Sonia Theodoridou
Sonia Theodoridou (Greek: Σόνια Θεοδωρίδου) was born in Veria, northern Greece. She is a Greek soprano. She was awarded the Maria Kallas scholarship, which gave her the opportunity to study at the Cologne Musical Academy. She has performed the most renowned roles of the opera, in the most historic and popular opera houses in the world.
Early years
Sonia Theodoridou was born in Veria, Macedonia (Greece), and her origin is from old Charavgi (a moved village in Agia Paraskevi region of Eordaea municipality).[1] She attended the Greek National Conservatory "Manolis Kalomiris" from where is graduated with distinction and also with "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 and after that she took off for London where she studied with Vera Rosza (www.koa.gr/soniatheodoridou, Sept. 2011).
Career
Sonia Theodoridou has performed in the most well known theatres worldwide such as 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, Ancient Theatre of Delphi to name the most important ones (www.koa.gr/soniatheodoridou, Sept. 2011).
Her repertoire is very large, and includes the most important roles of the 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), Sonia Theodoridou sings J.Brel (www.musicale.gr, Sept. 2011).
As she has stated in one of her hundreds interviews in the Greek and international press, she has very broad borders regarding the music genres that she performs (www.ekathimerini.com, Sandra Voulgari, Feb. 2008). More specifically she enjoys singing Jacques Brel, Kurt Weill, Hadjidakis, Theodorakis, Édith Piaf as much as the opera, however the opera is the genre she enjoys the most (www.ekathimerini.com, Sandra Voulgari, Feb. 2008).
Latest achievements
In 2010, Sonia Theodoridou created with her husband, conductor Theodore Orfanidis, "Orchestra Mobile", a new type of orchestra which is equipped with the best musicians from all over 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 in Parnassos Concert Hall in Athens, Greece with Orchestra Mobile, on a Charity concert. The concert was Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, and it was organized in order to support the victims in the Japan earthquake of the same year (http://www.elculture.gr/Events/Music/theodoridou-japan-parnassos/fullstory.php?id=42183, April 2011).
On June 2014 she took Europe by storm when she entered the British Museum in London in a silent protest for the return of the Greek marbles in Athens, causing anew the discussion about the everlasting greek marble issue.
She lives in Berlin, from where is travels all over Europe for singing purposes, 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 the 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