Soula Parassidis
Soula Parassidis is enjoying a breakout year in 2023, receiving critical acclaim for her portrayal of the title role in Iphigénie en Tauride, which she embodied for the Maria Callas centennial celebration in Athens, Greece, with the direction of Thanos Papakonstantinou under the baton of George Petrou. Following her Greek debut, Soula triumphed in Boston Baroque's globally streamed production of the same opera in partnership with IDAGIO music. Hailed as "incandescent" by the Boston Globe, her gripping interpretation, conducted by Martin Perlman and directed by Mo Zhou, further solidified her reputation as an exceptional singing actress.
Other notable opera engagements include Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Bayl and directed by Justin Way, Handel's Teseo at Theater an der Wien under the baton of René Jacobs directed by Moshe Leisner and Patrice Caurier, 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 (cover Sieglinde) in Die Walküre at Opéra National de Bordeaux. In 2020 she made her debut at the Teatro Regio Torino in Korngold's Violanta and participated in the Guangzhou Opera's 10-year anniversary gala in 2020, performing Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder.
Soula is equally at home in orchestral repertoire with noteworthy concert highlights including Henri Dutilleux's Correspondances with the Czech Philharmonic, a performance that was also broadcast on Radio France and presented at the Rudolfinum Prague. She also performed Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder at the Attersee Festival in Austria, Bachianas Brasileiras at the Berliner Waldbühne, and New Year’s concerts at the Teatro Massimo Palermo. Further performances include her debuts at the Gewandhaus Leipzig (Giulio Sabino), Berlin Philharmonie in excerpts from Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, Wüttembergische Philharmonie in Beethoven's 9th Symphony, RTÉ Concert Orchestra (excerpts from Die Lustige Witwe and Die Fledermaus) conducted by John Wilson, and Mahler's 4th Symphony with the Orchestre National de Capitole de Toulouse, conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero.
Soula made her debut on the international operatic scene in 2009 at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers. Later that year, she became a member of the ensemble at Oper Leipzig, where she showcased her versatility in leading roles accompanied by the Gewandhausorchester. Among her notable performances were productions of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Don Giovanni, Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, and Hänsel and Gretel, all conducted by Ulf Schirmer. She also starred in a new production of Admeto Re di Tessaglia directed by Tobias Kratzer and conducted by Federico Maria Sardelli. Collaborating closely with German director Peter Konwitschny, Soula added Al gran sole carico d'amore, Parsifal, Elektra, Aida, and Cosi fan tutte to her repertoire. As a guest artist, Soula has returned to Oper Leipzig on multiple occasions.
Amidst her career as a soprano, Soula Parassidis founded Living Opera in 2020, an art and technology platform that supports emerging artists. Her entrepreneurial endeavors have led her to collaborate with organizations such as Medici TV, IDAGIO streaming, Les Arts Valencia, and Stagetime Arts. Living Opera has gained recognition in popular press outlets like Forbes, Newsweek, Fast Company, and Yahoo Finance.
Soula Parassidis's passion for music and performance was nurtured in her upbringing in Vancouver, Canada where she 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. In addition to her artistic pursuits, Soula is an advocate against human trafficking, serving on the USA board of the Exodus Road.