Reviews:

Elena Xanthoudakis was a pure but strong – rather than fragile – Pamina all the way through, justifying Daniel Heartz’s suggestion that the opera should be titled Pamina. Her Act Two scene with The Queen of the Night was gripping drama in every sense of the word.

Musical Criticism – 18th September – Agnes Kory

Elena Xanthoudakis’ graceful and creamy-toned soprano was well suited to Pamina and she gave a very polished performance, her duet with Papageno “Bei Männern” was one of the vocal highlights of the evening for me, as well as a heartfelt and expressive “Ach, ich fühl’s”.

Opera Britannia – 15th September – Faye Courtney

Young soprano Elena Xanthoudakis gave a poignant and truthful performance as Pamina…

BBC Classical Music Online – September – Hellen Wallace

Elena Xanthoudakis is pure loveliness as Pamina

What’s On Stage – 14th September 2012 – Simon Thomas

Elena Xanthoudakis’s Pamina sounds better and better as the night goes on…

Financial Times – September 16th – Andrew Clark

Elena Xanthoudakis was an endearing Pamina with a sweet-toned, vibrant voice, very much a modern young princess.

Seen and Heard – September 16 – Jim Pritchard

The object of his affection, Pamina, was sung warmly by Elena Xanthoudakis: her aria during the ‘Second Test’ (not cricket!), Tamino having rejected Pamina, contained beauty within sorrow – and it was very seductive, surely enough to melt the Prince’s heart.

Classical Source – September 13th – Kevin Rogers

Elena Xanthoudakis was highly original, even quirky and intense, as Pamina

The Observer – September 15th – Fiona Maddocks

Especially memorable is Elena Xanthoudakis’s Pamina, voiced with shining tone and a fine appreciation of the music’s lyrical contours.

 The Guardian – 14th September – George Hall

Elena Xanthoudakis as Pamina is allowed to be subtler - her bright, shining timbre deployed with tact and sensitivity.

The Stage – September 14th – David Gutman.

Elena Xanthoudakis made for an unusually rich-toned Pamina

OperaToday.com USA - Sept 23th – Mark Berry

And in Blogs:

Capriccio:

Most treasurable is Elena Xanthoudakis whose ultra shiny and youthfully pure soprano is absolutely ideal for Pamina. She sounded best when she let herself go a bit volume wise, easily filling the Coliseum’s dry acoustics with silvery ribbons of legato.

September 13th

Bachtrack:

Elena Xanthoudakis’ voice was sweet and pure in her role as Pamina

September 13th.

PlanetHugill:

Elena Xanthoudakis made a glowing Pamina. Slight of figure, she has a lovely lyric voice, with a strong edge to it and a feisty manner. This came out particularly in [her] the (ed) more misogynistic moments. She was playfully pert in her duet with Duncan Rock’s Papageno, but in her Act 2 aria she sang with a beautiful line and a powerful sense of pain. All in all, a radiant performance.

September 14th – Robert Hugill

GeorgesMusings:

This revival had the good fortune to have Elena Xanthoudakis in great form, singing her heart out and acting with total conviction. The second act was a tour de force and it was very difficult to take our eyes off her.

October 15th.

Check out the photos of the production here 

Elena Xanthoudakis is now represented by Deborah Sanders at London based ‘Rayfield Allied’ worldwide, including Australia and New Zealand except the USA/North America.  Please see Elena’s the new page on Rayfield Allied - Click here

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Deborah Sanders joins Rayfield Allied following a number of years as an international artist manager at IMG.

Managing Director Ben Rayfield commented: “We are delighted that Deborah will be joining our management team as Director of Vocal.  I have always admired her entrepreneurialism, building up a roster of the most exciting clients from scratch as she did at IMGA, and her ability to spot, develop and nurture talent.  Deborah’s passion and drive and her undisputedinternational track record in a variety of arts management roles will be a huge asset to Rayfield Allied, and we all look forward to this next exciting chapter in the development of the agency.”

Earlier in her career, Deborah was recruited by Sir Richard Attenborough to manage London’s Duke of York’s Theatre under Capital Radio’s (former) ownership; she produced Live from London, a series of weekly rock concerts transmitted live across Europe on Sky; she was founding company manager at Santa Fe Stages, an international theatre festival in New Mexico; she provided her casting and promotional expertise to the Puccini Festival at Torre del Lago, Italy; and was general director’s liaison at San Francisco Opera under the leadership of Lotfi Mansouri.

Deborah Sanders commented: “Ben and I share a common ambition, and I’m delighted to have this unique opportunity to bring my experience to the table and develop the eminent roster of international artists at Rayfield Allied. In these challenging times, I believe it’s important to keep the welfare of the artists foremost in our minds and I’m convinced that together, our roster of exceptional artists will, with careful strategy and planning, enjoy long and successful careers.”

Please read about Elena’s exceptional Artist Manager Deborah Sanders – Director of Vocal – here

or see here: http://www.rayfieldallied.com/news/2012/deborah-sanders-joins-rayfield-allied-as-director-of-vocal/

Or read about it online at Musical America:

http://www.musicalamerica.com/news/newsstory.cfm?archived=0&storyID=28123&categoryID=5

Please see Elena’s the new page on Rayfield Allied - Click here

A versatile artist at home in many and varied styles, she focusses primarily on her Classical Music career.

Over the years Elena has won hundreds of prizes: to see an overview of First prizes and major awards - click the link below:

http://elenaxan.com/about-elena/competitions-eisteddfodau-scholarships-and-awards/

Recent Awards include: The Borletti-Buitoni Trust award 2011 of 20,000GBP ( www.bbtrust.com );

the Hope Scott Trust Award 2011 and the Opus 50 Scholarship. 2012.

International and Major Australian Prizes Incude:

Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award (2011)

Solti Foundation Award (2009)

First Female and Overall Grand Prix International Adam Didur Opera Singers Competition, Poland (2008)

Placido Domingo’s ‘Operalia’ (3rd – 2008)

Performing Australian Music Competition – Voice section – London – 2008

Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship 2006-7

First – International Mozart Competition, Salzburg (2006)

International Jeunesse Musicales -Voix – Montreal – 3rd and winner Prize for the best performance of the Set Canadian Work. (2005)

First – Australian National Liederfest (2004)

First – Maria Callas International Grand Prix, Athens (Oratorio-Lied) (2003)

3rd Prize Herald Sun Aria (2001)

Orchestra of the Antipodes conducted by Antony Walker, featuring soloists: Elena Xanthoudakis-Euridice and Genio, Andrew Goodwin-Orfeo and Derek Welton as Creonte with the Cantilation choir.

About the Opera and the CD:

Rarely heard Haydn opera now available for all.

Pinchgut Opera new CD release: L’anima del filosofo: Orpheus + Eurydice

Joseph Haydn’s stunning music in L’anima del filosofo – the Orpheus & Eurydice story – was presented for the first time in Australia last December.

Pinchgut makes a practice of producing unfairly neglected operas of great beauty, and with only a couple of recordings available of this beautiful music, this edition promises to be an excellent addition for lovers of opera.

The story of Orpheus has fascinated composers and librettists over the centuries. Haydn’s version is the last opera he ever wrote and he never heard it performed in his lifetime. The cast includes soprano Elena Xanthoudakis, tenor Andrew Goodwin and baritone Derek Welton. Antony Walker conducts Orchestra of the Antipodes on classical instruments with superb choral singing by Cantillation.

Composed in 1791, Haydn’s Orpheus is a jewel of its time; with gorgeous music and dramatic purpose, unfairly forgotten. Its first performance, amazingly, was in 1951 in Florence with a cast including Maria Callas and Boris Christoff, conducted by Erich Kleiber

Renowned Australian conductor and co-artistic director, Antony Walker (fresh from his Metropolitan Opera debut) says, “The Orpheus story has fascinated composers, writers and philosophers for centuries. For me, it’s a bit of a leitmotif and it was wonderful to explore further this amazing work – I’m extremely proud of Pinchgut’s production by the extraordinary musical genius that is Josef Haydn”.

Pinchgut specialises in presenting unfairly neglected operas, mostly from the baroque and early classical periods. Pinchgut LIVE is the company new recording label. This is their first release.

—

Pinchgut LIVE first release. 

L’anima del filosofo: Orpheus + Eurydice

Music by Joseph Haydn 1732-1809

Libretto by Carlo Francesco Badini

Elena Xanthoudakis Euridice / Genio

Andrew Goodwin Orfeo

Derek Welton Creonte

Craig Everingham Pluto

Cantillation

Orchestra of the Antipodes

Antony Walker conductor

Erin Helyard assistant conductor

Recorded live in City Recital Hall Angel Place on 2, 4, 5 & 7 December 2010.

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For media enquiries, or to arrange an interview (phone/email) with Antony Walker, Elena Xanthoudakis, Andrew Goodwin or Derek Welton please contact Anna Cerneaz.

Telephone 02 9389 8117 / Email anna@pinchgutopera.com.au

For more information: Pinchgut Opera www.pinchgutopera.com.au

“Pinchgut here has taken a footnote of Haydn’s great career – and lovingly turned it into another Christmas delight.” (SMH 4 December 2010)

Contact details:

IMG ARTISTS (UK) – London Office

Deborah Sanders – Artist Manager
111 POWER ROAD
LONDON W4 5PY

Email: DSanders@IMGArtists.com
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7957 5842

The Genesis of the Project:

Over the past 18 months or so I have been doing research into a very interesting project finding lost treasures of the Romantic period for Piano, Voice and Clarinet. This project is a real labour of love starting from my love of the obvious and popular favourite, Schubert’s ’Shepherd on the Rock’.  However, almost all the other pieces in the genre besides this and the Spohr ‘6 German Folk Songs’ are rarely heard in concert halls.   I have found a charming selection of unknown gems, many I found at the British Library and in Vienna, that deserve greater exposure and are a delightful example of where Art song meets the Salon music of the German Romantic tradition.

Creating TrioKROMA:

To bring these pieces to life I formed TrioKROMA, made up of myself, my brother, Clarinetist – Jason Xanthoudakis – who plays frequently for orchestras such as the TSO, MSO & SSO in addition to having a solo career and Concert Pianist, Clemens Leske, who studied at the Julliard School of Music NY and lectures at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.  Clem has played as a soloist for all the national Australian orchestras as well as in London and is a frequent recital partner for Jason.

In 2010, TrioKROMA performed various pieces from the repertoire in Melbourne and Sydney including one wonderful concert entitled ‘The Captive Nightingale’ at the Melba Hall, University of Melbourne in conjunction with the ‘Lieder Society of Victoria’.  As a thank-you for their involvement in promoting such wonderful pieces of Germanic repertoire I presented the society president, Mr Ian Lowe with a bound copy of many of the rare and newly discovered pieces, so that students and society members can access the pieces.

Our CD project:

To bring these pieces to the widest possible audience we are planning to release these works on CD.  It is important to note that many of these works have only been recorded once before and others that were discovered have never been released before.  The CD will feature music by Schubert, Lachner, Spaeth, Proch, Lindtpaintner and Kalliwoda.

I have been working on this project for well over 18 months. I have managed to raise about $3300 and have added an additional $9000 of private funds, which has covered some rehearsals, flights to Sydney to record, hotels, studio hire, piano tuning, engineer & producer fees and music & copying costs.

Where we are up to and how you can help?

We are now at the editing and production stage and are looking to get the disc completed by the end of this year.  Including editing, the remaining costs are between $5000-6000 for a small printing and $7000 to have a larger batch made. To publicize the CD we are also planning a tour of Sydney and Melbourne in March 2012 – which will need a minimum $4000 for airfares, accommodation and publicity to get it off the ground, but in reality if for example, we want to extend the tour to include Adelaide, this figure is more likely to be $8000.

Can you help us?

See our page on the ABAF Website:

http://www.abaf.org.au/donors/artist-projects/elena-xanthoudakis.html

The Australia Business Arts Foundation allows both Australian individuals and businesses to make tax-deductible donations (over $2)  towards this project. (Contributions from overseas are also welcome but Tax-deductible status cannot be given)

Donations can be given here – https://www.abaf.org.au/donors/about-giving/donate.html?artistId=51aeb81c-42c6-4024-b2d2-155eb9a8104b

or you can send it in via post by printing out the form here:

http://www.abaf.org.au/Media/docs/AbaF-Donation-form-2011—Elena-Xanthoudakis-2a361d64-5ddb-4abe-98df-a972f375a84d-0.pdf

How does your donation help?

An example would be:

$90 would cover one hour in the Editing Studio to put together a ‘first edit’, to mix and to create a ‘Master’.  This can take on average 40 hrs or about $3600

$110 would cover a night’s accommodation in Melbourne for Clemens Leske (Sydney based) for the Melbourne CD Launch, or accommodation while on tour.

$1000 Venue Hire costs.

$120-$220 would cover Piano Tuning per session/pre-concert- depending on venue.

$600-$1000 will cover Graphic Design of the CD booklet and tray insert.

$500 – would cover pre-release review mailouts and minimum pre-publicity costs/flyers.

$50 – a contribution towards a flight.

$20 – photocopying

Rarely heard Haydn opera now available for all.

Pinchgut Opera new CD release: L’anima del filosofo: Orpheus + Eurydice

Joseph Haydn’s stunning music in L’anima del filosofo – the Orpheus & Eurydice story – was presented for the first time in Australia last December.

Pinchgut makes a practice of producing unfairly neglected operas of great beauty, and with only a couple of recordings available of this beautiful music, this edition promises to be an excellent addition for lovers of opera.

The story of Orpheus has fascinated composers and librettists over the centuries. Haydn’s version is the last opera he ever wrote and he never heard it performed in his lifetime. The cast includes soprano Elena Xanthoudakis, tenor Andrew Goodwin and baritone Derek Welton. Antony Walker conducts Orchestra of the Antipodes on classical instruments with superb choral singing by Cantillation.

Composed in 1791, Haydn’s Orpheus is a jewel of its time; with gorgeous music and dramatic purpose, unfairly forgotten. Its first performance, amazingly, was in 1951 in Florence with a cast including Maria Callas and Boris Christoff, conducted by Erich Kleiber

Renowned Australian conductor and co-artistic director, Antony Walker (fresh from his Metropolitan Opera debut) says, “The Orpheus story has fascinated composers, writers and philosophers for centuries. For me, it’s a bit of a leitmotif and it was wonderful to explore further this amazing work – I’m extremely proud of Pinchgut’s production by the extraordinary musical genius that is Josef Haydn”.

Pinchgut specialises in presenting unfairly neglected operas, mostly from the baroque and early classical periods. Pinchgut LIVE is the company new recording label. This is their first release.

—

Pinchgut LIVE first release.

L’anima del filosofo: Orpheus + Eurydice

Music by Joseph Haydn 1732-1809

Libretto by Carlo Francesco Badini

Elena Xanthoudakis         Euridice / Genio

Andrew Goodwin                             Orfeo

Derek Welton                    Creonte

Craig Everingham             Pluto

Cantillation

Orchestra of the Antipodes

Antony Walker conductor

Erin Helyard assistant conductor

Recorded live in City Recital Hall Angel Place on 2, 4, 5 & 7 December 2010.

Available from 24 August 2011

From fine music shops or online at www.pincghutopera.com.au

$40.00

—

For media enquiries, or to arrange an interview (phone/email) with Antony Walker, Elena Xanthoudakis, Andrew Goodwin or Derek Welton please contact Anna Cerneaz.

Telephone 02 9389 8117 / Email anna@pinchgutopera.com.au

For more information: Pinchgut Opera www.pinchgutopera.com.au

“Pinchgut here has taken a footnote of Haydn’s great career – and lovingly turned it into another Christmas delight.” (SMH 4 December 2010)

Also, to be released this August on Pinchgut Opera’s own label is L’anima del Filosofo by Haydn, featuring Andrew Goodwin as Orfeo, Derek Welton as Creon and Elena Xanthoudakis as both Euridice and Geni0.