Katerina Mina, Soprano Opera Singer

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... Athens, London, Paris, and the end of 2008!

Posted on Dec 29, 04:49 PM in On singing opera...

 

Posted under: "On singing opera..."

Dec 29, 04:49 PM

... Athens, London, Paris, and the end of 2008!

… 2008 has been a very busy and productive year. I am very thankful to have performed in many important venues this year, to have visited many beautiful cities, but most of all to have met so many wonderful people during my performances; not only colleagues and musicians but also people that come backstage to meet the artists and spend a few moments bonding with us in a very special way. I feel I would like to send a big THANK YOU to all of you who continuously help and encourage me in your own special way, to all my sponsors, and to my precious family and friends.

It was great to be back in Athens in November for two concerts; the first concert with pianist Stefanos Thomopoulos took place at the Theocharakis Foundation of Fine Arts, a relatively new and very beautiful venue right in the heart of Athens, and was part of the annual festival ‘Around the Piano’. As soon as that finished I started rehearsing with the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT, for what it would be a wonderful debut at Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall. I just can’t describe how I felt when I walked on the stage of Megaron’s ‘Friends for Life Hall’. Everyone would say to me that this is one of the best venues, if not the best in Europe, how the acoustics of the Hall is so incredibly effortless and so on and so forth… Well, words can’t really describe the great acoustics and venue, and I sincerely hope that I will sing there again. At this concert, which was under ‘Music of the 20th and 21st Century‘  I sang the soprano solo in the symphonic work 1973 composed by Christos Pittas, on poetry by Vassilis Vasilikos. The work is written for soprano, orchestra, chorus and electronic sound track, where Maria Farantouri’s voice is heard as part of the work. It is a very exciting, dramatic, and thrilling work, portraying the pain, anger, desperation and dare I say hope, caused by the unfortunate events of the ‘Athens Polytechnic Uprising Anniversary of 17th November 1973’.

I stayed in Athens for three whole weeks and even though rehearsals were intense, I enjoyed every minute of my stay. I had the most wonderful time bonding with my long-lasting friend Maria who wholeheartedly offered to put me up for three weeks, cooked for me, found the most incredible hairstylist and make-up artist to make me up for Megaron, put up with a soprano’s life and early morning warm-ups before rehearsals for three whole weeks, drove me to the airport, took me out AND bought me presents as well, all this while she was eight months pregnant!!!!!!! Maria, you are a Super Woman and the best example of a good friend, and I thank you with all my heart for everything that you did.

After Athens I had a couple of weeks to prepare for a concert with renowned Greek pianist Elena Mouzalas, at Saint-Louis Cathedral of Les Invalides in Paris. Being in La Ville-Lumiere (The City of Lights) in December, just a few days before Christmas, was indeed a wonderful and very special end to the year! The concert which was part of the European Presidency Celebrations went very well; it was my second collaboration with Ms Mouzalas and hopefully not the last. She is a very special performer and an excellent pianist, who is also very sensitive to the needs of the singer and I look forward to working with her more in the near future. 

I must sign off now, as I have a coaching session very soon and I’m running late!!!! I will write again, I promise. Early in the New Year.

Joy, love, peace and good health to all of you,

katerinaxxx

 

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