkable dramatic instincts." The album is available in the Nonesuch Store with the exclusive bonus downloads "Dsidsernag" and "Hayasdan." To order your copy of the CD, with the complete album included as high-quality MP3s at no additional charge, head to the Nonesuch Store.