Sonia Theodoridou
Sonia Theodoridou (Greek: Σόνια Θεοδωρίδου) was born in Veria, northern Greece. She is a Greek soprano singer. She was awarded the Maria Kallas scholarship, which gave her the opportunity to study at the Cologne Musical Academy. She has performed some of the most renowned roles in opera, within historic and popular opera houses throughout the world.
Early Years
Sonia Theodoridou was born in Veria, Macedonia (Greece), and grew up in old Charavgi (a village in the Agia Paraskevi region of Eordaea municipality).[1] She attended the Greek National Conservatory, "Manolis Kalomiris," where she graduated with distinction and also with an "Excellent and Distinguished Performance" award (www.musicale.gr/performers, Sept. 2011). She then won a Maria Kallas scholarship which allowed her to become a student at the Cologne Musical Academy. She then moved to London, where she studied with Vera Rosza (www.koa.gr/soniatheodoridou, Sept. 2011).
Career
Sonia Theodoridou has performed in several of the most well-known theaters worldwide, including: Frankfurt Oper, Berlin Staatsoper unten den Linden, Deutsche Opera Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg, Munich National Theatre, National Theatre Stuttgart, Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Theatre Châtelet de Paris, Theatro Communale di Firenze, Theatro la Fenice di Venezia, Theatre Basel, Opéra de Lyon, Opéra de Montpellier, Schwetzingen Festival, Maifestspiele Wiesbaden, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, New York, Salt Lake City, Salzburg, Opera House Budapest, Vienna, Athens Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Herodus Atticus Theatre, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, and the Ancient Theatre of Delphi (www.koa.gr/soniatheodoridou, Sept. 2011).
Her repertoire is very large and includes many important roles in opera: Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Elvira (Don Giovanni), Pamina (Zauberflöte), Alcina (Alcina), Violetta (La Traviata), Gilda (Rigoletto), Angelica (Suor Angelica), Mimi (La Bohème), Euridice (Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice), Salud (La vida breve), Fiorilla (Il Turco in Italia), Corinna (Il viaggio à Reims), Giulietta (I Capuletti e i Montecchi), Maria Stuarda (Maria Stuarda), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), Jenny (Mahagonny), Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana) etc. She has released two opera CDs, the Cavalli's La Calisto (Harmonia Mundi) and Pericles Koukos Conrois and his copies. Also the CDs Sonia Theodoridou encounters Manos Hadjidakis (Seirios, Recital (Seirios), Yannis Markopoulos Renaissance (Kinesis), Thanos Mikroutsikos Warna (Arcardia), Charis Persides Storiae d'Amor (Eros), Arie Antiche (Legend Classics), and Sonia Theodoridou sings J.Brel (www.musicale.gr, Sept. 2011).
As she has stated during interviews with Greek and international press, she is committed to performing a broad range of music genres (www.ekathimerini.com, Sandra Voulgari, Feb. 2008). More specifically, she enjoys singing works by Jacques Brel, Kurt Weill, Hadjidakis, Theodorakis, Édith Piaf as much as performing opera. (www.ekathimerini.com, Sandra Voulgari, Feb. 2008).
Latest Achievements
In 2010, Sonia Theodoridou and her husband, conductor Theodore Orfanidis, created "Orchestra Mobile"--a new type of orchestra equipped with renowned musicians from across Europe who can play in every city literally at once (www.news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_civ_2_03/09/2011_454696, Nikos Vatopoulos, Sept.2011). In April 2011, Sonia Theodoridou organised and performed a charity concert in Parnassos Concert Hall in Athens, Greece with Orchestra Mobile. The concert was Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, and it was organized in order to support the victims of the Japanese earthquake that occurred the same year (http://www.elculture.gr/Events/Music/theodoridou-japan-parnassos/fullstory.php?id=42183, April 2011).
In June of 2014, Sonia took Europe by storm when she entered the British Museum in London to silently protest the return of Greek statues to Athens, renewing interest in the ongoing Greek marble issue.
She lives in Berlin, travels across Europe to sing, and works as a singing professor at the University of Fine Arts in Berlin (www.liveartway.com/index.php?view=article&catid=42%3Akallitexnes&id=203%3A2009-09-28-15-53-27&format=pdf&option=com_content&Itemid=37&lang=en, Sept. 2011).
Personal Life
Sonia Theodoridou married Greek conductor Theodoros Orfanidis in Crete in August 2011 (http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_civ_2_03/09/2011_454696, Nikos Vatopoulos, Sept.2011). She has a son from her first marriage (www.ekathimerini.com, Sandra Voulgari, Feb. 2008).
References
www.news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_civ_2_03/09/2011_454696, Nikos Vatopoulos, Sept.2011
www.ekathimerini.com, Sandra Voulgari, Feb. 2008
www.elculture.gr/Events/Music/theodoridou-japan-parnassos/fullstory.php?id=42183, April 2011
www.liveartway.com/index.php?view=article&catid=42%3Akallitexnes&id=203%3A2009-09-28-15-53-27&format=pdf&option=com_content&Itemid=37&lang=en, Sept. 2011
www.musicale.gr, Sept. 2011
www.koa.gr/soniatheodoridou, Sept. 2011
External links
www.soniatheodoridou.com - Official Website
www.theodoreorfanidis.com
www.orchestramobile.com
www.thehumanvoicemusic.com