Mario Zeffiri
Soloist, Tenor
He was born in Athens in 1967. He initially studied law at the University of Athens. He studied on a Maria Callas Foundation scholarship at La Scala Theater Academy and later in Spain under tenor Juan Onsina. He continued studying voice under Bulgarian tenor Peter Gugalov in Berlin. He has sung in major lyric theaters in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, as well as in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Barcelona, Santiago de Chile, Glasgow, Stockholm and Malta. He has sung as guest at major music festivals such as: Salzburg Festival, Ravenna Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, etc. He has collaborated with numerous renowned conductors. He has sung more than 45 starring and key tenor roles, such as: Count Almaviva [The barber of Seville/Il barbiere di Siviglia], Pâris [The beautiful Helen/La belle Hélène], Ramiro [Cinderella/La Cenerentola], Ferrando [Thus do they all/Così fan tutte], Don Ottavio [Don Giovanni], Ernesto [Don Pasquale], Belmonte [The abduction from the Seraglio/Die Entführung aus dem Serail], Fenton [Falstaff], Argirio [Tancredi], Lindoro [The Italian girl in Algiers/L’Italiana in Algeri], Edgardo [Lucia di Lammermoor], Arturo [The puritans/I puritani], Elvino [The sleepwalker/La sonnambula], Narraboth [Salome], Gérald [Lakmé], etc. He also appears as soloist in oratorios and gives recitals with a German and French song repertory. He has collaborated with the Athens State Orchestra (2006/07) and the Athens Concert Hall (2007/08). His performances are available in an increasing number of recordings (CD, DVD). In 2015, he received the title of Kammersänger (singer of outstanding merit) by the foundation Europäische Kulturwerkstatt (EKW). He has appeared at the GNO as Ernesto (Olympia Theater, 2003/04), Count Almaviva (Olympia Theater, 2005/06) etc.