The 2023-2024 season of American-Brazilian-Chinese mezzo Melissa Zgouridi includes ERDA in a new Peter Konwitschny production of Das Rheingold for the Theater Dortmund, THIRD WEIRD SISTER in Pascal Dusapin’s Macbeth Underworld at the Opéra Comique, ORLOFSKY Die Fledermaus at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and SUZUKI (cover) in Anthony Minghella’s production of Madama Butterfly for the Metropolitan Opera.
From 2021-2023, Melissa was a member of the ensemble of the Saarländisches Staatstheater, where her roles included Carmen (title role), ERDA and FLOSSHILDE Das Rheingold, RUGGIERO Alcina, and ORLOFKSY 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 ERDA and FLOSSHILDE in concert performances of Das Rheingold and at the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg as THIRD WEIRD SISTER Macbeth Underworld. Previous engagements include Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder ensembleKONTRASTE (Jac van Steen) in Nürnberg, ROSSWEISSE in concert Die Walküre Staatstheater Augsburg, and LEHRBUBE Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Christian Thielemann, Jens-Daniel Herzog) Salzburger Osterfestspiele.
Melissa was a soloist in Bach St. Matthew Passion, Haydn Scena di Berenice and Paukenmesse, Handel Messiah, Mozart Coronation Mass and Requiem, Beethoven Symphony 9, Rossini Petite messe solennelle and Mahler Symphony No. 2 and 3 in Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and the United States.
Melissa graduated with distinction from the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg with a master’s degree in Lied and Oratorio and holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music. She completed training with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center (USA), Exzellenz Labor Gesang (Germany), Eppaner Liedsommer with KS Brigitte Fassbaender (South Tyrol) and with Opera Saratoga in an online version of their 2020 Young Artist program.
Christopher Broom
Phone: +44 208 768 6604
Mobile: +44 7778794397
Email: chris@atholestill.co.uk
Representation: Europe/UK
"(…) Melissa Zgouridi [dazzled] as Erda with a broad voice, a velvety timbre, and full mastery of her instrument."
Avant Scène Opéra
"Melissa Zgouridi delivers a terrific Erda with a sonorous, deep-timbered mezzo-soprano."
Das Opernglas
"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
"Finally, Floßhilde by Melissa Zgouridi - who [also performed] 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."
Olyrix
"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
"The young mezzo-soprano Melissa Zgouridi (…) shines as Ruggiero…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
"And then the voices: In this production, they almost deliver an overabundance of good sound (…) and 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."
Saarbrücker Zeitung
"Melissa Zgouridi flooded listeners with her rich, incandescent tones (...) here is a future Verdi singer."
Nord24
"Melissa Zgouridi (…) positively spellbinding with her grandiose voice."
Saartext: Opernkritik
