Biography
Award-winning and versatile Australian soprano Elena Xanthoudakis is an expressive performer whose enthusiastic reviews speak of her captivating and engaging performances.
Elena made six new role debuts in the last three seasons including, the title role in Pia de’ Tolmei (ETO), Donna Anna Don Giovanni (Winslow Hall), both Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda (Melbourne Opera), Violetta La Traviata (Winslow Hall) and Giulietta I Capuletti e i Montecchi (Greek National Opera) and performing Adina L’elisir d’amore (Singapore Opera), and Pamina Die Zauberfloete (Clarion Opera, NYC).
In 2018, Elena toured a gala programme of serious Rossini Opera (Fireworks) for the English Touring Opera. As well as, performing in three recitals and concerts at the Newcastle Music Festival, and a programme of Mozart & Donizetti for the Melbourne Musicians Chamber Orchestra. Elena recently made another role debut as Desdemona in Rossini’s Otello for Melbourne Opera, late 2018 to enthusiastic reviews. (link)
Other roles include: Miss Schlesen Satyagraha (ENO), Lisa & Amina La Sonnambula (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Frasquita Carmen (Royal Opera House; ENO), Pamina Magic Flute (ENO), Gilda Rigoletto (Opera Queensland), Lucia Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera de Quebec; Winslow Hall), Clorinda La Cenerentola (Glyndebourne; Royal Opera House), First Niece Peter Grimes (Rome) & Jemmy Guillaume Tell with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Pappano (Rome/BBC Proms), Adina L’elisir d’amore (Scottish Opera; Victorian Opera, Melbourne): Euridice and Genio L’anima del Filosofo (Pinchgut Opera, Sydney), La Contessa di Folleville, Il viaggio a Reims (Maggio Musicale, Florence).
Elena covered Gilda Rigoletto and Countess Adele Comte Ory for the Metropolitan Opera, NY and Matilde Matilde di Shabran, Iseme Mitridate, Re di Ponto and Micaela Carmen for the Royal Opera House, as well as numerous roles for the ENO including while part of the Harewood Young Artist Program.
Elena has performed with numerous orchestras including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic (London), BBC Concert Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, Tasmania Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Orchestra de Quebec, Oxford Philomusica, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, St Petersburg Camerata, Verdi Orchestra, Milan and the Mozarteum Orchestra.
Elena has a wide range of concert engagements in Oratorio & Song repertoire from Bach, Vivaldi & Mozart, Delius & Strauss and everything in between. Elena has performed throughout Australia, the UK, Ireland, throughout Italy in concerts and recitals, as well as in Japan, Hong-Kong, St Petersburg, Montreal, Quebec-City, Germany and in the USA.
Elena has won numerous first prizes in competitions in Australia and Internationally, including winning the Maria Callas International Grand Prix, and the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg and both the female first-prize and overall Grand prize in the International Adam Didur Opera Singers Competition, Poland.
Other International prizes include being a multi-laureate at the Jeunesse Musicales – Voix, Montreal, Canada and is a prize-winner in Placido Domingo’s Operalia.
Elena Xanthoudakis studied at the VCA, University of Melbourne and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, on scholarship, where she received her second Masters of Music with distinction. Elena also undertook studies in part of the young artist programme at the Maggio Musicale, Firenze and the Harewood Young Artist Programme ENO. Elena was awarded a Solti Foundation Award to undertake Italian language studies in Florence and has participated in masterclasses at the Opera Studio at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome with La Signora Scotto.
Elena is a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Artist.