BIOGRAPHY
Well received for her warm voice and musicality, Greek mezzo soprano Elena Marangou has performed with orchestras such as Philharmonie Düsseldorf, Altstadt Herbstorchester Düsseldorf, Cognimus Kollektiv, Armonia Athenea, Athens State Orchestra, Greek Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Orchestra of Colours, Municipal Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as with the Greek National Opera, baroque and chamber music ensembles, with conductors including Christopher Warren-Green, Helmut Rilling, Philippe Auguin, Thorsten Göbel, George Petrou, Zoi Tsokanou, Miltos Logiadis, Loukas Karytinos, Nikolas Vassiliou, Yorgos Ziavras.
Her repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary music.
This season’s engagements include Britten’s “Phaedra” in a first collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra in November 2023 in Athens, Requiem Moiroloi based on Mozart’s Requiem with Cognimus Kollektiv in Arpil 2024 in Helsinki and Athens, the role of Melantho in Fauré’s “Penelope” (concert performance) in May 2024 with the Athens State Orchestra, a recital at the Greek National Opera’s Alternative Stage in May 2024 with songs on poetry of Rabidranath Tagore. Her second solo CD “Greek Songs of non-Greek Composers” (Berkley, Shostakovich, Dvorak, Ravel, Reutter) with conductor Yorgos Ziavras will be released in December 2023 (Etcetera Records)
As a concert soloist, she performs works such as “Stabat Mater”, “Gloria” Vivaldi,“Stabat Mater” Pergolesi, “Matthäus-Passion”, “Weihnachtsoratorium”, “Magnificat” Bach,“Krönungsmesse”, “Requiem” Mozart, “Te Deum”Bruckner, “Aus Homer”Rimsky-Korsakov, “Sea Pictures”Elgar, “Les Nuits d’Eté”Berlioz,“Rückert Lieder” Mahler, “A Charm of Lullabies” Britten (Orchestral Arr.Colin Matthews),“Mahagonny-Songspiel” Weill,“Misa a Buenos Aires” Palmeri, “Miserere” Pärt, “7 Poems by e.e.cummings”Christoyannis, etc.
She has made guest appearences in the Greek National Opera as 3rd Lady “Die Zauberflöte” Mozart, Orlofsky “Die Fledermaus” Strauss, Ruggiero “Orlando Furioso” Vivaldi, Teresa “Sonnambula” Bellini, Sally “A Hand of Bridge” Barber, the Alto “Trois Opéras Minute” L’Enlévement d’Europe/La Délivrance de Thésée/L’Abandon d’ Ariane, Milhaud, Rosette “Manon” Massenet, Musico “Manon Lescaut” Puccini, as well as in operas of contemporary Greek composers in first presentation.
She has sung Humana Fragilita and Ericlea in “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria” Monteverdi, at the Athens & Epidaurus Festival with the Armonia Atenea orchestra, as well as Licida in “Olympiade” Paisiello in a first world revival, at the Festival of Ancient Corinth with the Camerata orchestra, both under G. Petrou.
A keen recitalist, Elena has appeared in Greece, Germany, England, Spain, Turkey, Albania, in venues such as the Greek National Opera, the Athens Concert Hall, the Theocharakis Foundation, the Zentrifuge Bonn, the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum Köln, the Barcelona Cathedral, the Garrick Club London, and festivals such as the Liedsommer Rheinland, Germany, the Two Worlds Festival, Albania, as well as in numerous festivals in Greece.
Her discography includes her personal album "Into a Children's Room"(Irida Classical, 2018) with pianist Tobias Krampen, a collection of songs about childhood (Poulenc, Britten, Mussorgsky, Brahms, Koukos, Couroupos, Baltas) as well as N. Mamangakis’s contemporary operas “Erofili” and “Odyssey” (Idaia records) where she sings the roles of Nenaand Woman respectively.
After graduating with a degree in classical singing from the Athenaeum Conservatory-Athens (class of Marina Krilovici) she continued her training with Daphne Evangelatos, Aris Christofellis, Mechthild Stamatakis and Ingeborg Danz. She has also studied Law and European Institutions at the Universities of Athens and Surrey, U.K.
REPERTOIRE
ORATORIO
A.VIVALDI: Stabat Mater
Gloria (alto & soprano II)
Nisi Dominus
Motteto “Longe mala umbrae terrores“
G.F.TELEMANN: Kantate “Glaubet, Hoffet, Leidet, Duldet”
J.S.BACH: Matthäus Passion
Weihnachtsoratorium
Magnificat (alto & soprano II)
Kantate BWV35 “Geist un Seele wird verwirret”
Kantate BWV 54 “Widerstehe doch der Sünde”
Kantate BWV 170 “Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust”
O.G. BLARR: Kantate “Suchet der Stadt Bestes"
G.F.HAENDEL: Messiah
G.B.PERGOLESI: Stabat Mater
W.A.MOZART: Requiem
Krönungsmesse
G. ROSSINI: Stabat Mater
F.MENDELSSOHN: Paulus
A.BRUCKNER: Te Deum
N.RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Kantate “Aus Homer”
K.WEILL: Mahagonny Songspiel
A.PÄRT : Miserere
M.PALMERI: Misa a Buenos Aires (Tango Messe)
F.TSALACHOURIS: Stabat Mater
ORCHESTRAL SONG CYCLES
H.BERLIOZ: Les Nuits d’ Eté
B.BRITTEN: A Charm of Lullabies (Orchestral Arr. Colin Matthews)
E.ELGAR: Sea Pictures
T.CHRISTOYANNIS: Seven Poems by e.e.cummings
WORKS FOR VOICE AND CHAMBER ENSEMBLE/small orchestra
B.BRITTEN Phaedra
G.FAURE: La Bonne Chanson
P.LIAKAKIS: Winterreise
O.RESPIGHI: Il Tramonto
H.REUTTER: Fünf Antike Oden nach Gedichten von Sappho
SONG CYCLES
S.BARBER: Hermit Songs
L.BERKLEY: Three Greek Songs
B.BRITTEN : Folk Song Arrangements - Britain
Folk Song Arrangements - France
A Charm of Lullabies
J.BRAHMS : Zigeunerlieder
Liebeslieder – Walzer
Volks-Kinderlieder
T.CHRISTOYANNIS: Four Tom Moore Songs
A.DVORAK : Zigeunerlieder
Biblische Lieder
Three Modern Greek Poems
R.HAHN : Venezia
Y.KONSTANTINIDIS: Twenty Greek Folk Songs
Five Songs of Longing
G.MAHLER : Rückert Lieder
M.MUSSORGSKY : Detskaya (Kinderstube)
F.POULENC : Quatre chansons pour enfants
M. RAVEL : Cinq Mélodies Populaires Grecques
D.SHOSTAKOVICH: Greek Songs
F.SCHUBERT : Winterreise
R.SCHUMANN : Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart
VARIOUS SONGS
A.BALTAS, R.R.BENNET, B.BRITTEN, J.BRAHMS, G.COUROUPOS, H.DUPARC, G.FAURE, G.GERSHWIN, R.HAHN, Y.KONSTANTINIDIS, P.KOUKOS, J.MASSENET, M.MUSSORGSKY, C.PORTER, F.POULENC, J.RODRIGO, E.SATIE, K.SFAKIANAKIS, F.SCHUBERT, R.SCHUMANN, F.TSALAHOURIS, P.I.TSCHAIKOVSKY, K.YANNIDIS
OPERA-OPERETTA
S.BARBER: A Hand of Bridge (Sally)
V.BELLINI: La Sonnambula (Teresa)
G.EMFIETZIS: The Darkness of Mistico (Lucia / Euridice)
C.W.GLUCK: Orfeo ed Euridice (Orfeo)
J.MASSENET: Manon (Rosette)
D.MILHAUD: “Trois Opéras Minute”
L’ Abandon d’ Ariane (the alto)
La Délivrance de Thésée (the alto)
L’ Enlévement d’ Europe (the alto)
C.MONTEVERDI: Il Ritorno d’ Ulisse in Patria (Humana Fragilita / Ericlea)
Orfeo (Messaggiera)
W.A.MOZART: Die Zauberflöte (3e Dame)
G.PAISIELLO: Olimpiade (Licida)
G.PUCCINI: Manon Lescaut (Musico)
Madame Butterfly (Kate Pinkerton)
J.STRAUSS: Die Fledermaus (Orlofsky)
G.VERDI: Rigoletto (Giovanna)
A.VIVALDI: Orlando Furioso (Ruggiero)
I.VALETTE: Freud for Her (Mary)
ROLES STUDIED
B.BRITTEN: The Rape of Lucretia (Lucretia)
G.F.HAENDEL: Alcina (Bradamante)
Julius Cesar (Cornelia)
Semele (Juno)
J.MASSENET : Werther (Charlotte)
H.PURCELL: Dido and Aeneas (Dido)
Concerts
AUGUST 2024
12/8, Aegina International Music Festival, 21:00h
Works by Goddard, Hahn, Gounod, Fauré, de Falla, Sains Saens, Debussy, Konstantinidis, Giannidis
Tassis Christoyannis, baritone
Elena Marangou, mezzo soprano
Maria Papapetropoulou, piano
JULY 2024
10 July 2024, Benaki Museum, Piraios 138, Athens, 21.00h
"8 Folk Greek Songs”, M. Kalomoiris
Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens
Vyron Fidetzis, conductor
JUNE 2024
28/6 2024, Ancient Stadium of Nemea, Greece, 20:00h
“Hercules” G.F.Haendel
Myrsini Margariti, soprano
Elena Marangou, mezzo soprano
Christos Kechris, tenor
Marios Sarantidis, bass
Markelos Chryssicos, conductor
With the collaboration of a mixed baroque ensemble
MAY 2024
23/5 Olympia Theatre, Athens 20.00h
Melantho in opera “Penelope” by G. Fauré
Athens State Orchestra
Pierre Dumousseaud, conductor
12/5 Greek National Opera - Alternative Stage, 20.00h
“Light, oh where is the light!”
Recital with songs on poetry by Rabidranath Tagore
D.Yakas, piano
L.Zervanou, soprano
N. Gerakis, flute
APRIL 2024
28/04 Greek National Opera - Alternative Stage
RequieMoiroloi
CoGNIMUS Orchestra
Y. Ziavras, conductor
NOVEMBER 2023
15/11 I.Despotopoulos Hall, Athens, 20.30h
“Phaedra”, B. Britten
Philharmonia Orchestra
Yorgos Ziavras, conductor
JULY 2023
25/7 Kifissia Cultural Centre, 21.00h
Opera Gala concert
Novartis Ensemble
M.Legakis, conductor
22/7 Historical Archives Museum of Hydra, 21.00h
“Musical Pathways”
Berlioz, Hahn, Massenet, Fauré, de Falla, Piazzola
With Maria Papapetropoulou, piano
Sedef Ercetin, cello
1/7 Archaelogical Site of Dionysos, 21.00h
Concert for the 100 th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas, with
Mina Polychronou, soprano
Yiannis Tsanakaliotis, baritone
Myrto Akrivou, piano
APRIL 2023
5/4 Aris Garoufalis Hall, Athens, 20.00h
“Stabat Mater” by Filippos Tsalachouris
Philarmonia Orchestra, F. Tsalachouris cond.
Opus Femina Choir, Falia Papagianopoulou cond.
MARCH 2023
25/3 Müsiksev - Foundation for Culture and Arts, Izmir, Turkey, 19.00 h
“Greek Song-Composers of Asia Minor”
Concert with Mina Polychronou, soprano and Dimitris Yakas, piano
24/3, Sismanoglio Megaro, Istanbul, Turkey, 19.00 h
“Greek Song-Composers of Asia Minor”
Concert with Mina Polychronou, soprano and Dimitris Yakas, piano
19/3, Theodore Agnelopoulos Hall, Kalamata, Greece, 19.30 h
For International Poetry Day
“Five Songs on Poems by K. Palamas” by composer Ismini Beck.
Maria Papapetropoulou, piano
FEBRUARY 2023
7/2 B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music, 20.30h
"From H.Berlioz to R. Hahn-French poets and composers"
concert with Maria Papapetropoulou, piano
DECEMBER 2022
14/12 Megaron Athens, Dimitri Mitropoulos' Hall, 20.30h
"Greek Song - Composers from Asia Minor"
with Mina Polychronou, soprano
Dimitris Yakas, piano
JULY 2022
7/7 Kifissia Cultural Centre, Dionysou & Myrsinis 2, 20.00h
"From Mozart to Sakellaridis"
Duetts from operas and operettes with
Mina Polychronou, soprano
Dimitris Yakas, piano
APRIL 2022
18/4 Greek National Opera "1st Sacred Music Festival", 19.30h
G.Rossini "Stabat Mater" (Chamber version - Lemmens,1878)
St. Dionysios Catholic Church , Athens
Markellos Chryssicos, conductor
NOVEMBER 2021
20/11 AbenteuerHallenKalk,
Christian-Sünner Straße 8, 51103 Cologne, Germany
"RequieMoiroloi"
based on Mozart's Requiem KV 626
Cognimus Ensemble, Yorgos Ziavras conductor
AUGUST 2021
15/8 12th Aegina Fistiki Festival-Markellos Tower, 20.30h
Concert with pianist Dimitris Yakas "Greece leads the Dance"
10/8 Portoheli International Festival, Manessis Estate, 20.30h
Concert with pianist Dimitris Yakas "Greece leads the dance"
Works by M.Ravel, A. Dvorzak, G.Poniridis, N.Lambelet, S.Samaras, K.Sfakianakis
JUNE 2021
8/6 Tourism and Culture Festival, Athens, 20.00h
Concert with pianist Dimitris Yakas,
"A tribute to the 200 th anniversary of the Greek Revolution"
Works by K.Sfakianakis, Y.Konstantinidis, A.Nezeritis, M.Foskarina, M. Theodorakis
AUGUST 2020
4&5/8 “The Athens & Epidaurus Festival”
Odeon of Herodes Atticus, 9:00pm
C. MONTEVERDI
"Il Ritorno d' Ulisse in Patria"
Elena Marangou: Humana Fragilita / Ericlea
Orchestra Armonea Atenea
George Petrou, conductor
MAY 2020
9/5 Meissen Dom, Meissen, Germany, 17:00
Baroque Concert with
Anke Vogelsänger, baroque violin
Thorsten Göbel, organ
JANUARY 2020
22/1, Megaron-Athens, Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall, 20:30
Into a Children’s Room
Recital with pianist Tobias Krampen
Works by M.Mussorgsky, B.Britten, J.Brahms, F.Poulenc, P.Koukos, G. Couroupos, A.Baltas
OCTOBER 2019
13, 18, 26, 29, Greek National Opera
V. Bellini “La Sonnambula” (Teresa)
AUGUST 2019
13/8, Aegina International Music Festival
Concert with baryton Marios Sarantidis and pianist Eftyhia Veniota
Works by J.Brahms, R.Schumann, F. Schubert, H. Wolf
MAY 2019
19/05, Auferstehungskirche Düsseldorf, 11:00
Oskar Gottlieb Blarr zum 85ten Geburtstag
Kantate
„Suchet der Stadt Bestes“
Thorsten Göbel cond.
MARCH 2019
25/03, Banquet Hall, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, 18.00
Concert with accordeonist Kostas Raptis.
works by Schubert, Ravel, Konstantinidis.
DECEMBER 2018
12,16,19,23/12
MANON J.Massenet (Rosette)
Greek National Opera
NOVEMBER 2018
18/11 Auferstehungskirche, Oberkassel, Düsseldorf, 18.00h
ARVO PÄRT "Miserere"
Philhamonie Düsseldorf
Thorsten Göbel, conductor
(pdf pages 30-31)
OCTOBER 2018
6.10.2018 (19.00h)
Concert with pianist Agapi Triantafyllidi
Musical Encounters Between the Two Worlds Festival
Concert Hall of the "Resurrection of Christ" Church
Tirana, Albania
5.10.2018 (19.00h)
Concert with pianist Agapi Triantafyllidi
Musical Encounters Between the Two Worlds Festival
Petro Marko Theatre
Vlora, Albania
SEPTEMBER 2018
28.9.2018 (19.30h)
CD Release Concert " Into a Children's Room"
Bechstein Centrum Düsseldorf
23.9.2018 (17.00h)
CD Release Concert " Into a Children's Room"
Zentrifuge Bonn
20.9.2018 (18.00h)
CD Release Concert "Into a Children's Room"
Bechstein Centrum Köln
APRIL 2018
1, 11, 14, 18, 25, 27
MAGIC FLUTE /Barrie Kosky (3rd Lady)
Greek National Opera