Russian-born Greek opera star at Athens Concert Hall
ust before taking on the role of Liu in Puccini’s «Turandot» in a new production staged by the Berlin State Opera, under the baton of Kent Nagano, opera’s rising star, Elena Kelessidi returns to Greece for one recital at the Athens Concert Hall tonight. The leading soprano will interpret 19th and 20th century arias and songs by Greek composers Spyros Samaras and Georgios Labelet, as well as established Russians Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. She will be accompanied by pianist Dimitris Giakas and cellist Marinia Kislicina. Born to Greek parents in Kazakhstan, Kelessidi studied at the Almaty conservatory; just as her singing career was about to start, political tension in the region forced her and her family to leave the country and to seek a better future in Greece. Kelessidi’s career finally took off in 1994, when, during a singing competition at the Athens Concert Hall, her sensational voice caught the attention of Covent Garden’s artistic administrator, who invited her to perform in London. For ticket information, see What’s On.
