Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Κατερίνα Μηνά, Σοπράνο

Η υψίφωνος Κατερίνα Μηνά διαπρέπει στο εξωτερικό
Με έδρα το Λονδίνο, η ελληνοκυπριακής καταγωγής υψίφωνος Κατερίνα Μηνά διαπρέπει και συνάμα τιμά την Κύπρο και την Ελλάδα στο εξωτερικό. Απόφοιτος του Guildhall School of Music & Drama, η Κατερίνα έχει βραβευθεί στους διεθνείς διαγωνισμούς «Julian Gayarre» στην Ισπανία και «Εκκλησιαστικής Μουσικής» στην Ιταλία, ενώ το 2009 της απενεμήθη το βραβείο της «Τραγουδίστριας της χρονιάς» από το γνωστό γαλλικό περιοδικό Madame Figaro.
 
Το ρεπερτόριό της περιλαμβάνει, μεταξύ άλλων, τους ρόλους της Νέντα «Παλιάτσοι» (Kolobov Novaya Opera of Moscow), Δόνα Ελβίρα «Δον Τζιοβάννι» (Staatstheater Cottbus), Βιολέτα «Λα Τραβιάτα» & Φιορντιλίτζι «Έτσι κάνουν όλες» (European Chamber Opera), τοn κύριο ρόλο στη μονόπρακτη όπερα του Πουλένκ «Ανθρώπινη φωνή» (Grimeborn Opera Festival & Παγκόσμιο Φεστιβάλ Μουσικής «ΚΥΠΡΙΑ»), Μιμί «Λα Μποέμ» (British Youth Opera), Βιβίκα «Βαφτιστικός» (Συμφωνική Ορχήστρα Κύπρου), Καρόλκα «Γένουφα» (English Touring Opera) και Μαρία «West Side Story» (Oxford Philomusica).
Ως κοντσερτίστα η Κατερίνα ερμήνευσε μεταξύ άλλων το Ρέκβιεμ του Βέρντι & Εννάτη Συμφωνία του Μπετόβεν στο St. John’s Smith Square, τα ορατόρια του Χάιντ Nelson & Little Organ Masses στο Αββαϊο του Shrewsbury, το Αφρικανικό Sanctus του Ντέιβιντ Φάνσω & Negro Spirituals του Μάικλ Τίπετ στο Μπαχρέïν, το συμφωνικό έργο του Χρήστου Πίττα 1973 στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών, A Midsummer Night’s Dream του Μέντελσον με την Stanley Hall Opera, τη Σκηνή της Βερενίκης του Χάιντν με την ορχήστρα Georgisches Kammerorchester, το ορατόριο της Αλεξάνδρας Σακαλή Λειτουργία κάτω από την Ακρόπολη με την ορχήστρα Oxford Philomusica, το Stabat Mater του Ροσίνι, Συμφωνικά Τραγούδια του Χένρυ Ντουπάρκ και Μιχάλη Χριστοδουλίδη και τα Ορατόρια του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη με τη Συμφωνική Ορχήστρα Κύπρου.
Η Κατερίνα έχει εμφανιστεί ως σολίστ στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, Γερμανία, Φινλανδία, Ιταλία, Γαλλία, Κύπρο, Ελλάδα, Ιαπωνία, Ταïλάνδη και στα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμηράτα, έχει ηχογραφήσει μουσική για το ραδιόφωνο και την τηλεόραση του ΡΙΚ και της ΕΡΤ, και έχει λάβει μέρος στα διεθνή φεστιβάλ μουσικής Grimeborn Festival, London Song Festival και Roman River Festival της Βρετανίας, Παγκόσμιο Φεστιβάλ Μουσικής «ΚΥΠΡΙΑ», Φεστιβάλ «Μανώλης Καλομοίρης» , «Γύρω από το Πιάνο», «Eure poetique et Musicale» κ.ά.
Φιλοξενήθηκε μεταξύ άλλων στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών & Θεσσαλονίκης , St. John’s Smith Square, Hackney Empire, Buxton Opera House, Gasteig στο Μόναχο, Konzerthaus Βερολίνου, Sheldonian Theatre Οξφόρδης, De Montfort Hall , Leighton House Museum, Shrewsbury Abbey, Riverside Studios, Ελληνικό Κέντρο Λονδίνου, «Juhlasali» του Δημοτικού Μεγάρου Ελσίνκι, Les Invalides στο Παρίσι, Ίδρυμα Θεοχαράκη και σε όλα τα μεγάλα θέατρα της Κύπρου.
Η Κατερίνα Μηνά αντιπροσώπευσε την Κύπρο στους επίσημους εορτασμούς για την ένταξη της Κύπρου στην Ευρωπαïκή Ένωση και για την προσχώρηση της Κύπρου στην Ευρωζώνη. Την 1η Οκτωβρίου 2010, η Κατερίνα τραγούδησε τον «Ύμνο για την Κύπρο» σε μουσική του Ρόμαν Καριόλου και στίχους της Νεσέ Γιασίν, στους επίσημους εορτασμούς των 50 Χρόνων της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας. Το υπέροχο αυτό κομμάτι υιοθέτησαν οι Κυπριακές Αερογραμμές στα αεροπλάνα τους κατά την ώρα της υποδοχής και αποχώρησης των επιβατών.

Πρόσφατα κυκλοφόρησε το πρώτο CD της Κατερίνας, με τα 17 Πολωνικά Τραγούδια του Σοπέν και τον κύκλο τραγουδιών του Σούμαν Η Ζωή και η Αγάπη της Γυναίκας, σε συνεργασία με την πιανίστα Έλενα Μουζάλα. Το CD είναι παραγωγή της δισκογραφικής εταιρείας IRIDA Classical. Επίσης, η Κατερίνα ηχογράφησε πρόσφατα τα ‘Απαντα της Αλεξάνδρας Σακαλή με τον πιανίστα/μαέστρο Μάριο Παπαδόπουλο. Το 2014, η Κατερίνα, μεταξύ άλλων, θα ερμηνεύσει το ρόλο της Κουπάβα από την όπερα του Ρίμσκι-Κόρσακοφ The Snowmaiden, σε μια παραγωγή που θα παρουσιαστεί στο Θέατρο Bloomsbury στο Λονδίνο, θα επιστρεψει στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών σε ρεσιτάλ τραγουδιού με την πιανίστα Έλενα Μουζάλα σε έργα Καλομοίρη και Στυλιανού και θα εμφανιστεί με την Συμφωνική Ορχήστρα Κύπρου σε έργα του Χάüντν και Μότζαρτ.

PRESS REVIEWS:
Elle /La Voix Humaine / Grimeborn Opera Festival

‘The casting of Katerina Mina is perfect. She is young, elegant, and her singing is superb’.
Tom Aitken – Plays to See

‘Soprano Katerina Mina is beautiful and thoroughly convincing as the heartbroken heroine. Even to someone who can only pick up the word ‘rien’, it is captivating’.
Carmel Doohan – Exeunt Magazine
Donna Elvira / Don Giovanni / Bahrain

‘Leading an outstanding cast, Katerina Mina made a welcome return to Bahrain to sing an stupendous Donna Elvira and her interaction with Jonathan Sells’ Leporello made his Madamina, il catalogo è questo all the more fun’.
George Younis

WYSO Gala Concert / Wakefield Cathedral
‘The beauty in Katerina Mina’s voice and the grand surroundings of Wakefield Cathedral mingled to produce a very special performance which was warmly appreciated by the audience’.
Wakefield Internet Learning Domaine
David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus / Manama Singers Bahrain

‘The surprise of the evening was the soloist, Soprano Katerina Mina. She appeared on the stage like a little sparrow and proceeded to sing with aplomb and joy de vie [sic]. She added layers of depth and visualisation to the work that any singer coming after her will be hard put to replicate…’
Christine Hasan – Gulf Weekly

‘Katerina went on to sing superbly in ‘African Sanctus’, soaring over the choir with perfect empathy, in her rich, operatic tones. She was a joy to work with!…’
Conductor, Alistair Auld – Bahrain

Sibelius song cycle Op.90, Michaelides songs / 'Juhlasali' at Helsinki City Hall
‘Katerina Miná is a pearl. Her mature voice has a given place in any Music
Hall. I hope we listen to her often in Finland’.
Göran Stenius, Helsinki
Recital with pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips / Roman River Festival / Colchester
Sublime recital left us spellbound. Katerina Mina – a consummate musician
‘The programme gave Katerina Mina and Simon C-P ample scope to display their consummate musicianship. A deeply passionate vocal sound was enhanced by block chords and rippling figures. Liszt’s Oh! quand je dors was sublimely lyrical and Bizet’s Ouvre ton Coeur quite thrilling. The performers excelled themselves after the interval with a heartfelt account of Schumann’s bitter-sweet song cycle Frauenliebe und Leben. Ms Mina was entirely convincing as the protagonist and had the audience with her every step of the way as she grew from an excited lovesick young maiden, into a contended and devoted wife and other. Her final song portraying total desolation on the death of her beloved was truly breathtaking. The closing bars were exquisitely executed and left the audience spellbound’.
Jackie Wallace, Colchester News
Leicester Symphony Orchestra / Valentine’s Day Gala, De Montford Hall
‘The rich voices of soprano Katerina Miná and tenor James Edwards brought to life such delights as Dvorak's Song to the Moon... The two voices were well matched as duettists in Puccini's O Soave Fanciulla and Lloyd Webber's All I Ask of You’.
Peter Collett, The Leicester Mercury

Elle / La Voix Humaine / Kypria International Music Festival 2009
‘The most successful part of the evening was the “lyrique tragedy in one act” – La Voix Humaine… It is an extremely affecting and poignant work which is extremely taxing and demanding on the performer, both musically and dramatically. Mina gave an emotional reading of the call and ably moved through the heart rending panic, desolation and emotional turbulence of Elle. The interruptions of the crossed line were dramatic and her distraught feelings well portrayed.
Saskia Constantinou – Cyprus Mail
 

Mimi / La Bohème / European Chamber Opera, Qanat al Qasbat
‘The opulent-voiced Katerina Miná thoroughly inhabited Mimi in an emotionally convincing performance. She wowed audiences with both the beauty of her voice and the depth of her characterization’.
GoDubai News

Fiordiligi / Cosi Fan Tutte / Minautor Musical Theatre, London
‘Vocal standards matched up to the acting; I was particularly impressed by Katerina Miná, who produced one of the best Come scoglios I've heard from a singer of her age and by Richard Rowe as a meltingly romantic Ferrando’.
Serena Fenwick, Musical Pointers

Series of concerts in Norwich / ETHOL
‘…But the height of them was undoubtedly the discovery of soprano Katerina Mina, with a dark, ravishingly beautiful soprano voice. Her first song drew a storm of applause and each song thereafter had the same breathing sense of theatre, of ancient yearning and tragedy’.
Eastern Daily Press (Norfolk and Norwich)

Recital with pianist Anthony Legge / Leighton House Museum
‘A capacity audience had turned up to fill the elegant recital studio at Leighton House and there was buzz of excitement in the air as we waited to hear this attractive young soprano, in what proved to be a most enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Katerina has one of those clear-as-a-bell soprano voices, displayed with great charm to the top of the register, and with generous volume... In the second half of the programme, attention turned to the world of opera, with a selection of arias ranging from Mozart to Puccini. These are testing pieces for a young singer, especially when she has to tackle five big arias in rapid succession, and I was impressed by the style and contrasting moods with which Katerina presented them. I particularly enjoyed her extract from Adriana Lecouvreur and she exactly caught the wistful longing of Weber’s heroine, Agathe, and look forward to hearing her again’.
Serena Fenwick, Musical Pointers

Scena di Berenice / The Georgian Chamber Orchestra, Ingolstadt
‘The Georgian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Markus Poschner, in its last concert ‘The new Europe’, succeeded in approaching this attractive country in a musical way. Both the young talented pianist Irma Issakadze and the soprano Katerina Mina who was born in Cyprus played a role in this. The last dominated with the cantata ‘Berenice che fai’ (a dramatic love song), composed by Haydn. The smooth and resplendent sound of her voice, as well as the sensual and comparably expressive performed sections interweaved with the dynamic, precisely harmonized sounds of the orchestra’.

Johannes Seifert, Ingolstadt News

Leicester Symphony Orchestra / Opera Gala, De Montford Hall
‘The two soloists, Katerina Mina (soprano) and Dominic Natoli (tenor) were superb, both individually and as a duet’.
The Leicester Mercury

Maria / West Side Story / Oxford Philomusica, Nicosia Municipal Theatre
‘The first half of the program would have been enough to send us all home delighted, but there was much more to come: West Side Story which brought with it yet another revelation in the young soprano Katerina Mina. She is sensational and her faultless rendering of Bernstein’s classic songs ‘Somewhere’ and ‘I Feel Pretty’ almost brought the house down. Mina is obviously a major talent that we shall be hearing much more of’.


The Cyprus Weekly
Karolka / Jenufa / English Touring Opera, Wolverhampton and Perth
‘Katerina Mina’s ghastly Karolka was a fine characterization…’
Barry Tone, Primi Divi

‘His wife (Penny Ormerod) and daughter (Katerina Mina) look and sound related and are suitably patronizing of Jenufa’.
Catriona Graham, Perth News

Nedda / I Pagliacci / Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow
‘Greek-Cypriot Soprano Katerina Mina gave a good vocal rendition of Nedda as well as displaying her natural acting abilities – her ease and comfort on the stage visible and convincing, her high notes were all well pitched and nicely rounded’.
Saskia Constantinou, The Cyprus Mail

Concert ‘FOR THE LOVE OF LIFE’ / pianist Anthony Legge, PASYDY Auditorium
‘Katerina Mina, who honours our country with her artistic and charity action, and accomplished Britsh tenor James Edwards performed successfully O Soave Fanciulla... The culmination of the programme was their duet Vogliatemi Bene from Madama Butterfly. Katerina Mina deserved the audience's prolonged applause which prompted her to perform yet another piece, this time the non-operatic but, nonetheless, captivating song Hartino to Feggaraki by Manos Hadjidakis, to receive yet another hearty acclamation from the audience…

Katerina Mina was, nevertheless the performer who deservedly earned the audience's enthusiasm, who more than ever excelled herself with her beauty, imposing presence and technical training, her interpretation and resplendent voice. If she can successfully perform arias immortalised by the performances of great artists, such as Maria Callas, before the audience and evoke such enthusiasm, this could only mean that our Cypriot star is rising high the firmament of art'.
Donis Christofinis, Haravgi Newspaper

Celebratory Concert for Launching the Euro / Symphonic works Helen and Rime d’Amore by Christos Pittas / Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, Nicosia Municipal Theatre
‘Soprano Katerina Miná not only looked beautiful, but sang beautifully too. Her voice had pathos and negotiated the high lying writing skilfully, never losing the diction, so important in this work (Symphonic Poem Helen for soprano and orchestra). The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra showed incredible teamwork under Baltas and together with Katerina Miná, tenor Nikos Stefanou, baritone Kyros Patsalides and troubadour Alkinoos Ioannidis gave a solid performance of the Rime d'Amore (world-premiere)’.
Saskia Constantinou, The Cyprus Mail

LMS INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL / pianist Nicolas Constantinou, PASYDY Auditorium

‘Greek-Cypriot soprano Katerina Mina sang Sibelius and Grieg in Swedish and Norwegian having received intensive training in both languages to reach this high performance level. She has a richly varied voice, and handled these fiendishly difficult songs ably. The highlight of the evening was Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben. Katerina, with her cultivated dramatic sense and her no-holds-barred passion made something special of this poignant cycle. These songs need a light, deft touch and her young soprano voice was suited to the young girl, bride, mother and widow of the cycle. Her delivery of the German words was very responsive, with her voice retaining its rich, warm, and luminous tone. The narrative line was sustained through the eight songs, with the anticipation leading from joy to ecstasy, to the final aching grief’.
Saskia Constantinou, The Cyprus Mail

Recital of Schubert Lieder / Poems by Goethe and Müller, PASYDY Auditorium
‘Nicosia’s music lover public had a unique opportunity to enjoy an excellent recital. With her interpretative power, her serious approach towards the art, her expressive power and above all her beautiful voice Katerina Mina succeeded in making it possible for most of us, who do not understand the German language, to participate in high art.

Using stage acting and phonetic plasticity, Katerina Mina successfully expressed the spiritual transitions and nuances of feelings from joy to sadness, nostalgia, melancholy, daydreaming and hope… This recital was another step in Ms Mina’s successful course towards the top of the art. With her rich qualifications, her talent and her continuous serious and intensive practice, it is certain that her star will reach the highest point, for her own artistic consummation and for Cyprus’.
Donis Christofinis, Haravgi Newspaper

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much dearest Phivo for writing about me!!