Eugenia Manolidou

Eugenia Manolidou
Born Eugenia Karagiannidou
February 27, 1975
Athens, Greece
Nationality Greek
Other names Eugenia Manolidou, Eugenia Manolides
Occupation Composer and conductor, entertainment TV presenter

Eugenia Karagiannidou (Greek: Ευγενία Καραγιαννίδου), better known as Eugenia Manolidou (Μανωλίδου) or Manolides, is a Greek classical composer, conductor, entertainment TV presenter and the wife of politician and former Minister of Health Adonis Georgiades.

Personal life and education

Born on February 27, 1975 as Eugenia Karagiannidou in Athens, Greece, Eugenia Manolidou started her first piano lessons at the age of five. In 1994, she stopped the advanced piano studies at the conservatory J.S. Bach with the Russian teacher Ala Chalapsi in order to study composition at the Juilliard School. She studied composition and orchestration with Daron Hagen and orchestral conducting with the director of the New York Grand Opera, Vincent la Selva, continuing at the same time piano studies with the American soloist Julie Jordan. In 1998, she began post-graduate studies with the Belge composer and conductor Robert Janssens at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels. In 2005, she completed post – graduate studies (major History of Civilization) at the Alpine Universität, Zürich.

Manolidou was married painter Theodoros Manolides, 37 years her elder, in 1995. They separated in 2002 but Manolides denied to file the divorce for some time.[1] Currently she is married to editor, New Democracy politician and former Minister of Health Adonis Georgiades. She is the mother of 2 children (Alexandros, 1996 and Theodora, 1997) from her first marriage and another one with Georgiades[2] called Perseas (2005). Eventually the two were married on June 22, 2009.[3]

TV career

Manolides was going to participate as a judge for the Greek version of The X-factor for Antenna TV,[4] however she was also proposed by the same channel to be a presenter for the Greek version of the Moment of Truth reality game. Her position in X-factor was taken by Katerina Gagaki.

The Moment of Truth became a controversial spectacle in Greece characterized as "hardcore reality television",[5] as well as her own presence there, since Georgiades is a representative with the Popular Orthodox Rally, a right-conservative party. Manolides herself made a controversial statement in an interview for Ethnos TV magazine[6] stating that she would prefer to be a house cleaner rather than visiting the Moment of Truth as a participant.

In 2010 Eugenia was the main judge of Ellada Eheis Talento (Greece's Got Talent) and replaced Matthildi Maggira (show woman). This was a controversial choice as everyone accepted Maggira as a judge. As a result, a lot of gossip arose and the choice of Manolidou as a judge is still frequently debated.

From March to June 2010, Eugenia was a contestant at the first season of Dancing with the stars (Greece). She was eliminated in the semi-final, having received positive reviews for her performance.

In 2011 Eugenia Manolidou, was the main moderator and presenter of the successful Cooking Game show, MasterChef on the TV channel Mega, an adaptation of the original British show.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ http://www.myworld.gr/site/content.php?sel=199&artid=249721
  3. ↑ http://www.madata.gr/index.php/diafora/38096.html
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=11416&subid=2&tag=8334&pubid=1752611