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Described by the press as a real mezzo soprano, Maria Zoi has received critical acclaim in both Europe and the US for her versatility, wide vocal range and unique voice timbre. Originally from Greece she is pursuing an international operatic career from her base in London.
On November 23' Ms Zoi performed for the first time in Barcelona, Spain (at the historical Monastery of Pedralbes) at a Gala dedicated to the centennial anniversary of Maria Callas' birth alongside world class artists. In artistic season 2024-25' she will make her debut as Bradamante in Orlando Furioso by Vivaldi with a major Spanish opera house.
Previous performance credits include Angelina (excerpts from La Cenerentola) with The Metropolitan Opera Guild, New York; Musetta (Leoncavallo - La Bohème) with Teatro Grattacielo, New York; Carmen (excerpts from Carmen) Opera Florham New Jersey and Kindertotenlieder by Gustav Mahler at New York University. Previously, she compellingly portrayed several other roles of the lyric mezzo-soprano repertoire: Dorabella/Cosi fan Tutte; Cherubino/Le Nozze di Figaro; Rosina/Il Barbiere di Siviglia; Dritte Dame/The Magic Flute; Prinz Orlofsky/Die Fledermaus; Flora Bervoix/La Traviata; Mercedes/Carmen with the Greek National Opera and in various freelance productions in Germany and Austria.
On the concert platform Ms Zoi has performed in several distinguished venues worldwide including: Gasteig, Munich; Prinzregententheater, Munich; Kongresshalle, Nuremberg; Ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens; Ephesus Ancient Theater, Turkey; Great Concert Hall (Aula) of Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich; Greek National Opera; Megaron/Athens Concert Hall; Royal Theatre of Thessaloniki; Vienna City Hall; Concert Hall Baden am Wien; Auditorium Pedrotti Pesaro, Italy; Lincoln Center - Rose Building Auditorium, New York; National Opera America Center, New York; New York University (NYU) among others.
She has performed a wide range of Oratorio and Lieder works with the Nuernberger Symphoniker and with several important symphony orchestras of Greece such as the: City of Athens Symphony Orchestra, State Orchestra of Thessaloniki & City of Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra. Her career also encompasses Chamber Music, including performances with Kammerorchester Orpheus Wien, Polytropon Ensemble and Chamber Music Hellas USA.
In 2019 Ms Zoi won third prize in the Edward M. Murray International Opera Competition of Opera Ithaca, New York. She has also been awarded a scholarship for the Bayreuth Festival from the Richard Wagner Association of the city of Duesseldorf. In January 2019, Maestro Jose Carreras selected her amongst many talented young opera singers from all over the world as one of the few Finalists who sang alongside him at the final concert of his annual Masterclass at Auditorium Pedrotti in Pesaro. In an interview with Il Resto del Carlino newspaper Maestro Carreras expressed his conviction that she will have a promising operatic career. Ms Zoi holds a Doctorate equivalent Meisterklasse Gesang in Classical Singing from the University of Music and Performing Arts of Munich.
Before committing to her operatic career, Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis discovered Ms Zoi's natural vocal gift at the age of fifteen. She took part in numerous concerts and recordings interpreting works by Theodorakis and is regarded as one of the most authentic interpreters of his music and one of Greece's greatest voices according to press accounts.
Besides Music, Ms Zoi has also studied Communication & Mass Media at the National University of Athens. In 2019 she founded Atelier d'Excellence (AdE), an online career consulting and empowerment platform for emerging opera singers which provides them with an extensive support network of renowned operatic figures.