Barbara Gavakou-Psaropoulou
Soloist, Soprano
She was born on Thassos island and began studying music at the Conservatory of Kavala under the guidance of P. Dragotis. She studied at the School of Civil Engineering, Athens. At the same time, he took singing lessons at the Hellenic Conservatory of Music and Arts, graduating in 1964 with honors (class of N. Spiliopoulou). She continued her studies with baritone Josef Metternich at the Academy of Music and Dance in Cologne (1965). She studied piano, fugue, morphology and psychology. Upon her graduation in 1969, she was hired at various German theaters (Cologne, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Essen, Frankfurt, etc.), performing more than 25 lead roles in the operas La traviata, La bohème, Simon Boccanegra, The bartered bride [Prodaná nevěsta], Cosi fan tutte, The Queen of spades, Carmen, Orfeo ed Euridice, Don Giovanni. She also participated in the world premiere of two new works (1971, 1972). In 1974, she returned to Greece for family reasons, interrupting her career in Germany. After passing a test, she was hired as a permanent staff member of the GNO in 1976. Between 1977 and 1990, she participated as lead singer in 17 works in more than 30 productions and/or revivals of: Madama Butterfly, Anna Bolena, Otello, Spyros Samaras’ Flora Mirampilis [I thavmasti antho], L'enfant et les sortilèges, Il trovatore (Odeon of Herodes Atticus, 1982), etc. In 1991, in collaboration with local agencies on Corfu island, she presented the opera Norma, while from 1992 to 1993 he starred in Cavalleria rusticana and Samaras’ La martire [I martys]. She taught solo singing at the Conservatory of Corfu (1988-2001) and at the Conservatory of Glyfada, Athens (1991-). She passed away on 5 August 2019. // Last update of the biography: March 2020 - The list of the productions below is continually updated.