Kassandra Dimopoulou Artistic Director Hellenic Opera Co Opera Studio Skull of Yorick Productions Opera Da Camera Oscura Kassandra was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. She has been in the world of music since her early childhood, first as a cellist and later as an opera singer. She studied the cello and singing in Germany (Detmold and Stuttgart) where she took her Bachelor in Music, specialized in opera. She took a Master in Arts at the Royal Academy of Music in London with distinction (DipRam) founded by the Leventis Foundation, and the Athena Scholarship and supported by Josephine Baker Trust and Life Action Trust. Her international career in opera started around 2005 in Germany and since then she has performed major roles in many international opera houses (Staatsoper Stuttgart, National Opera of Greece, Teatro Cilea, Knoxville Opera a.o.). In 2010 she sang next to Placido Domingo in the RADA Film production "Rigoletto a Mantova" which was broadcasted live all over the world. Her repertory includes roles such as: Carmen (Carmen) Amneris (Aida) Desdemona (Otello) Eboli (Don Carlo) Adalgisa (Norma) Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana) Suzuki (M. Butterfly) Ismene (Antigone) Cleopatra (G. Cesare) Zerlina (Don Giovanni) Rosina (Barbiere di Siviglia) and many more. In 2011 she a co-founder of the independent opera company Skull of Yorick Productions. Since then, she has directed/co-produced the following operas: - Norma (V. Bellini) - Otello (G. Verdi) - Carmen (G. Bizet) - Suor Angelica (G. Puccini) - Il Tabarro (G. Puccini) - I Pagliacci (R. Leoncavallo) - Antigone (T. Traetta) - La Serva Padrona (G. B. Pergolesi) - Cosi Fan Tutte (W. A. Mozart) - Opera is kicked out of Heaven (operatic comedy), which she wrote and published in Greece. - Le Nozze di Figaro (W. A. Mozart) - L'incoronazione di Poppea" (Cl. Monteverdi) In September 2013 she co-founded the Opera Studio Skull of Yorick Productions for young artists to gain experience in small productions of popular operas. www.kassandradimopoulou.com |
Jenny Drivala Jenny Drivala was born in Kalamata-Greece. She completed her musical studies (piano-voice) at the University for the Arts of Bremen-Germany. Winner of the 1st Prize of the "V.Bellini" International Singing Competition in Italy and of the Special Prize "M.Callas" of the same Competition, she debuted as Lucia in the National Opera of Greece in Athens and at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari-Italy and as Amina in "La Sonnambula" at the Capitole in Toulouse-France.1n this same role, few years later, she debuted at the La Scala Opera House in Milan-Italy,under the baton of G.-A.Gavazzeni. Shortly after Lucia, followed the debut as Violetta in "La Traviata" again in Athens. A role that has brought her in several major Opera Houses around the world. Apart of her permanent collaboration with the National Opera of Greece, she has appeared as a guest in the following countries: ITALY: in Milan La Scala, Rome Teatro del Opera, Bologna Comunale, Catania Teatro Bellini, Spoleto Festival del due Mondi, Florence Magglo Fiorentino, Napoil San Carlo, Venice La Fenice, Bari Petruzzelli and others, collaborating with conductors such as, Riccardo Chailly, Nello Santi, G.A. Gavazzeni, Daniel Oren, Donato Renzetti, Michel Plasson, Alfredo Zedda and producers as P.L.Pizzi, G.C.Menotti, L.Wertmueller, P.L.Samaritani, Jean Pierre Ponnelle, Yuri Liubimov and others. FRANCE: Paris Chatelet and Champs Elysees, Toulouse Capitole, Bordeaux, Nice, Monte Carlo, Festival of Carpentras, Montpellier AUSTRIA: Vienna State Opera, Volksoper, Innsbruck Festival GERMANY: Hamburg, Dusseldorf SWITZERLAND:Zurich, Basel, Lausanne, St. Gallen GR.BRITAIN:London ENO, Philarmonia at the Winchester Cathedral, Clerkenwell Festival U.S.: New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Detroit Opera House AUSTRALIA: The Victoria State Opera in Melbourne SOUTH AFRICA: PACT Pretoria, CAPAB Cape Town Recordings: "Songs I Love"- London 1995 Sommrecords "The Crucifixion"- Byzantine Opera by Y. Boufides Athens 1996 "Christmas 2000" - Athens 2000 "Antigone" - Opera by M.Theodorakis "Brentano Lieder - Daphne "- by R.Strauss "Aria" - Athens (2006) - Arias by Vellini, Verdi, Meyerbeer, Mozard Videos : "Armide" by Gluck (title role) - Austrian Television Cinema : "Maiina" by Werner Schroeter "Poussieres d'amour" by Werner Schroeter |