PRESS HIGHLIGHTS
"TRISTAN UND ISOLDE" - BRANGÄNE
“Melissa Zgouridi embodies Brangäne with a mezzo whose dark color immediately commands attention. Her voice combines stability with warmth and moving expressivity. In the famous warning call, she allows no harshness to creep in, instead weaving a delicate web of threat and concern - urgent yet controlled. In the quieter moments, she achieves an unexpected tenderness: the tone is not only secure but palpably sensitive, as though she were carrying the character’s inner uncertainty within herself. It is precisely this duality — between confidante and instigator of the lovers’ tragedy — that she makes so deeply felt. Zgouridi gives Brangäne a depth and complexity that make her significance within the drama unmistakably clear.”
IOCO KULTUR IM NETZ | STADTTHEATER KLAGENFURT
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“And what excellent singers — and above all, the women! […] Melissa Zgouridi, a native Californian […], was outstanding. She possesses a wonderful, secure mezzo-soprano voice with a beautifully resonant lower register and made the demanding role of Brangäne sound effortless. [Her] accent-free German and exceptional clarity of diction made the use of subtitles largely unnecessary.”​
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ONLINE MERKER | STADTTHEATER KLAGENFURT
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“Melissa Zgouridi is a beautifully dark-timbered and expressive Brangäne. Her ‘Nachtgesang’ is especially rendered with wonderful sensitivity.”​
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KLEINE ZEITUNG | STADTTHEATER KLAGENFURT​​
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“Melissa Zgouridi delivers a vocally impeccable and profoundly moving Brangäne."
DER STANDARD | STADTTHEATER KLAGENFURT
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"DAS RHEINGOLD" - ERDA
"Finally, one can't help but understand Wotan […] yielding to the sublime, sparkling bronze voice of Melissa Zgouridi's Erda, an ideally Wagnerian young mezzo, who passionately binds us to her every word […] Her mysterious warning has the superior accentuations of the great tragediennes of the past."
FORUM OPÉRA | OPÉRA ROYAL DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
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"Finally, Melissa Zgouridi's [...Erda] with her broad, velvety, powerful timbre, stands out for the clarity of her vowels & the length of her phrases. […] The lyricism of her tessitura, as well as the constancy of her projection & the intensity of her vibrato in the upper register, are particularly noteworthy."
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OLYRIX | OPÉRA ROYAL DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES​​​​​
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​"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 sings & speaks, even Wotan, father of the gods, takes two steps back."
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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​"Melissa Zgouridi scores as Erda with a rich mezzo-soprano & marvelous low notes."
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ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN | THEATER DORTMUND
"SIEGFRIED" - ERDA
“The confrontation between Wotan […] and Erda delivers all the promised drama and chills. The entrance of the young Melissa Zgouridi, an impressive goddess with remarkable vocal power and a beautifully dusky timbre, makes a striking impact. Her magnetic presence is all the more arresting following the orchestra’s wild, pounding energy.”​
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FORUM OPÉRA | OPÉRA ROYAL DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
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“The female roles were also a highlight, notably the Erda of young Melissa Zgouridi, an artist we will certainly be following closely from now on. Her broad range and warm timbre are complemented by excellent projection across the entire tessitura. [Her] clear diction and musicality, particularly in long phrases, were equally impressive."​​
CRESCENDO MAGAZINE | OPÉRA ROYAL DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
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"With the appearance of Erda in the third act, it’s as if a whole new world opens up—dark, powerful, yet wonderfully soft, with an enormous vocal range in Melissa Zgouridi’s alto.”
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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“A dark, pleasantly soothing counterpoint to [Wotan] is Melissa Zgouridi as Erda. Her voice is strong, rich, & as mysterious as the mist rising from her sleeves […]”
OPER! MAGAZIN | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER​​​​​​
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"CARMEN" - CARMEN
“Melissa Zgouridi is an outstanding choice for the title role. With her velvety, dark mezzo-soprano, she portrays a Carmen full of fire, setting men's hearts ablaze. She begins with an intensely seductive presentation of the famous 'Habanera' & shows absolute mastery with the castanets in the second act...She also gives moving performances especially in the card scene & in the final [duet]…”​
ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN | THEATER HAGEN
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"Instead of being excessively sensual & lascivious, Melissa Zgouridi portrays the lead role as strong, self-assured & vulnerable. Her Carmen is not a walking adjective. She is a fully-developed, multi-layered character. This is also reflected in her singing, which at times is casually provocative, at others dark & heavy, captivating the entire hall. With her, the well-known opera classic feels entirely contemporary.”
RUHR NACHRICHTEN | THEATER HAGEN
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"Melissa Zgouridi is an impressive Carmen. Her portrayal is marked by a commanding stage presence & a versatile mezzo-soprano of velvety warmth. She masterfully captures the many facets of the role, from subtle coquettishness to dramatic outbursts, bringing them to life with remarkable nuance.”
WESTDEUTSCHE ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG | THEATER HAGEN​​​​
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"The lead pair delivers a strong performance: Melissa Zgouridi presents a powerful-voiced Carmen with a rich, expansive chest register...”
DAS OPERNGLAS | THEATER HAGEN
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"ALCINA" - RUGGIERO
“The young mezzo-soprano Melissa Zgouridi 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."
DAS OPERNGLAS | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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“And then the voices: In this production, they almost deliver an overabundance of good sound…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."
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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“Ruggiero [...] was sung by Melissa Zgouridi in the premiere. [This is] a role that demands enormous strength and that needs the vocal security that Zgouridi brings, along [with her] vibrant tone.”
OPUS KULTURMAGAZIN | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER​​​
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