CRITICS
G. Verdi Aida
www.wiesbadener-kurier.de "...An equal rival to Aida, to win the love of the Egyptian general, brings on stage Kassandra Dimopoulou Modinos as Amneris. The Greek mezzo sometimes wins the public with sweet legato phrases, and sometimes she dominates with strong voice over the whole space". |
G. BIZET CARMEN
ALSFELDER ALLGEMEINE ..." AND SO THE AUDIENCE EXPERIENCED A RAVISHINGLY SENSUAL CARMEN, WHEREBY THE GREEK-BORN KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU DOSED HER WONDERFULLY WARM MEZZO-SOPRANO VOICE, WITH NONCHALANTLY MASTERING HIGH NOTES, WITH NO "DIVA"- LIKE EXAGGERATIONS, BUT WITH SOPHISTICATION, FINE IRONY, VITAL DESIRE FOR FREEDOM AND FINALLY CONVINCING FEAR OF DEATH." |
G. PUCCINI TOSCA
ELEFTHERIA NEWSPAPER, LARISSA 2017 ... " IN THE ROLE OF FLORIA TOSKA, THE GREAT GREEK SOPRANO KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU INTERPRETED THE ARCHETYPAL ROLE WITH PASSION AND EMOTION." |
G. PUCCIni tosca
KAROUSSOS CRITICS 2017 " THE ROLE OF TOSCA HAS BEEN INTERPRETED BY BOTH VOICES, MEZZOSOPRANO (GRACE BUMBRY, SHIRLEY VERRETT, ELENA OBRAZTSOVA) AND SOPRANO (MARIA CALLAS, BIRGIT NILSSON, MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ). THE MEZZOSOPRANOS NEED TO PUT MORE ENERGY AND HAVE A GOOD TECHNIQUE SOMETHING THAT OUR GREAT KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU POSSESSES. WELL DONE: SHE TOOK ON A VERY DIFFICULT TASK, WON THE AUDIENCE AND TRIUMPHED." |
G. BIZET CARMEN
MONSCHAU KLASSIK, GERMANY 2007
... "THE SINGING OF THE INTERNATIONAL GUEST STAR KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS A TREAT FOR THE EARS AND ALL SENCES, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HER PASSIONED AND FULL VOICE: KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU MANAGED TO HOLD THE PUBLIC IN HER HANDS. SHE GAVE THE TITLE ROLE SOMETHING, THAT THE PUBLIC OF THE VERY FIRST PERFORMANCE OF GEORGES BIZET'S "CARMEN" MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED, ON 3RD MAY 1875 AND MADE US HOLD OUR BREATH: HER CARMEN IS A STRONG, SELF CONFIDENT WOMAN, WHO USES HER EROTIC CHARISMA TO PLAY WITH MEN AND IS THE LEADER OF THE PLAY; SOMETHING THAT THE VOICE OF THE GREEK MEZZO SOPRANO CLEARLY EXPRESSED. IN OTHER WORDS: KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS IN EVERY SENSE, A TRUE CARMEN."
MONSCHAU KLASSIK, GERMANY 2007
... "THE SINGING OF THE INTERNATIONAL GUEST STAR KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS A TREAT FOR THE EARS AND ALL SENCES, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HER PASSIONED AND FULL VOICE: KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU MANAGED TO HOLD THE PUBLIC IN HER HANDS. SHE GAVE THE TITLE ROLE SOMETHING, THAT THE PUBLIC OF THE VERY FIRST PERFORMANCE OF GEORGES BIZET'S "CARMEN" MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED, ON 3RD MAY 1875 AND MADE US HOLD OUR BREATH: HER CARMEN IS A STRONG, SELF CONFIDENT WOMAN, WHO USES HER EROTIC CHARISMA TO PLAY WITH MEN AND IS THE LEADER OF THE PLAY; SOMETHING THAT THE VOICE OF THE GREEK MEZZO SOPRANO CLEARLY EXPRESSED. IN OTHER WORDS: KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS IN EVERY SENSE, A TRUE CARMEN."
G. VERDI OTELLO
KNOXVILLE OPERA, U.S.A. 2012 METROPULSE BY ALLAN SHERROD ..."MAKING HER U.S. OPERATIC DEBUT WAS THE GREEK OPERA SINGER KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU AS THE VULNERABLE AND LOVING DESDEMONA. DIMOPOULOU’S BEAUTY WAS MATCHED BY A VOICE THAT IS TRULY LUSCIOUS IN ITS MID-RANGE AND EYE-OPENING WITH ITS POWER AND FOCUS. VERDI’S DESDEMONA FALLS BEAUTIFULLY IN DIMOPOULOU’S “SWEET” RANGE. HER NOTABLE ACT IV ARIAS—THE “WILLOW SONG” AND “AVE MARIA”- WOVE A MESMERISING VOCAL SPELL."... |
G. VERDI otello
KNOXNEWS BY HAROLD DUCKETT "KNOXVILLE OPERA ARTISTS GET IT RIGHT IN VERDI'S OTELLO" ... "FROM THE ELEGANTLY SIMPLE SET TO THE RICHLY DETAILED COSTUMES AND EXCELLENT PLAYING BY THE ORCHESTRA UNDER THE DIRECTION OF BRIAN SALESKY, EVERYTHING SUPPORTED THE TERRIFIC PERFORMANCES OF MICHAEL AUSTIN AS OTELLO AND KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU'S GORGEOUS DESDEMONA (…) IF YOU WANT TO SEE AN OPERA THAT GETS EVERYTHING RIGHT, THIS IS THE ONE. BRAVO.” |
G. VERDI OTELLO
BLACKHEATH HALLS, UK 2012 SCENE ONE BY DAVID GILLARD ... "KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS IN SPINE-TINGLING VOICE AS THE WRONGED AND INNOCENT DESDEMONA, UNFORCED, VULNERABLE AND HEARTBREAKING IN HER WILLOW SONG."... |
G. VERDI OTELLO
GARDEN THEATRE, THESSALONIKI 2013 AGGELIOFOROS BY SPYRIDON PHILKAS "OTELLO"- IN OTHER WORDS, "JEALOUSY" ... "NEXT TO PHILIP MODINOS, MRS DIMOPOULOU WAS PERFECT IN ANY SENSE, GIVING TO THE AUDIENCE A "DIVINE" VOCAL GIFT. WITH ELEGANCE AND DELICACY, SHE GAVE DESDEMONA THE RIGHT SOUNDS AND COLOURS, AS ONE SHOULD DO, ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF THE OPERA, WHEN DESDEMONA IS HELPLESS TO TO PREVENT HER DEATH AND GIVES UP IN TERROR AND COMMITMENT TO THE MAN WHO SHE LOVES AND WHO, BY TAKING HER LIFE, IS GIVING HER ETERNITY, THROUGH THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE AND VERDI."... |
T. TRAETTEA ANTIGONE
RADIO CITY THESSALONIKI 2013 AGGELIOFOROS BY SPYRIDON PHILKAS ... " MRS DIMOPOULOU, IN THE ROLE OF ISMENE, JUSTIFIED FOR ONE MORE TIME HER REPUTATION OF THE NEW DIVA OF THE OPERA... LIKE A PRIESTESS OF A MYSTICAL ALL-NIGHT CEREMONY, SHE SANG PERFECTLY WITH HER UNIQUE VOICE."... |
P. MASCAGNI
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA TEATRO CILEA, REGGIO CALABRIA 2011 TEMPO STRETTO ... "THESSALONIKI'S SOPRANO KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU IS A SPARKLING AND MALICIOUS LOLA OF ELEGANT AND SOBER VOICE."... |
G. VERDI RIGOLETTO
RADA FILM, "RIGOLETTO A MANTOVA" 2010 SPLASH MAGAZINES BY PHILIP G. HODGE ... "CONTESSA DI CEPRANO (KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU) DOES LITTLE SINGING, BUT WHAT A FACE. HER EXPRESSION IS PERFECTLY COOL BUT NOT IN THE LEAST COLD. SOMEHOW SHE CONVEYS THE IMPRESSION THAT, “YOU AND I COULD HAVE A GOOD TIME TOGETHER, DUKE, BUT IT WILL BE DISCREET AND IT WILL BE ON MY TERMS.”… |
opera now
"YOUNG ARTISTS: WHO IS HOT?" ... " KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU (CLEOPATRA) AND KETEVAL KEMOKLIDZE (CESARE): TWO FIENDISH SHOW-GIRLS FOR AN UNABRIDGED, YET VERY ENTERTAINING ROLE DEBUT IN HANDEL'S ORIENTAL EXTRAVAGANZA AT THESSALONIKI'S MEGARO MOUSIKIS."... |
G. F. HANDEL GIULIO CESARE
THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL 2008
OPERA NOW
BY CARLO VITALI
"DANCING QUEEN"
... "HER (CLEOPATRA) ROLE HAVING BEEN ENTRUSTED TO KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU, A NATIVE OF THESSALONIKI WHO DEVELOPED A PROMISING CAREER IN GERMANY BEFORE THIS HOME DEBUT, THE THRILL OF AUTHENTICITY WAS INDEED THERE. WAR, POWER AND SEX: THAT'S WHAT GIULIO CESARE IS ABOUT. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A SEXIER CLEOPATRA THAN THIS ATHLETIC SHOW- GIRL WHO HARDLY STOPS DANCING IN A VARIETY IF STYLES (DISCO THROUGH CABARET TO QUASI- ARABIC) WHILE EMBARKING ON HANDEL'S MOST TREACHEROUS PASSAGE WORK. THOUGH NOT A BAROQUE SPECIALIST, HER VOICE IS EXPRESSIVE AND HANDSOME, EXPERIENCING NO TROUBLE EITHER WITH SMOOTHER ARIAS THAT REQUIRE A TRUE LEGATO."...
THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL 2008
OPERA NOW
BY CARLO VITALI
"DANCING QUEEN"
... "HER (CLEOPATRA) ROLE HAVING BEEN ENTRUSTED TO KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU, A NATIVE OF THESSALONIKI WHO DEVELOPED A PROMISING CAREER IN GERMANY BEFORE THIS HOME DEBUT, THE THRILL OF AUTHENTICITY WAS INDEED THERE. WAR, POWER AND SEX: THAT'S WHAT GIULIO CESARE IS ABOUT. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A SEXIER CLEOPATRA THAN THIS ATHLETIC SHOW- GIRL WHO HARDLY STOPS DANCING IN A VARIETY IF STYLES (DISCO THROUGH CABARET TO QUASI- ARABIC) WHILE EMBARKING ON HANDEL'S MOST TREACHEROUS PASSAGE WORK. THOUGH NOT A BAROQUE SPECIALIST, HER VOICE IS EXPRESSIVE AND HANDSOME, EXPERIENCING NO TROUBLE EITHER WITH SMOOTHER ARIAS THAT REQUIRE A TRUE LEGATO."...
G. F. HANDEL Giulio cesare
IMPRESSIONS
..."THE OPERA STARTED TO GO UPWARDS WHEN CLEOPATRA APPEARED. KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS AMAZING. SHE LED THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE TO ANOTHER, HIGHER LEVEL AND HER PRESENCE, WAS, WITH NO EXAGGERATION, TRIUMPHAL. AFTER HER FIRST ARIA ("NON DISPERAR, CHI SA?") THE WHOLE TEAM GOT ENOUGH SELF CONFIDENCE AND MOVED TO DIFFERENT LEVELS. (...) SO, DIMOPOULOU HAD A SUCCESFUL DEBUT IN GREECE, VERY BEAUTIFUL PRESENCE, SHE WAS DANCING, MAKING ACROBATICS AND ACTING VERY WELL. SHE TOOK THE TEAM IN HER HANDS AND LED THEM TO VICTORY (TO USE SOME ATHLETIC TERMS). SHE IS AN ARTIST THAT, IF SHE GOES ON LIKE THAT, WILL MAKE HISTORY. "…
IMPRESSIONS
..."THE OPERA STARTED TO GO UPWARDS WHEN CLEOPATRA APPEARED. KASSANDRA DIMOPOULOU WAS AMAZING. SHE LED THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE TO ANOTHER, HIGHER LEVEL AND HER PRESENCE, WAS, WITH NO EXAGGERATION, TRIUMPHAL. AFTER HER FIRST ARIA ("NON DISPERAR, CHI SA?") THE WHOLE TEAM GOT ENOUGH SELF CONFIDENCE AND MOVED TO DIFFERENT LEVELS. (...) SO, DIMOPOULOU HAD A SUCCESFUL DEBUT IN GREECE, VERY BEAUTIFUL PRESENCE, SHE WAS DANCING, MAKING ACROBATICS AND ACTING VERY WELL. SHE TOOK THE TEAM IN HER HANDS AND LED THEM TO VICTORY (TO USE SOME ATHLETIC TERMS). SHE IS AN ARTIST THAT, IF SHE GOES ON LIKE THAT, WILL MAKE HISTORY. "…