BIOGRAPHY
STUDIES & SCHOLARSHIPS
Kassandra's music talent has been extraordinary since she was a child. AT THE AGE OF 15 she WAS already a known cellist in Greece, PERFORMING AS A SOLOIST AND PLAYING IN ORCHESTRAS, AMONG THEM THE YOUTH STATE ORCHESTRA OF THESSALONIKI AND LATER AS AN EXTRA PLAYER FOR THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF THESSALONIKI.
She STARTED HER music STUDIES in Greece (Cello Diploma at the age of 16 IN NEW CONSERVATORY OF THESSALONIKI) and completed her undergraduate music studies at the Music Academies in Germany (Detmold and Stuttgart Music Academies) with a Singing Diploma specialised in Opera.
In 1999 she won a Scholarship from the Wagner Gesellschaft Bielefeld and attended the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.
She completed her music studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, taking a Master in Arts with distinction (DipRam), winning scholarships from the "Leventis Foundation", the "Athena Scholarship", the "Newton Scholarship" and supported by Life Action Trust and The Josephine Baker Trust.
She STARTED HER music STUDIES in Greece (Cello Diploma at the age of 16 IN NEW CONSERVATORY OF THESSALONIKI) and completed her undergraduate music studies at the Music Academies in Germany (Detmold and Stuttgart Music Academies) with a Singing Diploma specialised in Opera.
In 1999 she won a Scholarship from the Wagner Gesellschaft Bielefeld and attended the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth.
She completed her music studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, taking a Master in Arts with distinction (DipRam), winning scholarships from the "Leventis Foundation", the "Athena Scholarship", the "Newton Scholarship" and supported by Life Action Trust and The Josephine Baker Trust.
AWARDS
KASSANDRA WON THE PUBLIC'S PRIZE AT THE ROSSINI FESTIVAL IN BAD WILDBAD IN 2007 AND THE PRIZE OF THE "HELLENIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION" FOR HER GREEK DEBUT (2008). SHE WAS NOMINATED AS "WOMAN OF THE YEAR" FOR THE YEAR 2010 BY "LIFE & STYLE MAGAZINE".
SINGING CAREER
HER INTERNATIONAL SINGING CAREER STARTED AROUND 2005 IN GERMANY. GUEST APPEARANCES IN STAATSOPER STUTTGART (KAMMERTHEATER, STAATSBALLET),THEATRE NATIONAL LUXEMBOURG A.O. FOLLOWED BUT IT WAS IN 2007 WHEN SHE SANG HER FIRST TITLE ROLE AS CARMEN IN BIZET'S "CARMEN" AT THE "MONSCHAU KLASSIK" FESTIVAL. HER GREEK DEBUT FOLLOWED IN 2008 IN THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL, WITH THE ROLE OF CLEOPATRA IN HANDEL'S "GIULIO CESARE", FROM WHICH SHE GOT GREAT CRITICS FROM THE GREEK AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS, AS WELL AS THE PRIZE OF THE BEST NEW ARTIST BY THE GREEK CRITICS ASSOCIATION.
SHE HAS SUNG SO FAR IN MANY OPERA HOUSES AND FESTIVALS: STAATSOPER STUTTGART, NATIONAL THEATER LUXEMBURG, FESTIVAL AIXEN- PROVENCE, FESTIVAL MOZART TOUJOURS IN SALZBURG, ODEON OF HERODES ATICUS ATHENS, THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL, MONSCHAU KLASSIK, ATHENS CONCERT HALL, TEATRO CILEA REGGIO CALABRIA, KNOXVILLE OPERA, BUNKAMURA THEATRE TOKYO, ALEXANDRIA OPERA HOUSE (EGYPT), OPERA CLASSICA EUROPA, ATHENS FESTIVAL, DIMITRIA FESTIVAL THESSALONIKI, OPERA OF THESSALONIKI, A.O. AND COLLABORATED WITH IMPORTANT ORCHESTRAS SUCH AS: RAI TORINO, MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, ATHENS AND THESSALONIKI NATIONAL ORCHESTRA, ORCHESTRA OF COULORS, ORCHESTRE DE PARIS, ORCHESTRA OF THE BOLSHOI THEATER MINSK, SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF PRAGUE, ATHENS PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA, ST PAUL'S SINFONIA, ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONAL OPERA OF KOSTANTA A.O.
HER NAME BECAME OF INTERNATIONAL FAME, AFTER HER PARTICIPATION IN THE LIVE TV BROADCAST OF VERDI'S OPERA "RIGOLETTO", NEXT TO PLACIDO DOMINGO, UNDER THE MUSIC DIRECTION OF MAESTRO ZUBIN MEHTA. HER U.S DEBUT FOLLOWED IN 2011, WITH VERDI'S "OTELLO" (KNOXVILLE OPERA).
SHE HAS SUNG SO FAR IN MANY OPERA HOUSES AND FESTIVALS: STAATSOPER STUTTGART, NATIONAL THEATER LUXEMBURG, FESTIVAL AIXEN- PROVENCE, FESTIVAL MOZART TOUJOURS IN SALZBURG, ODEON OF HERODES ATICUS ATHENS, THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL, MONSCHAU KLASSIK, ATHENS CONCERT HALL, TEATRO CILEA REGGIO CALABRIA, KNOXVILLE OPERA, BUNKAMURA THEATRE TOKYO, ALEXANDRIA OPERA HOUSE (EGYPT), OPERA CLASSICA EUROPA, ATHENS FESTIVAL, DIMITRIA FESTIVAL THESSALONIKI, OPERA OF THESSALONIKI, A.O. AND COLLABORATED WITH IMPORTANT ORCHESTRAS SUCH AS: RAI TORINO, MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, ATHENS AND THESSALONIKI NATIONAL ORCHESTRA, ORCHESTRA OF COULORS, ORCHESTRE DE PARIS, ORCHESTRA OF THE BOLSHOI THEATER MINSK, SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF PRAGUE, ATHENS PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA, ST PAUL'S SINFONIA, ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONAL OPERA OF KOSTANTA A.O.
HER NAME BECAME OF INTERNATIONAL FAME, AFTER HER PARTICIPATION IN THE LIVE TV BROADCAST OF VERDI'S OPERA "RIGOLETTO", NEXT TO PLACIDO DOMINGO, UNDER THE MUSIC DIRECTION OF MAESTRO ZUBIN MEHTA. HER U.S DEBUT FOLLOWED IN 2011, WITH VERDI'S "OTELLO" (KNOXVILLE OPERA).
VOICE AND REPERTOIRE
KASSANDRA'S VOICE HAS A VERY CHARACTERISTIC AND UNIQUE DRAMATIC TIMBRE THAT EXPANDS OVER A VERY LARGE RANGE (FROM THE LOWER E TO THE HIGHER C) WITH BRILLIANCE AND STRENGTH THAT CARRIES THE VOICE EVEN IN THE LARGEST AND OPEN AIR VENUES. HER REPERTORY INCLUDES ALREADY SOME IMPORTANT SUCCESSFUL DEBUTS IN MAIN ROLES SUCH AS: CARMEN, AZUCENA (VERDI "IL TROVATORE"), AMNERIS (VERDI "AIDA"), ADALGISA (BELLINI "NORMA"), EBOLI (VERDI "DON CARLOS") A.O.
THOUGH A MEZZO-SOPRANO BY NATURE, SHE HAS EXPANDED HER REPERTORY OVER THE YEARS (FROM EARLY BAROQUE TO CONTEMPORARY) AND EVEN PERFORMED SOME OF THE SOPRANO ROLES ON STAGE, SUCH AS TOSCA IN PUCCINI'S "TOSCA", MIMI IN PUCCINI'S "LA BOHEME" AND DESDEMONA IN VERDI'S "OTELLO", ENTERING THE WORLD OF "ZWISCHENFACH" (THE GERMAN WORD FOR A VOICE THAT MOVES IN BETWEEN THE MEZZO AND THE SOPRANO REPERTORY) A SPECIAL CATEGORY MANY FAMOUS OPERA SINGERS BELONG TO (SUCH AS JESSYE NORMAN, GRACE BUMBRY, SHIRLEY VERRETT AND EVEN THE GREEK MEZZO SOPRANO AGNES BALTSA).
KASSANDRA'S MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE AND EASINESS IN LEARNING, DUE TO HER EARLY CELLO CAREER HAS MADE HER AN IDEAL INTERPRET FOR NEW CONTEMPORARY WORKS AND SHE HAS SANG IN SEVERAL WORLD PREMIERES.
THOUGH A MEZZO-SOPRANO BY NATURE, SHE HAS EXPANDED HER REPERTORY OVER THE YEARS (FROM EARLY BAROQUE TO CONTEMPORARY) AND EVEN PERFORMED SOME OF THE SOPRANO ROLES ON STAGE, SUCH AS TOSCA IN PUCCINI'S "TOSCA", MIMI IN PUCCINI'S "LA BOHEME" AND DESDEMONA IN VERDI'S "OTELLO", ENTERING THE WORLD OF "ZWISCHENFACH" (THE GERMAN WORD FOR A VOICE THAT MOVES IN BETWEEN THE MEZZO AND THE SOPRANO REPERTORY) A SPECIAL CATEGORY MANY FAMOUS OPERA SINGERS BELONG TO (SUCH AS JESSYE NORMAN, GRACE BUMBRY, SHIRLEY VERRETT AND EVEN THE GREEK MEZZO SOPRANO AGNES BALTSA).
KASSANDRA'S MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE AND EASINESS IN LEARNING, DUE TO HER EARLY CELLO CAREER HAS MADE HER AN IDEAL INTERPRET FOR NEW CONTEMPORARY WORKS AND SHE HAS SANG IN SEVERAL WORLD PREMIERES.
SKULL OF YORICK/ HELLENIC OPERA CO.
SINCE 2011, WITH THE ARTISTIC TEAM "SKULL OF YORK PRODUCTIONS" THAT SHE CO-CREATED, KASSANDRA HAS BEEN WORKING IN OPERA PRODUCTION. SHE HAS CREATED AN OPERATIC FESTIVAL IN GREECE, THE "GREEK OPERA FESTIVAL" AND AN OPERA STUDIO FOR YOUNG SINGERS, THE "OPERA STUDIO SKULL OF YORICK PRODUCTIONS". SINCE 2017 SHE IS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF HELLENIC OPERA CO AND CURRENTLY WORKING ALSO IN THE PRODUCTION TEAM FOR OPERA CLASSICA EUROPA IN GERMANY, RUNNING A NEW PROJECT, OPERA PATHWAY TO PERFORMANCE. THE WORK OF THIS ARTISTIC TEAM HAS MADE A STRONG IMPRESSION INTERNATIONALLY, SPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS TO PUT OPERA ON STAGE DURING THE VERY DIFFICULT YEARS OF FINANCIAL CRISIS IN GREECE.
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MAESTRO PLACIDO DOMINGO TALKING ABOUT HELLENIC OPERA CO. AND THEIR WORK.
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, FEBRUARY 2018. |
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