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John Modinos
John Modinos (May 26, 1927 – January 11, 2011) was a Cypriot opera baritone. Life and career In 1927, John Modinos was born in Omodos, a small village in the Troodos Mountains. He had a career that spanned over four decades. His illustrious career in music started in New York after winning "The American Theater Wing Concert Award" with which he made his Recital debut in New York' s Town Hall that had tremendous reviews. His operatic debut was also in New York in Traviata with Beverly Sills. Another singing Award "The American Opera Auditions" brought him to Europe, performing Figaro in Barber of Seville in Milano with sensational notices and Scarpia in Tosca in Florence, Italy with James King as Cavaradosi. The same summer, he performed at the Athens Festival with Teresa Stratas, the world Premiere of the Opera "Nausicaa". Both these events opened the way for world acclamation. With Luciano Pavarotti he had sung many times "Rigoletto" a role that secured for Modenos worldwid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geographically in Western Asia, its cultural ties and geopolitics are overwhelmingly Southern European. Cyprus is the third-largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located north of Egypt, east of Greece, south of Turkey, and west of Lebanon and Syria. Its capital and largest city is Nicosia. The northeast portion of the island is ''de facto'' governed by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was established after the 1974 invasion and which is recognised as a country only by Turkey. The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains include the well-preserved ruins from the Hellenistic period such as Salamis and Kourion, and Cypr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, costume, and sometimes dance or ballet. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor. Although musical theatre is closely related to opera, the two are considered to be distinct from one another. Opera is a key part of the Western classical music tradition. Originally understood as an entirely sung piece, in contrast to a play with songs, opera has come to include numerous genres, including some that include spoken dialogue such as '' Singspiel'' and '' Opéra comique''. In traditional number opera, singers employ two styles of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second A below middle C to the A above middle C (A2 to A4) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of baritone include the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, ''Kavalierbariton'', Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, ''baryton-noble'' baritone, and the bass-baritone. History The first use of the term "baritone" emerged as ''baritonans'', late in the 15th century, usually in French sacred polyphonic music. At this early stage it was frequently used as the lowest of the voices (including the bass), but in 17th-century Italy the term was all-encompassing and used to describe the averag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Omodos
Omodos ( gr, 'Ομοδος) is a village in the Troödos Mountains of Cyprus. It is also located in the Limassol District of Cyprus and is 80 kilometers from the city of Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor .... The village produces much wine and holds a wine festival every August. You can visit a 17th-century stone-built monastery via a cobblestone path and sample local wine for free at many outlets. There are restaurants, traditional tavernas, and modern bars housed in traditional buildings. Gallery Image:OmodosMar152023 05.jpg, The monastery and the surrounding streets Image:Omodos street 2010 6.jpg, Omodos square Image:Omodos street vendor 2010.jpg, Street vendor in Omodos streets Image:Omodos street 2010 4.jpg, Typical streets of Omodos Image:Omodos archwa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Troodos Mountains
Troodos (sometimes spelled Troödos; el, Τρόοδος ; tr, Trodos Dağları) is the largest mountain range in Cyprus, located in roughly the center of the island. Its highest peak is Mount Olympus ( el, Όλυμπος), also known as Chionistra ( el, Χιονίστρα), at , which hosts the Sun Valley and North Face ski areas with their five ski lifts. The Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of Cyprus. There are many mountain resorts, Byzantine monasteries, and churches on mountain peaks, and nestling in its valleys and mountains are villages clinging to terraced hills. The area has been known since antiquity for its mines, which for centuries supplied copper to the entire Mediterranean. In the Byzantine period it became a centre of Byzantine art, as churches and monasteries were built in the mountains, away from the threatened coastline. The mountains are also home to RAF Troodos, a listening post for the NSA and GCHQ. The name ''Troodos'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verdi, she was especially renowned for her performances in coloratura soprano roles in live opera and recordings. Sills was largely associated with the operas of Donizetti, of which she performed and recorded many roles. Her signature roles include the title role in Donizetti's ''Lucia di Lammermoor'', the title role in Massenet's ''Manon'', Marie in Donizetti's ''La fille du régiment'', the three heroines in Offenbach's ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'', Rosina in Rossini's ''The Barber of Seville'', Violetta in Verdi's ''La traviata'', and most notably Elisabetta in Donizetti's ''Roberto Devereux''. ''The New York Times'' noted, In her prime her technique was exemplary. She could dispatch coloratura roulades and embellishments, capped by radiant high Ds and E-flats, with seemin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Opera Auditions
The American Opera Auditions was a non-profit organization located in Cincinnati, Ohio that organized an annual singing contest in both the United States and Italy from 1956-1990. The organization was founded by Cincinnati businessman and philanthropist John L. Magro. Winners of the American Opera Auditions from the United States were afforded the opportunity to study singing in Italy and make their professional European opera debuts at notable Italian opera houses. The Italian winners were afforded the opportunity to study singing in the United States and make their US debut with the Cincinnati Opera during its summer season. Notable winners of the competition include Sharon Azrieli, Gene Boucher, Dominic Cossa, James King, John Modinos, Elizabeth Fischer Monastero, Karen Holvik, Sherill Milnes, Seymour Schwartzman, George Shirley and Carol Toscano Carol Toscano is an American operatic soprano who appeared frequently with a number of prominent American opera companies from 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James King (tenor)
James King (May 22, 1925November 20, 2005) was an American operatic tenor who had an active international singing career in operas and concerts from the 1950s through 2000. Widely regarded as one of the finest American heldentenors of the post-war period, he excelled in performances of the works of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. King made several recording during his career, most notably singing the role of Siegmund in ''Die Walküre'' for Sir Georg Solti's famous recording of Wagner's ''Ring Cycle''. He was a member of the voice faculties at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University. Biography King was born in Dodge City, Kansas, to an Irish father and a mother of German lineage. In his youth he actively sang in church choirs and studied the violin. He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Louisiana State University in 1949, where he trained to be a baritone with Dallas Draper. He then pursued a master's degree in vocal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Teresa Stratas
Teresa Stratas (born May 26, 1938) is a retired operatic soprano from Canada of Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's ''Lulu''. Early life and career Stratas was born Anastasia Stratakis to a struggling immigrant Cretan family in Oshawa, near Toronto, Ontario. At age 13, she performed Greek pop songs on the radio. She graduated from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. At age 20, Stratas made her professional opera debut as Mimì in ''La bohème'' at the Toronto Opera Festival. One year later in 1959, she co-won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, appearing later that year with the Metropolitan Opera as Poussette in ''Manon''. She created the title role in Peggy Glanville-Hicks' ''Nausicaa'' at the Herod Atticus Theatre in Athens in 1961, made her Covent Garden debut as Mimì that same year and in 1962, she made her La Scala debut as Isabella in Manuel de Falla's ''L'Atlántida''. She continued her car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jenny Drivala
Jenny Drivala ( el, Τζένη Δριβάλα; Kalamata, Greece 1957) is a Greek soprano singer. History Drivala studied Byzantine literature at the University of Athens, classical ballet ( Morianova School), acting at the National Theatre School, piano (under Aikis Pandzari and G. Arvanitaki) and singing (under Eirini Lambrinidou and Mireille Flery) at the Athens Conservatory. She completed her musical studies at the University of Bremen under John Modinos (1980). She debuted in the title role of Donizetti's ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' at the Greek National Opera and at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Italy in 1983. From 1982 to 2007 she interpreted leading roles in approximately twenty operas: ''La traviata'', ''Rigoletto'', and ''L'Assedio di Corinto'' as Greek National Opera premieres, ''Attila'', ''Anna Bolena'', ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', and '' Die sieben Todsünden'' as Greek National Opera premieres, ''Die Zauberflöte'', ''La bohème'', ''Pagliacci'', ''Les contes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates and is the capital of the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence beginning somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state. It was a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, and the home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political influence on the European continent—particularly Ancient Rome. In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the Geography of Greece, mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, featuring List of islands of Greece, thousands of islands. The country consists of nine Geographic regions of Greece, traditional geographic regions, and has a population of approximately 10.4 million. Athens is the nation's capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras. Greece is considered the cradle of Western culture, Western civilization, being the birthplace of Athenian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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