Elena Nikolaidi facts for kids
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Elena Nikolaidi (Greek: Έλενα Νικολαΐδη) was a famous Greek-American opera singer and teacher. She was born on June 15, 1909, and passed away on November 14, 2002. Elena Nikolaidi sang important mezzo-soprano roles with major opera companies around the world. She also made many recordings of her performances.
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Early Life and Music Training
Elena Nikolaidi was born in Smyrna, which was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. Today, this city is known as İzmir, Turkey. In 1922, her family moved to Greece. She received a scholarship to study singing at the Athens Conservatoire. This is a special school for music.
She performed for the first time with an orchestra in Athens. A famous conductor named Dimitris Mitropoulos led the performance. Her first time singing on a stage was in a new opera called The Ghost Bridge.
In 1936, Elena Nikolaidi married her singing teacher, Thanos Mellos. But she continued to use "Elena Nikolaidi" as her professional name.
A Star on the Opera Stage
In 1936, Nikolaidi traveled to Vienna, Austria. She entered a singing competition there. She didn't win first place, but a very important conductor, Bruno Walter, wanted to hear her sing again. This led to her getting a big role in an opera.
On December 16, 1936, she sang the role of Princess Eboli in Verdi's opera Don Carlos. She performed with the famous Vienna State Opera.
In 1948, Nikolaidi moved to the United States with her husband and son. She gave her first concert in New York City in January 1949. Critics were amazed by her voice. One critic wrote that he had "encountered no greater voice or vocalist" in 20 years. Another called her performance "rare brilliance."
Her first opera performance in America was as Amneris in Verdi's Aïda. She sang this role with the San Francisco Opera. She also sang this role for her first performance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1951. In the early 1960s, she stopped performing in operas. However, she continued to give many concerts for several more years.
Teaching Young Singers
In 1960, Elena Nikolaidi became a voice teacher at Florida State University in Tallahassee. She helped many students learn to sing.
Later, in 1977, she moved to Houston, Texas. There, she became the main voice teacher for the Houston Opera Studio. This program helps young singers train to become opera stars. She also taught a few special students at the University of Houston.
Some of her students became well-known singers themselves. These included Linda Zoghby, Bruce Fowler, Erie Mills, Glay Posch, and Jan Grissom.
Later Years and Passing
Madame Nikolaidi retired from teaching in 1994. She then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. She passed away there in 2002, at the age of 92.
Recordings of Her Voice
Elena Nikolaidi made many recordings during her career. Here are a few examples:
- Legendary Voices (CD): This recording features Nikolaidi singing music by famous composers like Rossini, Verdi, and Mozart. It was recorded between 1943 and 1950 and released in 2003.
- Elena Nikolaidi: In Recital (DVD): This DVD shows Nikolaidi performing live in 1961. She sings music by Gluck and traditional Greek songs. It was released in 2005.
- Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde: This was recorded live in 1953 with Bruno Walter and the New York Philharmonic.
- Richard Strauss: Elektra: Nikolaidi sang the role of Klytemnestra in this recording from 1949. She performed with the New York Philharmonic.
