Marita Paparizou was chosen by the most famous opera theatre in the world to participate in a unique musical performance, as part of the national events of Italy.
From “Olympus to Olimpico” is the Hellenic title of the extraordinary musical performance that will take place on June 2 in Vicenza, Northern Italy, with the participation of the world’s most important opera music artists in the world’s most important and ancient masterpiece indoor theatre with its magical acoustics.
The Teatro Olimpico, located in Vicenza (between Milan and Venice), is one of the most important heritage sites of UNESCO, a masterpiece of acoustics, with a permanent set inspired by Aeschylus’ “Seven at Thebes”. It is the dream of every lyric actor from every corner of the world and although it “smells of Greece”, to date the only Greek to step on its stage was the genius director and choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou in 2015, with his play “Primal matter”.
The participation of Greek diva mezzo soprano Marita Paparizou in the “Olimpo all’ Olimpico” operatic concert is an outstanding artistic event on a national level as the Greek contralto coloratura has captivated international audiences with her striking dark voice yet so versatile in her fast passages, a voice that captivates and warms the audience at the same time with the speed of the phrases and the special colours.
At the June concert with the Orchestra Solisti Veneti and conductor Guliano Carella, Ms Paparizou will perform arias inspired by Greek myth, including from the operas Parthenope, Semiramide, Moiros and Selinontius and Demophon. It is a fact that Greek myth has inspired over 85% of baroque opera and Greece is leading and inspiring even through the world of baroque music.
The “Olimpo all’ Olimpico” concert is being held in collaboration with the Accademia Olimpica and is part of the great celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic.
Short biography of Marita Paparizou
The Marita Paparizou was born in Volos and made her debut in Genoa in the role of Onaro, in the 1st World Revival in modern times of N. Porporas’ “Ariadne in Naxos”, almost immediately after she was selected as a fellow of the Alexandra Trianti Foundation, by OMMA (1999).
Since then she has worked with the National Opera House (ELS), performing various roles, such as 3rd Dame in “The Magic Flute”, Madalena in “Rigoletto”, Fenena in “Nabucco”, Amastris in “Xerxes”, the title role in “The Furious Orlando”, Rosina in “The Barber of Seville”, Isabella in “The Italian in Algiers”, Isollier in “Count Ory” and the title role in “Carmen”.
He has recorded for ERA De Faya’s “The Magician Love”, and has also performed this work again at the Metropolis Concert Hall of Thessaloniki. She has also performed the role of Dido in Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas”, in Corfu (Phoenix Theatre) and at the Mediterranean Festival of the Municipality of Kallithea (2020), of which she has been the artistic director since its foundation.
She has been invited by various European theatres, including the Opera di Monte Carlo, where she sang the leading role in “Tagrendo”, but also many Italian theatres such as those of Pisa, Livorno and Trento, to sing Arsakis in the opera “Semiramis”. Her outstanding ability in contralto roles led her to Massy to sing Isabella and to Bilbao where she sang the role of Smeton opposite June Anderson’s “Anna Bolena”.
She has also sung the role of Circe in Gluck’s “Telemachus or Circe’s Island” in a 1st World Revival in modern times both in London (Sandler’s Wells) and at the Herodion, offering a dramatic performance that critics said was reminiscent of a Michael Cacoyannis heroine.
However, her voice was deemed suitable to sing the role of Marnie in The Flying Dutchman, conducted by A. Jordaan, in Marseille, allowing her to be subsequently tried by the ELS in the double role of Geziba and the Foreign Lady in the same production of “Rusalka” with great success.
Her debut in the role of “Carmen” in 2009 in Larissa earned her the “Production of the Year” award from the Association of Greek Theatre and Music Critics.
In terms of the baroque repertoire, he has collaborated with conductor Antonio Florio and Capella della Pieta de Turcini in tours of Spain, performing works by Porpora, but also with conductor Claudio Simone, first at the Elysian Fields Theatre with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and then at the Orchestra and the Festival of Veneto with the Venetian Soloists. With the latter he appeared in the Cosmos series of KPISN (2018), in a concert dedicated to the late Claudio Simone.
He has performed with various international orchestras such as Oxford’s Philomusica, London’s Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic and the Chamberists of La Scala di Milano in an evening dedicated to Greece’s relationship with opera. In Greece he has collaborated with ERT, KOA, KOTH, Camerata, Orchestra of Colours, ODELS, DAMS Mr.α.
The CD where he sings the role of Tauridis in Hendel’s “Ariadne in Crete”, conducted by Giorgos Petrou and the Soloists of Patras, is already released by MDG, having won international critical acclaim and many awards, including the CHOC de la Musique, and has released her solo CD “Vivaldi ma non solo” on the same label, with Claudio Simone and the Solisci Venetti, receiving excellent reviews.
She has participated in various concerts performing arias or oratorios such as Verdi’s “Requiem”, Verdi’s “Mass in C minor” by Mochart, the “Te Deum” by Bruckner, Lord Nelson’s Mass by Haydn and the Stampede Matter by Rosini and Vivaldi, London (Cadogan Hall and Queen Elizabeth’s Hall), Paris (Satelet), Oxford, Geneva, OmmA (conducted by Christopher Hogwood) and OmmTH, and has also performed in concerts in Rome, Pamplona and Salzburg.
He has performed the role of Tagredos in a First National Performance, in the first television production of an opera, with ERT, for the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death.
