BIOGRAPHY
Hailed for her “sublime, sparkling bronze singing” (Forumopera.com) & “passionate interpretation” (Das Opernglas), Melissa Zgouridi is quickly establishing herself as a dynamic young singer to watch.
The American-Brazilian-Chinese mezzo opens her 2023-2024 season at Opéra Comique, singing the 3rd Weird Sister in Pascal Dusapin’s “Macbeth Underworld”, directed by Thomas Jolly & conducted by Franck Ollu. She will then reprise the role of Prinz Orlofsky in Aron Stiehl’s “Die Fledermaus” with Stadttheater Klagenfurt. Next, Melissa will cover Suzuki in Anthony Minghella’s “Madama Butterfly” at the Metropolitan Opera. Finally, Melissa will appear as Erda in a new production of “Das Rheingold” at Theater Dortmund, directed by Peter Konwitschny.
From 2021-2023, Melissa was in the ensemble of the Saarländisches Staatstheater. Her numerous roles with the company included the title role in “Carmen”, Erda & Floßhilde in “Das Rheingold”, Ruggiero in “Alcina”, Prinz Orlofksy in “Die Fledermaus”. In 2023, she created 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”.
"Zgouridi's darkly colored voice has expression, character, substance. With her passionate interpretation & remarkable technique, she achieved by far the greatest success."
DAS OPERNGLAS
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”, conducted by Christian Thielemann & directed by Jens-Daniel Herzog, at the Salzburg Easter Festival.
A passionate oratorio & concert performer, Melissa has been heard as a soloist in works such as Bach's "St. Matthew Passion", Berg's "Sieben fruhe Lieder", Haydn’s “Scena di Berenice”, Händel’s “Messiah”, Mozart’s "Coronation Mass" & “Requiem", Beethoven’s "Symphony No. 9”, Rossini’s "Petite messe solennelle” & Mahler’s "Symphony No. 2" & "Symphony No. 3” in Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands & the United States.
Melissa graduated with distinction from the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg (Austria) with a master’s degree in Lied & Oratorio performance & holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music (USA). She completed additional training & residencies with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center, Exzellenz Labor Gesang, Eppaner Liedsommer with KS Brigitte Fassbaender & with Opera Saratoga in an online version of their 2020 Young Artist program.
Melissa is the recipient of numerous prizes & awards. She was a finalist & recipient of the Eva Kleinitz Award at the 2021 Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino & was awarded both Fifth Prize & the Mercedes Viñas Extraordinary Prize at the 2020 Tenor Vinãs Competition 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 2015 Fulbright Grant.
Melissa lives in Austria.