The Greek National Opera pays tribute to the legendary Teresa Stratas, the Greek-Canadian soprano, who has enjoyed an immense international career. Stratas starred in 385 performances at the New York Metropolitan Opera, whereas in her 36-year-long career she undertook 41 different roles and at the same time she performed in the most important opera houses of the world. She was the daughter of Greek immigrants from Crete and started her stunning career in 1958, in Toronto-Canada. She is considered one of the world’s best opera singers of the 20th century, but also a legend of opera because her fairytale-like life and her philanthropic activity urged many people to compare her with the opera heroines she embodied in such a gripping manner. Two major and internationally acclaimed sopranos, Cellia Costea and Myrtò Papatanasiu, feature at the GNO’s tribute, singing arias that bear the stamp of Stratas. In the framework of the first joint performance between the GNO and the Canadian Opera Company, the Canadian tenor Andrew Haji also appears with them. The event will take place with the kind support of the Canadian Embassy in Athens, the Canadian Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera Guild. With the participation of the GNO Orchestra.

Documentary on Teresa Stratas Sunday, 24 May at 20.30 – Free admission
Round table discussion on Teresa Stratas Tuesday, 26 May at 12.00 – Free admission

Participating speakers: Robert W. Peck – Ambassador of Canada to Greece, Myron Michailidis – Artistic Director of the Greek National Opera, Paul Gruber – Executive Director for Program Development of The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Nikolaos Maliaras – Professor of Historical Musicology at the Faculty of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thanos Veremis – Professor Emeritus of International and European Studies at the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

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