instead of bio...

I was born in Thessaloniki/Greece, where my dad was a car mechanic and my mum was the best cook who ever existed. At the age of five I started to learn the piano, began singing at school and joined a drama group. After finishing school, I studied Molecular Biology at the Demokritus University of Greece (nerdy too) and during that period I had my first singing lessons at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. After this, I did my military service in the navy for a year, and finally made the decision to try to become an opera singer (stroke for both my parents). In 2010 I was accepted into the Music University of Cologne for Bachelor studies and I completed my Masters degree at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf.

While still being a student I had the opportunity to sing exciting parts like Guglielmo („Cosi Fan tutte“) at the Teatro Poliziano in Italy- btw great wine; Daniel („Anna Nicole“- Marc Antony Turnage) at the Theater of Dortmund; Lehrbube („Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg“) at the Opera of Cologne; Albert Herring, Deputierter („Don Carlos“) and Tancredi („Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda“) at the Theater of Aachen; Eisenstein („Die Fledermaus“) at the Musikhochschule Köln; and Frank Maurrant („Street Scene“) at the Robert Schumann Hochschule.  Some of them were shirtless!... which brought me to the family of ® burihunks .

During my studies in Germany, I became a big fan of the Lied and chanson genre. I was drawn to the simplicity of the music and the beauty of the texts. Reminded of spending my summers on Thassos island, where I used to sing greek songs with friends, I discovered that these song recitals revived the same energy. In 2014 with my dear pianist Amina Taikenova, we won 1st prize at the “Schmolz und Bickenbach“ competition in Düsseldorf, we recorded songs by H.Eisler for the WDR-Radio, then we participated in the “Jubiläums-CD für Staatskanzlei“ with songs by R.Schumann, and our most recent project was a personal Album called "Recital" with songs by R.Strauss and G.Mahler (shameless promo). As a concert singer I travelled in Germany, Holland, Luxemburg, Israel and Greece.

Along my journey, I have met and worked with many inspiring artists and teachers, such as Jorma Hynninen, Margreet Honig, Cheryl Studer, Daphne Evangelatos, Edda Moser, Konrad Jarnot,Jeannet Pilou, Enza Ferrari, Mirreille Alcantara, Laurent Pillot, Katerina Karatza. I'm a scholar of the Oscar und Vera Ritter- Stiftung , DAAD, Wagner Stiftung and I was lucky enough to receive a Deutschlandstipendium.

Before finishing my studies I was offered my first engagement at the Aalto Musiktheater in Essen for the seasons 2015-17, to perform some of my favourite roles, including Figaro(„Il barbiere di Siviglia“), Valentin(„Faust“), Schaunard („La boheme“), Belcore („Elisir d´amore“) and Sprecher („Die Zauberflöte“). 

​I love singing! It´s a great journey.

p.s. My dad has not lost hope that I will become a molecular biologist one day
p.p.s. I know all my mum's recipes ;)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              (photo of my first attempt as Rigoletto)

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