PRESS HIGHLIGHTS
"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 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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"Melissa Zgouridi, a wonderful mezzo, is the ideal Carmen because she brings incredible presence to every aspect of the role, giving her character strikingly clear definition.”
NEUE MUSIKZEITUNG | 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
"SIEGFRIED" - ERDA
“…Melissa Zgouridi's alto is dark, powerful, yet wonderfully soft & has an enormous range.”
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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"[Erda] is attached to tubes, vibrating with emotions, and as attractive as a beauty queen […] (a fantastic mini-appearance by Melissa Zgouridi)."
CONCERTI.DE | 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 […]”
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OPER! | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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“Melissa Zgouridi, a remarkable Erda [with a] solid foundation."
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OPERNWELT | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
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"DAS RHEINGOLD" - ERDA
"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 […] Her mysterious warning has the superior accentuations of the great tragediennes of the past."
FORUMOPERA.COM | OPÉRA ROYAL DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
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"Finally, Melissa Zgouridi's Flosshilde - who also sings Erda this evening - 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."
OLYRIX | OPÉRA ROYAL DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES
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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
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​​"Erda (Melissa Zgouridi) [penetrates] Wotan's conscience through an impressively dark mezzo-soprano."
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OPERA SLOVAKIA | THEATER DORTMUND​​
​"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['s Erda] was especially applauded at the end. Zgouridi has long since become a crowd favorite in Saarbrücken."​
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RADIO HAGEN | SAARLÄNDISCHES STAATSTHEATER
"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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