Elena Xanthoudakis holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours and Graduate Diploma of Opera from the Victorian College of the Arts and a Master of Music degree from the University of Melbourne. On scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music, London, she received her MMus with distinction in 2005. Elena also studied as part of a young artist programme at the Maggio Musicale (Florence).
2010 saw Elena perform Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at St John Smith’s Square, return to the English National Opera and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, perform both Euridice and Genio in Haydn’s ‘L’anima del Filosofo’ ossia ‘Orfeo’ for Pinchgut Opera (Sydney) and she made her debut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera de Quebec, Canada; as well as concerts in Poland, Melbourne and for the Accademia di S.Cecilia in Rome with Antonio Pappano. Engagements in 2011 include Lisa and the title role in the new production of La Sonnambula at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Jemmy Guillaume Tell for the BBC Proms, and gala concerts in the UK, Poland and Australia. She will also be covering Countess Adele Le Comte Ory for The Metropolitan Opera, New York. In 2012 she will perform in concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra around Scotland in their New Year’s Old Vienna Concerts and then in Beethoven’s Mass in C with Louis Langree. Other performances include Clorinda La Cenerentola at the Glyndebourne Festival and Pamina for the English National Opera as well as in ‘Carmina Burana’with the Oxford Philomusica, and at the English Music Festival. Future engagements include a Carmina Burana at the Royal Albert Hall as well as covering 2 roles for the Metropolitan Opera in New York 2013.
Elena has won over 80 first prizes in Eisteddfodau in Australia and internationally has won the Maria Callas International Grand Prix 2003 (Oratorio – Lied) in Athens, the renowned International Mozart Competition2006 in Salzburg and in 2008 she won the female first-prize and overall Grand prize International Adam Didur Opera Singers Competition, Tait Vocal prize in the Performing Australian Music Competition and in 2008 Elena placed third in Placido Domingo’s prestigious international opera contest ‘Operalia’. Elena is a Borletti Buitoni Artist.
Elena’s concert engagements include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle(Montreal) and Stabat Mater, Bach’s Missa Brevis, B Minor Mass, St.John Passion, St.Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio & several cantatas, Fauré Requiem, Handel Messiahand Jeptha, Mozart Requiem and Vivaldi and Poulenc’s Gloria, touring a programme of Mozart arias with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate (St Petersburg Camerata) and performing Mozart Concert Arias at Salzburg’s prestigious ‘Mozart Woche’. She has also sung with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, RSNO, St Petersburg Camerata, Krakow and Poznan Filharmonia Orchestras. In concert and recital, Elena has performed in Tokyo, Hong-Kong,Wiesbaden, Montreal, Quebec-City, Salt-LakeCity and throughoutAustralia, UK, Ireland, and Italy. Elena undertook a two month tour as soloist throughout the UK and Ireland in Raymond Gubbay’s ‘Strauss Gala’ and earlier this season she sang concert performances as Jemmy Guillaume Tell at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome.
Operatic roles include Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera de Quebec), AdinaL’elisir d’amore (Scottish Opera & Victorian Opera, Melbourne), BlondeAbduction from the Seraglio (Opera North), both Euridice & Genio L’anima del Filosofo (Pinchgut Opera -Sydney), Krista The Makropulos Case (English National Opera), La Contessa di Folleville Il viaggio a Rheims (Maggio Musicale – Florence), Clorinda La Cenerentola (ROH Covent Garden), Frasquita Carmen (ROH Covent Garden 05-06, 07-08, 09-10 and ENO) Miss Schlesen Satyagraha (ENO 07 & 10), Xenia Boris Godunoff(Opera National du Rhin), Lady Ella Patience (BBC Proms), Pamina The Magic Flute, Leila The Pearl Fishers, Ann Truelove The Rake’s Progress in Australia.
Other roles include: Amor Orfeo ed Euridice, Matilde Matilde di Shabran,Dido Dido and Aeneas, Iris Semele, Ismene Mitridate, Constance Carmelites and Dalinda Ariodante.
Recordings include: Frasquita Carmen (ROH – Decca DVD), Krista The Makropulos Case (ENO – Chandos CD), Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra – ABC Classics CD). Future releases: Euridice & Genio L’anima del filosofo (Pinchgut Opera Live CD), Jemmy Guillaume Tell (Accademia di Santa Cecilia – EMI CD), Trio KROMA – The Shehperd and the Mermaid’ – German Romantic music for piano, voice & clarinet (Move Records), Frasquita Carmen (ROH – 3D cinema release).
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Elena Xanthoudakis - Long Biography
Versatile and experienced performer, Elena Xanthoudakis completed her Bachelor of Music Performance (Honours), at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia in 2001. She also holds a Master of Music Performance at the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma of Opera from the VCA.
In the summer of 2002 she was one of eight singers from around Australia chosen to participate in the Australian National Academy of Music’s Summer School and was also chosen to participate in a ANAM Vocal Masterclass with Cord Garben in August 2003. Also in January 2003 Elena was chosen to participate in the Ronald Dowd National Summer School for Singers ‘Mastercourse in Opera’ in Sydney with Victor Morris.
Winning over 80 first prizes in Eisteddfodau in Australia, Elena has won the ‘Armstead Scholarship’, Australian Youth Aria 2003, 2003 ‘Maria Callas Grand Prix’ in Oratorio-Lied in Athens and the Australian National Liederfest 2004. She also has held many scholarships including VCA’s Mabel Kent Estate Singing Scholarship, Harold Fischer Scholarship for Opera part-scholarship from VCA, as well as the Mabel Kent Singing Scholarship from the University Of Melbourne. She has also been fortunate to receive a grant from the Australian Arts Council for her study at the Guildhall, London 2004-5, and the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship 2006.
An experienced Oratorio performer Elena has performed as soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Melbourne with Piero Gamba, Bach’s ‘Missa Brevis in A Major’, ‘B Minor Mass’, ‘Cantata BWV82a’, Haydn’s ‘St Nicholas Mass’, Vivaldi and Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’, Rosinni’s ‘Stabat Mater’, Monteverdi’s ‘Exsula Fillia’, Mozart ‘Requiem’ and Handel’s ‘Messiah’.
She has performed in various concert and recitals in Australia and abroad, including in St Petersburg at the Hermitage, Hong Kong, Montreal, Salt-Lake City, throughout Tuscany and the Abruzzo regions in Italy and performances have included a ‘Schubertiade’ recital in Wiesbaden, Germany.
With support from the Cheltenham Rotary, Elena was able to undertake studies in the young artists program at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, in Florence, Italy from April to July 2004 where she performed ‘La Contessa di Folleville’ in Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Rheims.
Other operatic roles include Anne Truelove in Stravinski’s ‘The Rakes’ Progress’ performed in collarboration with VCA opera and OzOpera, Leila in Bizet’s ‘The Pearl Fishers’ and Pamina in ‘The Magic Flute’ with Opera Melbourne.
In 2005, as well as completing her Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with distinction, Elena received the Third place and the special prize for the ‘Best interpretation of the set piece’ – a contemporary composition, at the Montreal International Competition for Voice 2005. She took part in chorus in Britten’s ‘Peter Grimes’ with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Trevor Nunn in Salzburg. Elena also covered the role of Ismene in Mozart’s ‘Mitridate, Re di Ponto’ for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden aswell as covering the role of Sister Constance in ‘The Dialogue of the Carmelites’ for ENO. She also performed Dido in ‘Dido and Aeneas’ by Purcell in Bath.
2006 saw Elena performing Rossini’s ‘Petite Messe Solennelle’ in Montreal aswell as playing ‘Krista’ in The Makropulos Case with Sir Charles Mackerras for ENO and covering ‘Dalinda’ in Handel’s ‘Ariodante’(ENO). Elena also sang Frasquita for the Longborough Festival Opera in June.
2006 continued in great style as Elena was proclaimed the winner of the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg August 2006, and then Elena toured a ‘Mozart Arias’ program with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia throughout October.
In December/January she made her debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden playing ‘Frasquita ‘in Carmen.
In 2007, Elena performed ‘Miss Schlesen’ in Satyagraha for ENO in April and ‘Xenia’ in Boris Godunoff in Strasbourg for Opera National du Rhin in June. This was followed by solo recitals in Japan in July and recorded Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in August. While in Australia she performed in ’Marvellous Mozart’ at BMW Edge with the Melbourne Musicians and featuring her brother clarinetist Jason Xanthoudakis. Other performnces included Handel’s Messiah in Dunblane Cathedral in December. Elena then sang Frasquita at ENO and to finish the year she returned to the Royal Opera House over Christmas and New Year to play ‘Clorinda’ in La Cenerentola – Gioachino Rossini with Kozena.
In 2008 started with Clorinda La Cenerentola at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, shortly followed by a return to the Royal Opera house as Frasquita. Iris in Semele at St John Smith Square, Frasquita at the Royal Opera House and Adina in The Elixir of Love for Victorian Opera (Australia) as well as concerts in Quebec City, Melbourne and in Scotland. Elena performed Blonde The Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera North, Adina for Scottish Opera, concerts in Sydney and Hobart and her debut in the London Promenade concerts season in Patience with Sir Charles Makerras at the Royal Albert Hall. She also completed a two month tour in Raymond Gubbay’s Strauss Galas throughout the UK and in Ireland.
2010 saw Elena perform Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at St John Smith’s Square, return to the English National Opera and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, perform both Euridice and Genio in Haydn’s ‘L’anima del Filosofo’ ossia ‘Orfeo’ for Pinchgut Opera (Sydney) and she made her debut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera de Quebec, Canada; as well as concerts in Poland, Melbourne and for the Accademia di S.Cecilia in Rome with Antonio Pappano. Engagements in 2011 include Lisa and the title role in the new production of La Sonnambula at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Jemmy Guillaume Tell for the BBC Proms, and gala concerts in the UK, Poland and Australia. She will also be covering Countess Adele Le Comte Ory for The Metropolitan Opera, New York.
In 2012 she will perform in concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra around Scotland in their New Year’s ‘Old Vienna’ Concerts and then in Beethoven’s Mass in C with Louis Langree. This followed a tour to Australia to release the CD’ The Shepherd and the Mermaid’ with TrioKROMA and concerts with ‘Opera in the Market’. Other performances in 2012 include Clorinda La Cenerentola at the Glyndebourne Festival and Pamina in The Magic Flute for the English National Opera as well as in ‘Carmina Burana’with the Oxford Philomusica, and Orchestral Songs by Delius at the English Music Festival. Future engagements include a Wigmore recital with the Kirckman Concert Society as well as covering 2 roles for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2013.
