Opera by the Sea at the Historic Tompazi Estate

Soprano Dimitra Kotidou, mezzo-soprano Eleni Voudouraki and pianist Markos Kotsias come together for a lyrical evening of opera, song and musical surprises by the sea in Galatas

A unique lyrical evening is being proposed for the Holy Spirit long weekend at the Tompazi Estate, located on the beach of Galatas. The historic estate complex, dating back to 1828, will host on the evening of May 31 at 21:00 two distinguished Greek singers with remarkable international careers: soprano Dimitra Kotidou and mezzo-soprano Eleni Voudouraki, accompanied on piano by the acclaimed pianist Markos Kotsias. The programme will include beloved operatic arias and classical songs by major composers, along with a few surprises from both the Greek and international song repertoire.

More specifically, the two artists will perform arias and duets from 19th-century Italian and French opera, featuring works by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Jules Massenet, Georges Bizet, Léo Delibes and Jacques Offenbach. The audience will also hear selected Baroque songs by Henry Purcell and John Dowland, songs by Maurice Ravel and Manuel de Falla, as well as free improvisations inspired by Greek musical modes.

Dimitra Kotidou has already established an impressive career with leading roles in opera houses across Germany, including the Queen of the Night in Barrie Kosky’s celebrated production, as well as major bel canto roles. The career of Eleni Voudouraki includes leading roles and symphonic concerts in major concert halls and festivals throughout Greece, most recently her appearances in The Free Besieged by Timotheos Arvanitakis, Journey to the Centre of Music with the Athens State Orchestra at Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall, and the International Concert for Peace by the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra in Platres, Cyprus, for Europe Day (9 May 2026). The two artists also appeared together on stage as Violetta Valéry and Annina in La Traviata during the Greek National Opera tour in China in September 2025.

The Lyrical Evening at Tompazi Estate marks the first artistic event to be hosted at one of Greece’s most historic estates, once the family residence of Manolis Tombazis, High Commissioner of Crete and Admiral of the Greek Revolution of 1821. Located on the Argosaronic coast opposite the island of Poros, the estate occupies a unique seaside setting and is home to an award-winning organic olive grove within a landscape of rare natural harmony.

Visitors will have the opportunity, one hour before the concert, to explore the grounds and visit the estate’s private museum, which houses rare documents and objects from the Greek Revolution of 1821. A welcome drink and finger food, included in the concert ticket price, will also be offered to guests.

Dimitra Kotidou

Dimitra Kotidou is a Greek coloratura soprano internationally acclaimed for her dazzling vocal virtuosity, expressive depth and compelling stage presence. Born in Athens and based in Germany, she has built an impressive international career through collaborations with renowned opera figures including Montserrat Caballé, Renata Scotto, Cheryl Studer, Franz Grundheber, Peter Seiffert and Dimitri Kavrakos.

Her repertoire includes leading roles such as the Queen of the Night, Violetta, Lucia, Gilda, Norina, Adele and Olympia, earning widespread acclaim for both her technical brilliance and dramatic intelligence. Recent highlights include her debut as Violetta in La Traviata during the Greek National Opera tour in China, acclaimed performances as Norina in Don Pasquale and Adele in Die Fledermaus in Athens, and appearances as Queen of the Night at major European opera houses including Deutsche Oper am Rhein and Aalto-Theater Essen.

She has also appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras such as the Athens State Orchestra, the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and the Berner Symphonieorchester, collaborating with conductors including Marc Piollet, Antonino Fogliani and Christopher Moulds, as well as directors such as Barrie Kosky, Franco Zeffirelli and Graham Vick.

A former member of the Opera Studio of Deutsche Oper am Rhein and the ensemble of Landestheater Coburg, she made her operatic debut at the age of 19 with the Greek National Opera. Her musical studies include advanced training in harmony, counterpoint and fugue, a Piano Diploma, and a Vocal Performance Diploma from the Kodály International Music Institute, alongside academic studies at Harvard University and the University of Piraeus.

Eleni Voudouraki

Eleni Voudouraki is a distinguished Greek mezzo-soprano with a wide-ranging career in opera, chamber music and contemporary Greek repertoire. She is a graduate of the National Opera Studio in London, supported by a scholarship from the Friends of Covent Garden, and a member of the Accademia Di Bel Canto Georg Solti in Tuscany through a scholarship from the Nando Peretti Foundation. She has also attended masterclasses with renowned artists including Ghena Dimitrova, Robert Lloyd, Dennis O’Neill, Kiri Te Kanawa and Helmuth Rilling.

She made her debut on tour with the Glyndebourne Opera as Angelina in La Cenerentola and later appeared at the Wien KammerOper as Costanza in Haydn’s L’isola disabitata. She has also collaborated with Teatro alla Scala in Maria Stuarda by Gaetano Donizetti. Her operatic repertoire includes leading and supporting roles in productions such as Rigoletto, Norma, Die Fledermaus, Ariadne auf Naxos, Aida, Rusalka, Madama Butterfly, Lucia di Lammermoor and La Traviata.

Alongside her operatic work, she is known for her lyrical versatility and her dedication to Greek music. She has frequently presented works by Greek composers in Greece and abroad and is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of the music of Kostas Giannidis, particularly through collaborations with the Greek National Opera Alternative Stage and the Orchestra of Contemporary Music of Greek Radio.

Recent highlights include performances alongside José Cura and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, her appearance as Annina in La Traviata during the Greek National Opera tour in China (2025), and participation in the major tribute concert All of Greece for Mikis dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis. Her most recent appearances include the world premiere of The Free Besieged by Timotheos Arvanitakis at Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall and the International Concert for Peace in Cyprus for Europe Day in May 2026.

She has maintained a long-standing collaboration with the Greek National Opera since 1999 and has taught vocal performance since 2014.

Markos Kotsias

Markos Kotsias is a Greek pianist acclaimed for his work as an accompanist in both classical music and contemporary Greek song, collaborating with many distinguished performers. He received First Prize at the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe (YMFE) Competition in 2008 and has appeared extensively as both a soloist and chamber musician.

From 2015 to 2017, he worked with the Greek National Opera, participating in major productions as ballet coach pianist, orchestral keyboard player and vocal accompanist. During this period, he also collaborated with Eleni Karaindrou as pianist for the production Journey to Eternity. Over the years, he has taken part in recordings and international performances with soprano Sonia Theodoridou, including appearances at Megaron – The Thessaloniki Concert Hall, collaborations with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals at the Romanian National Opera Bucharest.

His collaborations also include performances with clarinettist Renaud Guy-Rousseau at the French Institute of Greece, appearances in productions such as Vembo–Callas: An Imaginary Encounter, and participation in nationwide tours of the Greek National Opera productions The Events and A Winter Day’s Dream by Theodoros Antoniou.

As an orchestral pianist and répétiteur, he has collaborated with the ERT National Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens in major symphonic productions, including Carmina Burana at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. As a soloist, he has performed piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven with the Danube Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Myrsini Chatzikonstanti.

He currently works as répétiteur at the Athens Conservatoire and collaborates with the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera in productions and tours across Greece.