Elena Souliotis facts for kids
Elena Souliotis (pronounced Soo-lee-OH-tis) was a famous Greek opera singer. She was known for her powerful voice, called a soprano. Elena was born in Greece in 1943, but her family moved to Argentina when she was young. She became one of the most exciting opera stars of her time.
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About Elena Souliotis
Elena Souliotis learned to sing from a great teacher named Mercedes Llopart. Many other famous singers also studied with Mercedes. Elena first performed in 1964 in Naples, Italy. She sang the role of Santuzza in an opera called Cavalleria rusticana.
Early Career and Famous Roles
In 1965, Elena made her first appearance in the United States. She sang in Chicago in an opera called Mefistofele. Some of her early roles included Luisa Miller and Amelia in Un ballo in maschera. She also sang the main part in La Gioconda.
Elena sang in many other operas during her early career. These included Aida, La forza del destino, and Anna Bolena. She also performed in Manon Lescaut and Khovanshchina.
Her Most Famous Role: Abigaille
Elena Souliotis is best known for playing Abigaille in Verdi's opera Nabucco. She recorded this role in 1965. She also performed it on the opening night of the famous La Scala opera house in Italy in 1966.
She recorded other important roles too. These included Santuzza in 1966 and the main role in Norma in 1967. In 1968, she recorded Anna Bolena. In 1970, she recorded Macbeth. Around 1970, she changed the spelling of her name from Suliotis to Souliotis.
Performing in London
Elena made her London debut in 1968. She sang Abigaille in a concert version of Nabucco. In 1969, she performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. There, she sang Lady Macbeth for the first time.
Later Career and Farewell
Some people thought Elena took on very difficult roles too early. After a break from singing, she started a second part of her career in 1979. She began singing different types of roles.
She sang Fata Morgana in The Love for Three Oranges. She also performed in The Gambler and Suor Angelica. Her last studio recording was in 1991. Near the end of her career, she sang the Comtesse in The Queen of Spades. She gave her final opera performance in this role in 2000.
Elena Souliotis passed away in 2004 in Florence, Italy, when she was 61 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Elena Souliotis para niños
