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“Soula Parassidis, absolutely dominated in the title role with tremendous intensity as an actor-singer, wielding a dramatic instrument that powerfully transcended.”
- The Boston Intelligencer
Hailed as “incandescent” (Boston Globe) and “for the ages” (Schompera), Greek-Canadian soprano Soula Parassidis has received widespread critical acclaim for her electrifying performances around the world. In the summer of 2024, she debuted at the Festival Aix-en-Provence in a Gluck double-bill of Iphigenie en Aulide/Tauride (Diane), under the baton of Emmanuelle Haïm and directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, which she will reprise at her debut in the Greek National Opera in fall 2024 under the baton of Michael Hofstetter.
Later in 2024, Soula will release her first full-length album, "All is Bright," in cooperation with the Benevento Filarmonica, which will tour in the USA. She will also begin production on her most ambitious project to date, "Echoes of Empires," in collaboration with Kling Klang Klong, Christian Venables (Meta), and the Metaverse program at the University of Nicosia.
In 2023, Soula starred in the title role of "Iphigénie en Tauride" for the Maria Callas Centennial Celebration at the Olympia City Music Theatre “Maria Callas” in Athens, Greece, directed by Thanos Papakonstantinou and conducted by George Petrou. Following her Greek debut, Soula triumphed in two subsequent productions of "Iphigénie" in Bern, Switzerland, and in Boston Baroque's globally streamed production in partnership with IDAGIO Music. This latter production, conducted by Martin Pearlman and directed by Mo Zhou, further solidified her reputation as an exceptional singing actress.
“I do not state this lightly: this is an Iphigénie for the ages, and whenever she was off-stage I longed to see her on the stage again." - Schmopera
Other notable opera engagements include Soula's Asian debut in La Clemenza di Tito with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Handel's Teseo at Theater an der Wien, Les Pecheurs de Perles at Opera Holland Park, Don Giovanni in Guangzhou China, and the title role of Vanessa by Samuel Barber at the Opéra-Théatre de Metz Métropole, where she also sang the Gräfin Madeleine in Capriccio by Richard Strauss, marking her debut in the lyric dramatic fach. In 2019, she sang Elettra in Idomeneo at Teatro Massimo Palermo and Helmwige in Die Walküre at Opéra National de Bordeaux. She made her debut in Korngold's Violanta at the Teatro Regio Torino and participated in the Guangzhou Opera's 10-year anniversary gala in 2020, performing Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder. Soula was also a member of the ensemble of Oper Leipzig for three seasons, where she performed a variety of leading repertoire and returned on several occasions with the company as a guest soloist.
Soula is equally at home in orchestral repertoire with highlights including her debut with the Czech Philharmonic at the Prague Rudolfinum in Henri Dutilleux's Correspondances, a performance that was also broadcast on Radio France. She also performed Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder at the Attersee Festival, Bachianas Brasileiras at the Berliner Waldbühne, and New Year’s concerts at the Teatro Massimo Palermo. Further debuts include appearances at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, Berlin Philharmonie, Wüttembergische Philharmonie, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Capitole de Toulouse, where she performed Mahler's 4th Symphony.
“Parassidis gave a fierce dramatic and vocal performance, perfectly in tune with Pearlman and the orchestra."
- Bachtrack
Amidst her career as a soprano, Soula Parassidis founded Living Opera in 2020, a multimedia company that increases the audience for opera. Soula has collaborated with organizations such as Medici TV, IDAGIO streaming, Les Arts Valencia, and Stagetime Arts, gaining recognition in popular press outlets like Forbes, Newsweek, Fast Company, and Yahoo Finance, solidifying Soula's role as a visionary in the industry. In addition to her artistic pursuits, Soula is an advocate against human trafficking, serving on the board of the Exodus Road.
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“Parassidis met the challenge head-on: every aspect of her performance injected life into the music, and even the less dramatically interesting moments felt like the most important thing in the world.”
- Schmopera
Soula Parassidis's first trained as a classical flutist and actor. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia, and subsequently received generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts, which helped lay the foundation for her multifaceted career. With her unique timbre, glamorous stage presence, and unwavering dedication to her craft, Soula continues to captivate audiences worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the international operatic landscape.