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Lela(Eleni) Stamos(Stamatopoulou)

Soloist, Mezzo-Soprano
She was born in Piraeus, Greece on 22 September 1941. She graduated from the National Conservatoire in 1962. She ranked in first place in the International Maria Callas Competition (1963) and undertook further studies in Milan. She sang in the Athens Festival and worked with all Greek symphony orchestras. She collaborated as a soloist in a number of works, such as Mendelssohn’s oratorios Elias and Paulus, Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater, Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’ Alto Rapsody, Beethoven’s Symphony No 9, etc. She appeared outside of Greece opposite leading opera artists; also gave recitals and appeared in broadcasting shows in Greece and abroad. She made her GNO debut in 1960s and for the following thirty years she sang starring and comprimario mezzo and/or contralto roles in about 50 productions and/or revivals in 20 operas. Her repertoire includes: Judith [Bluebeard's Castle/A kékszakállú herceg vára] (1964/65), and worked there regularly for 35 years (1965-1990), participating such as Charlotte [Werther], Suzuki [Madama Butterfly], Amneris [Aida], Azucena [The troubadour/Il trovatore], Maddalena [Rigoletto], Marina Mniszech [Boris Godunov], Olga [Eugene Onegin], Polina [Queen of Spades/Pique dame], Lola [Cavalleria rusticana], Zita [Gianni Schicchi], Vayia [Constantine Palaiologos], Mother [The mother's ring/Το dakhtylidi tis manas]. She participated in the GNO premieres of George Sklavos’ Lily on seashore [Krino sto akroyiali], Albert Herring, The Child and the Spells [L'enfant et les sortilèges], The consul, Andreas Nezeritis’ Hero and Leander, Julio Cesare (as Cornelia) and The coronation of Poppaea [L'incoronazione di Poppea] (as Ottavia and Arnalta). She passed away on 8 March 2021. // Last update of the biography: March 2021 - The list of productions below is continually updated.