RUGGIERO
"The young mezzo-soprano Melissa Zgouridi, who has been a member of the Saarbrücken ensemble since 2021, shines as Ruggiero, actually a castrato role. The pants role is one of the most beautiful & demanding Handel roles ever. Zgouridi's darkly colored voice has expression, character, substance. With her passionate interpretation & remarkable technique, she achieved by far the greatest success."
_____
M. FIEDLER (DAS OPERNGLAS)
Alcina | Saarländisches Staatstheater
"And then the voices: In this production, they almost deliver an overabundance of good sound…& then especially Melissa Zgouridi [with] an enchantingly beautiful mezzo, strong characterization, warm, full of colors. If you heard her as Ruggiero, in this trouser role, the possible casting of the part with a countertenor would seem almost absurd."
_____
OLIVER SCHWAMBACH (SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG)
Alcina | Saarländisches Staatstheater
“Ruggiero was sung by Melissa Zgouridi in the premiere. [This is] a role that demands enormous strength & needs the vocal security that Zgouridi brings, along [with her] vibrant tone.”
____
FRIEDRICH SPANGEMACHER (OPUS KULTURMAGAZINE)
Alcina | Saarländisches Staatstheater
"Melissa Zgouridi [embodied] the different moods of Ruggiero, who acts as if drugged, convincingly & with a beautiful sound.”
____
KOSTANZA FÜHRLBECK (DIE RHEINPFALZ)
Alcina | Saarländisches Staatstheater
DAS RHEINGOLD
AT VERSAILLES
“Finally, one can't help but understand Wotan […] yielding to the sublime, sparkling bronze singing of Melissa Zgouridi's Erda, an ideally Wagnerian young mezzo, who passionately binds us to her every word ("I know all that was, all that will be"). Coming from the Urwala and messenger of Eternity, her mysterious warning has the superior accentuations of the great tragediennes of the past.”
_____
CHRISTINE DUCQ | FORUMOPERA.COM
Das Rheingold | Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
“Finally, Flosshilde by Melissa Zgouridi -who is also performing Erda this evening-, with a broad, velvety and powerful timbre, stands out particularly for the clarity of her vowels as well as the length of her sentences. In [Erda's] scene, the lyricism of her tessitura, as well as the constancy of her projection and the intensity of her vibrato in the treble are particularly noticeable."
_____
AXEL DRIFFORT | OLYRIX
Das Rheingold | Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
“…Melissa Zgouridi, who would later dazzle as Erda with a broad voice, a velvety timbre, and full mastery of her instrument.”
_____
JULES CAVALIÉ | AVANT SCÈNE OPÉRA
Das Rheingold | Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
“...Melissa Zgouridi, [a] powerful American-Chinese-Brazilian mezzo-soprano [who sang] Erda and Floßhilde…her interventions, tinted with amber colors and projected with fullness, made a strong impression.”
_____
ERIC GIBERT | ODB OPERA
Das Rheingold | Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
“Melissa Zgouridi...an Erda with an authoritarian alto.”
_____
VINCENT BOREL | OPERA MAGAZINE
Das Rheingold | Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
“Melissa Zgouridi...an enchanting Erda.”
_____
REMY LOUIS | DIAPASON
Das Rheingold | Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
ERDA
"One must indeed wait for Melissa Zgouridi’s sublime alto, her appearance as Erda, but when she sings, a sonorous voice pours out & enchants the ear. When this earth mother speaks & sings, even Wotan, father of the gods, takes two steps back.”
_____
OLIVER SCHWAMBACH (SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG)
Das Rheingold | Saarländisches Staatstheater
“Zgouridi as Erda is positively spellbinding with her grandiose voice.”
_____
OLIVER SANDMEYER (SAARTEXT: OPERNKRITIK)
Das Rheingold | Saarländisches Staatstheater
“[Melissa Zgouridi’s] Erda…captivating in both acting & singing.”
_____
ROLAND H. DIPPEL (OPER!)
Das Rheingold | Saarländisches Staatstheater
“What quickly strikes you is the latent aggression of almost all the protagonists, who only receive a gush of warmth with the appearance of Erda in a garden paradise. She, Melissa Zgouridi, was also especially applauded at the end. [Zgouridi] has long since become a crowd favorite in Saarbrücken.”
_____
FRIEDRICH SPANGEMACHER (OPUS KULTURMAGAZIN)
Das Rheingold | Saarländisches Staatstheater
“…the Wagner performance in Saarbrücken [is] on a remarkable level...in addition, Melissa Zgouridi, delivers a terrific Erda with a sonorous, deep-timbered mezzo-soprano."
_____
K. SCHARFFENBERGER (DAS OPERNGLAS)
Das Rheingold | Saarländisches Staatstheater
2020 VIÑAS COMPETITION
"The American mezzo-soprano, Melissa Zgouridi, winner of the 5th prize, sang “Olga’s Aria” from Eugene Onegin & the “Air des Lettres” from Werther by Massenet. The impression was positive with an attractive & ample voice that is well managed.”
____
JOSÉ M. IRURZUN (BECKMESSER.COM)
Winner's Concert | 57th Tenor Viñas Competition | Gran Teatre del Liceu
"Melissa Zgouridi, the fifth prize [winner], performed Olga from Eugene Onegin & Charlotte from Werther [with] an exceptional voice & velvety timbre."
____
DANI CORTÉS (BARCELONA CLÀSICA)
Winner's Concert | 57th Tenor Viñas Competition | Gran Teatre del Liceu
CONCERTS
"Melissa Zgouridi flooded listeners with her rich, incandescent tones...here is a future Verdi singer."
_____
NORD24
Concert Review | Bremerhaven, Germany
"The alto [soloist], Melissa Zgouridi, captivated the audience with her warm, distinctive timbre & heartfelt interpretation."
_____
DREHPUNKTKULTUR.AT
St. Matthew Passion | Salzburg, Austria
"Especially impressive was the singing of the alto [soloist], Melissa Zgouridi."
_____
DE NIEUSBODE.NL
Petite messe solennelle | Toonkunstkoor Zeist, The Netherlands