Teachers – Lefkas Music Week

Don Marrazzo

Voice

Don Marrazzo possesses extensive experience as a voice teacher and arts management professional in the areas of executive management; artistic administration; programming and casting; young artist program development; and community and educational engagement. Mr. Marrazzo has maintained a voice teaching studio since 2002, and his students have performed with opera companies; orchestras; concert venues, and Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters internationally including the Metropolitan Opera; the Lyric Opera of Chicago; The Dallas Opera; The Glimmerglass Festival; the Santa Fe Opera; Staatsoper Stuttgart; Staatstheater Nürnberg, Opéra de Lyon; Oper Bonn; Festival d’Aix-en-Provence; the Dutch National Opera; Tiroler Festspiele Erl; The Grote Zangers Series at the Muziekgebouw; the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orchestra; the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Muziekgebouw; the American Globe Theatre; and the Richard Rodgers Theatre. They have won awards and honors from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; the George London Foundation; the Sullivan Awards; The Hnatyshyn Foundation; the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, the Ferruccio Tagliavini International Competition for Opera Singers; the Alumni Enterprise Awards from The Music Academy of the West; the International Vocal Competition of s’Hertogenbosch (IVC); the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition; the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges; the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust; the Canada Council for the Arts; the VSB Fonds; the Joop VandenEnde Foundation; and Classical Young Masters. They have been accepted into prestigious opera studio and training programs including the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Artist Program, the Equilibrium Young Artists Program, and The Opera Academy at the Royal Danish Opera.

Prior to joining The Musical Horizons Conservatory as Head of Vocal Studies and Professor of Voice, Mr. Marrazzo was Head of the Classical Voice Department and Professor of Voice at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (CvA). Under his leadership, the curriculum, level of student achievement, and international profile of the CvA’s Classical Voice Department grew exponentially. Before his work at the CvA, Mr. Marrazzo was the Executive Director of Astral Artists, an organization committed to the discovery, development, and promotion of the nation’s most gifted emerging classical musicians. Prior to his tenure at Astral Artists, Mr. Marrazzo was the Director of Casting & Artistic Operations for Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, New York. He revitalized Glimmerglass’ mainstage casting, raised its acclaimed Young American Artists Program to an unprecedented level of achievement, and created and fostered collaborations with a number of renowned organizations, companies, and artists including the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS), The Morgan Library and Museum, the Bavarian State Opera, and baritones Håkan Hagegård and François Le Roux. Mr. Marrazzo first joined Glimmerglass as its Director of Public Relations, serving as chief representative to the local, regional, national, and international media, and liaison to the local community. A strong advocate of arts education, Mr. Marrazzo created numerous educational outreach initiatives during his tenure at Glimmerglass.

Mr. Marrazzo has served as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, presented seminars and masterclasses for the Graduate Vocal Arts Program at Bard College Conservatory of Music; the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS); Opera Viva! In Verona, Italy; Red River Lyric Opera; Penn State University; and Temple University and has served as a presenter and panelist for singer training forums with OPERA America.

A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Mr. Marrazzo holds degrees in vocal performance from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Sweelinck Conservatorium, as well as an M.M. in Classical Voice Pedagogy and Performance and an M.F.A in Voice Pedagogy for Musical Theatre from Penn State University.

Kimiko Hata

Voice

Japanese born Lyric Soprano Kimiko Hata is thrilling audiences in the U.S., Europe and Asia with the extraordinary natural brilliance of her voice, her powerful stage presence, and innate musicality.
Ms. Hata is a graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts (M.M./B.M.).
From 1997 until 2007, while residing in New York City, she appeared in many operas in roles such as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème and Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen (Natchez Opera Festival in Mississippi/US), Fiammetta in Giordano’s La Cena delle Beffe and Claretta in Leoncavallo’s Zazà (Teatro Grattacielo in Lincoln Center/US), Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (Yokohama City Opera/Japan, H&K Arts Productions in NY/US), Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte (Silesian State Opera Theater/Czech Republic, Tokyo University of the Arts/Japan), Lady Yang in May-Tchi Chen’s Firmiana Rain (premiere at Taipei National Theater/Taiwan,
Beijing Mephisto Arts Productions/China, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall/Japan), First Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Nikikai Opera Company in New National Opera Theater/Tokyo),
Butterfly in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Machida City Opera/Japan, JM Opera Productions/Japan), Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen (Kimitsu City Opera/Japan, Sakado City Opera/Japan), Sylva in Kálmán’s Die Csárdásfürstin (Japan Operetta Society).
Ms. Hata’s oratorio appearances include the soprano soloist in Rossini’s Stabat Mater
(The Symphony Orchestra of The Bulgarian National Radio/Conductor: Milen Nachev), in Verdi’s Requiem (Bulgarian Opera Company/Spain Concert Tour), in Händel’s Messiah (Kofu Messiah Choir & Orchestra/Japan), among others. She was also invited to be the guest star of concert productions of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Dvorák’s Rusalka (Sofia Metropolitan Orchestra/Bulgaria), Korea-Japan Friendship Concert Tour presented in New York, Philadelphia, Tokyo and Seoul (H&K Arts Productions).
As a recitalist, she has appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weil Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and the Consulate-General of Japan in New York City. In Tokyo, she performed recitals in Oji Hall and the Gotanda Cultural Center Music Hall.
Ms. Hata’s competition accolades include finalist in The 12th Annual Violetta Dupont Vocal Competition held by The Opera at Florham Guild in New Jersey, The Annual National Young Opera Artist Competition of Opera Longview in Texas, and The Annual Vocal Competition under the auspices of The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera. She received an Honorable Mention in The Classical Production Vocal Competition and the Encouragement Award from The Rising Opera Star Competition by Naomi Music Productions and Recordings in NY.
Ms. Hata is a professional member of The Nikikai Opera Company in Tokyo and Odawara Music Association in Japan.
She has been a faculty member of both Voice Major and Musical Theater Major programs at Showa University of Music in Japan since 2016.

Markos Kotsias

Collaborative piano / Coach

Markos Kotsias was born in 1986 in Athens, taking first piano lessons in 1999 with George Ioannidis, furthering his education in Athens Conservatory (class H. Tombra) and in Athens University Music studies department. He completed his musical and piano studies in Philippos Nakas Conservatory (A. Papastefanou's class) and Musikhochschule Stuttgart, Germany (class of prof. A. Marchand, K.A. Diplom Klavier). He won First Prize on Yamaha's YMFE piano competition 2008. He participated in piano masterclasses of pianists of international fame (K.Gerstein, P.Nagy, F. Nicolosi), performed in series of recitals and chamber music concerts in Germany and Greece and is distinguished as a soloist and singer accompanist with both classical and modern greek music repertoire, having played alongside numerous acclaimed artists. He collaborated with soprano Sonia Theodoridou in recordings and appearances in major concert halls throughout Greece and eastern europe. He has worked as a pianist/accompanist/instructor at the Hellenic Conservatory, Melissa art school, Aegean Festival of Syros, conducting masterclasses of Michalis Economou etc. From 2015 and for two years he was a full-time pianist, ballet instructor, keyboardist and opera accompanist of the National Opera of Greece. He performs in the ongoing "Vembo-Callas: an imaginary encounter" production with singers Katia Paschou (2018) Irini Karayanni (2019) and Argyro Kaparou. In 2021 he toured Greece as part of the National Opera's production of THE EVENTS (as pianist and choir conductor on stage), while in 2022 he worked as an orchestral pianist and arépétiteur in major productions of the ERT National Symphony Orchestra (Carmina Burana, Odeon of Herodes Atticus 2022) and the Athens Municipality Orchestra, as well as as a soloist in the concertos no. 20 by W.A. Mozart and no. 3 by L.v. Beethoven with the conductor Myrsini Hadjikonstanti and the Hungarian Danube Symphony Orchestra. He currently works as a répétiteur at the Athens Conservatory and in operatic productions of the Municipality of Athens (Fledermaus by J. Strauss, OLYMPIA Municipal Theater 2024)

Nikos Kyriosoglou

Piano

Nikos Kyriosoglou was born in Serres, Northertn Greece, where he started the piano of twelve. His efforts were so fruitful that three years later he was accepted as a student of Niko Tasopoulo at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and later he earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Macedonia-Department of Music Science and Art under the tutelage of the Russian pianist Tatiana Popandopulo. Following his graduation,in 2002, Nikos Kyriosoglou did postgraduate studies at the University of Music in Freiburg, Germany with renowned Professors Gilead Mishory and Pi-Hsien Chen and at the Lemmens Institute in Belgium with Professor Alan Weiss, his principal mentor. Other pianists who had a great influence in his artistic taste include Lazar Berman, Hans Leygraf, Roberto Szidon. .Kyriosoglou has been awarded first prizes and honors in several internationalcompetitions, such as the Thymis Piano Competition, the Muse International Piano Competition and the EPTA Piano Competition. He is also a very active chamber musician, appearing frequently in the most prestigious concert halls of Greece (AthensMegaron, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Thessaloniki Concert Hall) and throughout Europe (Cyprus, Germany, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Bulgaria, U.K.),making him one of the most celebrated pianists of his generation in Greece. An avid chamber musician, Nikos Kyriosoglou has partnered with renowned peers including Rainer Moog, Rudolf Koelman, Geza Hosszu Legocky, Adriana Contino, Young-Chang Cho, Denis Bouriakov and Christoph Henkel and has performed on virtually every important concert series in Greece. He continuously presents masterclasses and has appeared as a collaborative pianist in the Porto Carras Music Masterclasses, the Montpellier International Summercourses and the Courchevel International Music Academy am ong others.As a soloist, Nikos Kyriosoglou has concertized extensively, performing with all the major Greek orchestras, successfully exploring a repertory that exceeds 17 major concertos, ranging from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Saint-Saens and Liszt to Gershwin,Cage and other masters of the 20thcentury. He has also participated in numerous summer festivals, including the Aegina International Music Festival, Nafplion International Music Festival, Rhodes Festival, and many others. Kyriosoglou maintains active involvement with works of the 20thand 21stcenturies,performing solo and chamber music concerts in his home country, Cyprus, Germany and France.A recording artist, Kyriosoglou joined musical partner Malwina Sosnowski in Montpellier for a recital that was broadcasted by Radio France and Mezzo in 2008. Two years later, Radio BBC 3 selected his recording sand rebroadcasted it to Radio Polskie, NRK, Sveriges Radio, MR3-Bartók Rádió, Radio Romania.His various interests for the piano repertory range from baroque music and early classical period to the late romantic and contemporary period. His interpretation seeks to serve the composers’ demands with clarity and precision, as well as to bring out passion and commitment by using the piano as an instrument of expression and deepening the audience’s connection to music. Kyriosoglou continually explores the boundaries of the repertory and uses it as a vehicle to experiment with the contemporary and unexplored.

Parallel to his busy schedule of concert engagements, Nikos Kyriosoglou devotes much time to teaching, working alongside young talents to foster the next generation of classical music ambassadors and continues to serve as collaborative pianist at the State Conservatory.

Vanessa Athanasiou

Chamber music

Vanessa obtained her violin diploma with distinction from the Conservatory Of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki, in the class of Guinka Guitchkova. She continued her studies in the Hans Eisler Music Academy in Berlin, in the Bulgarian State Academy of Music (Bachelor of Music in Performance) and in the Royal Northern College of Music (Master of Music in Performance). As an orchestra musician, she has played with prestigious ensembles in Greece and abroad (Camerata orchestra of the friends of Music, Orchestra of Colours, Sinfonietta chamber orchestra, Athens Philarmonia, Ensemble Modern Orchestra, Il pomo d’ Oro, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble). Since 2017 she collaborates with the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera. Vanessa is an active chamber musician and has participated in numerous festivals all over Europe as a member of various ensembles. In 2006 she established Lefkas Music Week summer festival. She holds a degree in Greek Philology from Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki and a Master degree in Cultural Management.

Charikleia Glavopoulou

Voice

Charikleia Glavopoulou was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. She studied singing at Thessaloniki New Conservatoire and graduated with First Class Honours. She furthered her studies in Italy under Gabriella Ravazzi and in Athens under Barbara Gavakou. She was taught in Masterclasses by distinguished artists such as Nicola Zaccaria, Costas Paschalis, Eleni Caruso, Daphne Evangelatos, F.M. Carminati, Sergio Magli, Gabrielle Pisani, Aris Christofellis. She also took active part in EU funded Opera Studios and was accepted at the National Opera Studio in Athens.
She furthered her studies on Voice Pedagogy under Don Marrazzo.

She has performed as a soloist with the Thessaloniki Municipal Orchestra, Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Opera of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki Megaron, Athens Megaron (dance platform 2008, Athens – Berlin) performing roles in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Mozart’s Requiem, Menotti’s Medium, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mascagni’s Zanetto, Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel, Verdi’s Rigoletto and La Traviata.

As a recitalist she has performed at the Auditorium Eugenio Montale at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, at the Fiera Internazionale in Milan and has collaborated with the music theatre group Gruppo Caronte in a Northern Italy tour.
She has performed in numerous concerts of chamber music in festivals all over Greece .

She has a remarkable teaching career. She is the head of the voice department at the Municipal Conservatory of Drama since 2000. Her students have won important scholarships and many of them are performing in some of the major Opera theaters and festivals in Europe including Komische Oper Berlin, Gärtnerplatztheater München, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Edinburgh International Festival.

She has given many courses on voice technique and she is a member of the teaching staff at the Lefkada Music Week since 2014.

She holds a degree in Law from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Ellie Philippou

Violoncello

Ellie Filippou was born in Athens in 1978. She began studying the cello in the Conservatory of Athens and graduated in 2005 with the highest distinction.
She continued her studies in the conservatory of Vienna (Konservatorium der Stadt Wien) with Andreas Lindenbaum and Robert Nagy. After that, she studied in the Conservatory of Carinthia, Austria (Kärtner Landeskonservatorium) with Milos Mlejnik and graduated in 2010 with the highest honours.
She has participated in several International Chamber Music Festivals, such as the Wiener Festwochen, Bebersee festival Berlin and the Bayreuther Osterfestival. She has been part of world-renowned chamber music groups, such as the Klagforum Wien, Krenek Ensemble, Ö.G.N.M., as well as with the orchestras Sinfonietta Baden, Academia Ars Musicae, Kärtner Sinfonieorchester, the ERT National Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Colours. In 2008-2009 she was the principal cellist of the International Youth Symphony Orchestra in Germany (IJOA) and the SFK Symphony Orchestra in 2010.
She has attended numerous international seminars of prominent musicians such as J.Starker, M. Kliegel, R. Leopold, Chamber Music seminars of Shostakovich Trio, Szymanovsky Quartett and Artemis Quartett and also contemporary classical music seminars of the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt.
Her interpretation of Haydn Cello Concerto in C major in the international competition Allegro Vivo in Austria was considered to be outstanding and she has also appeared as a soloist with the Kärtner Symphonieorchester playing R. Schumman’s Cello Concerto.
Along with her violoncello studies in Austria she founded the piano trio “Echos” with which the members completed their first cycle studies in Chamber Music with the highest honours. The trio was awarded a special prize in the competition Johannes Brahms Wettbewerb. They took part in various Chamber Music Festivals such as the Kultursommer St. Paul’s, the International Chamber Music Festival of Santorini and concerts of theirs were broadcast -some of them live- by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in Austrian, Italian and Slovenian cities.
Ellie Philippou has been teaching violoncello in the Conservatory of Athens since 2012 and has a permanent position in the Athens Academica orchestra.