Melissa Zgouridi

"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

"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

"Melissa Zgouridi is an impressive Carmen. Her portrayal is marked by a commanding stage presence and 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

"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 (Siegfried)

"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"
Forum Opéra (Siegfried)

"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 (Das Rheingold)

"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… Coming from the Urwala and messenger of Eternity, her mysterious warning has the superior accentuations of the great tragediennes of the past."
forumopera.com (Das Rheingold)

"Melissa Zgouridis delivers a vocally impeccable and profoundly moving Brangäne."
Der Standard (Tristan und Isolde)

"The rest of the ensemble was equally outstanding, above all Melissa Zgouridi's Brangäne [...], who, as the faithful companion, touches every note of the emotional spectrum with finesse and intensity."
Kronen Zeitung (Tristan und Isolde)

"Melissa Zgouridi is a beautifully dark-timbered and expressive Brangäne. Her ‘Nachtgesang’ is especially rendered with wonderful sensitivity"
Kleine Zeitung (Tristan und Isolde)

"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

"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

"Melissa Zgouridi ist eine schön und dunkel timbrierte, ausdrucksstarke Brangäne, besonders ihr „Nachtgesang“ gerät ihr wunderbar einfühlsam."
Kleine Zeitung

"Melissa Zgouridi ist eine feine Brangäne mit schönem, dunklem Timbre."
Kurier

"Melissa Zgouridi verkörpert die Brangäne mit einem Mezzo, dessen dunkle Färbung sofort Verantwortung annimmt: Ihre Stimme verbindet stimmliche Stabilität mit warmem Klang und bewegender Ausdruckskraft. Im berühmten Warnruf lässt sie keine Härte anklingen, sondern webt ein fili¬granes Netz aus Bedrohung und Sorge – eindringlich und zugleich kontrolliert. In den stilleren Momenten gelingt ihr zudem eine überraschende Zartheit: Der Ton wirkt nicht nur sicher, sondern auch hörbar empfindlich, als trage sie die innere Unsicherheit dieser Figur in sich. Gerade diese Doppelstellung – zwischen Vertrauter und Auslöserin der Liebestragödie – macht ihre Gestaltung größtmöglich fühlbar. Zgouridi verleiht der Brangäne eine Tiefe und Vielschichtigkeit, die ihren Anteil am Gesamtgeschehen besonders deutlich macht."
IOCO - Kultur im Netz

Bregenzer Festspiele, 2026

"Bei den kleineren Partien erfreut vor allem Melissa Zgouridi als Violettas dienstbarer Geist Annina."
Salzburger Nachrichten