Brazilian-American mezzo-soprano Melissa Zgouridi has been lauded by audiences & critics alike for her “sublime, sparkling bronze voice” (Forumopera.com) & “passionate interpretation” (Das Opernglas). ​

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Melissa opens her 2025/2026 season with a return to the Stadtheater Klagenfurt, where she will sing her first Brangäne in Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" in a new production by Aron Stiehl, conducted by Chin-Chao Lin. She will then make both her house & role debut as Cornelia in "Giulio Cesare" at the Salzburger Landestheater, directed by _____ & conducted by Carlo Cimento. In Spring 2026, Melissa will return to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Isabel Leonard as Frida Kahlo in “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego” by Gabriela Lena Frank, directed by Deborah Colker and conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The season culminates with Melissa’s debut at the Bregenzer Festspiele, where she will perform as Annina in a new production of "La Traviata", directed by Damiano Michieletto & conducted by Kirill Karabits, on the iconic Seebühne.

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During the 2024/2025 season, Melissa sang Carmen in a new production for Theater Hagen & made her role debut as Erda in “Siegfried” at the Saarländisches Staatstheater. She returned to Theater Dortmund as Erda in both "Das Rheingold" and "Siegfried" as part of their presentation of the full Ring cycle. In May 2025, Melissa performed Erda in a concert version of “Siegfried” at the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles with Sébastien Rouland & the Saarländisches Staatsorchester.

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In the 2023/2024 season, Melissa sang the 3rd Weird Sister in Pascal Dusapin’s “Macbeth Underworld” at the Opéra Comique (directed by Thomas Jolly, conducted by Franck Ollu), Prinz Orlofsky in“Die Fledermaus” with Stadttheater Klagenfurt (directed by Aron Stiehl, conducted by Nicholas Milton), Erda in a new production of “Das Rheingold” at Theater Dortmund (directed by Peter Konwitschny, conducted by Gabriel Feltz) & covered Suzuki in Anthony Minghella’s celebrated production of “Madama Butterfly” at the Metropolitan Opera. 

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From 2021 to 2023, Melissa was a member of the ensemble at the Saarländisches Staatstheater, where she quickly became a "crowd favorite" (OPUS Kulturmagazin) through her dynamic portrayals of Carmen (Carmen), Ruggiero (Alcina), Erda (Das Rheingold) & Prinz Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus). In 2023, she originated the role of Laertes in the world premiere of Sarah Nemtsov’s “Ophelia”. Melissa appeared with the Saarländisches Staatstheater at the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles as both Erda & Floßhilde in a concert version of “Das Rheingold” & at the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg as the 3rd Weird Sister in Pascal Dusapin’s “Macbeth Underworld”.

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Additional previous engagements include Berg’s "Sieben frühe Lieder" with ensembleKONTRASTE under the baton of Jac van Steen in Nürnberg, Roßweiße in a concert version of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” for Staatstheater Augsburg & Lehrbuben in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” at the Salzburg Easter Festival, conducted by Christian Thielemann & directed by Jens-Daniel Herzog. A passionate oratorio & concert performer, she has been heard as a soloist in a range of repertoire in Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands & the United States.

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Melissa has earned numerous accolades, including being a finalist at the 2024 Elizabeth Connell Competition at Wigmore Hall, a finalist & recipient of the Eva Kleinitz Award at the Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino, & the recipient of both Fifth Prize & the Mercedes Viñas Extraordinary Prize at the Tenor Vinãs Competition at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Melissa is a grantee of the Olga Forrai Foundation for Dramatic Voices, a Bayreuth scholarship holder of the International Richard Wagner Association & a recipient of a Fulbright Grant.

 

Melissaholds a master’s degree in Lied and Oratorio performance, with distinction, from the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg & a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music (USA). Melissa lives in Austria. 

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