Greek born soprano / voice-over artist Vassia Zacharopoulou follows a diverse career that finds her performing at opera houses and concert halls, voicing characters in foreign language and animated films, and recording contemporary music.
Born in Athens, Vassia studied piano and ballet before embarking on a career as a singer. She received her vocal performance diploma with distinction and first prize award from the National Conservatory of Athens. She completed her studies as a member of the Greek National Opera Studio where she performed the role of Clarice in Galuppi’s L’amante di tutte on the Grand Finale staged production.
In 2011 she debuted at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival holding the leading role of Rika in Sakellaridis’ Greek operetta Daughter of the Storm. Later that year she becomes part of the casting database of Cirque du Soleil artists.
At the age of 23 she made her debut role at the Greek National Opera as the Swan Princess in the children’ s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan by N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Since then, she held the leading roles in several children’s opera productions of GNO including Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel (Gretel) and Barab’s Little Red Riding Hood (title role). In 2013 she performed the leading role of Princess in the newly composed children’s opera Beware! The Prince is Messy by N. Kypourgos, which was presented for the first time at the Greek National Opera. The performance turned out to be a tremendous success and was repeated the next season as well. The studio recording of the opera was released at the same time by Mikri Arktos Records.
In 2014 she won the Song Prize at the 14th International Operatic Competition Marie Kraja at Tirana, Albania. The 2014/15 season saw many role engagements for Vassia: as Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Vespetta (Pimpinone) and Toula (The Murderess), all in new productions in the Greek National Opera, and a debut as Lola, the leading role in Sakellaridis’ operetta Pic Nic with Camerata Armonia Atenea conducted by George Petrou. Her performance of Lola got much acclaim with excellent reviews.
“We were delighted to hear one of the most talented lyric artists of the younger generation, Vassia Zacharopoulou as Lola, with an excellent youthful voice and effortless stage presence” [KATHIMERINI]
The season 2016/17, she meets again with George Petrou and Camerata Armonia Atenea to perform the role of Rosalia at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival production of Bernstein’s musical West Side Story, directed by John Todd. On June 2017, she makes her debut at the Greek National Theater in a totally different theatrical form, ancient musical comedy. She interprets Coryphaeus / Daughter A’ in Aristophanes’ Peace, a musical adaptation of the original masterpiece with music composed by Nikos Kypourgos performed at the historical Ancient Theater of Epidaurus.
Vassia began the season 2017/18 singing the leading role of the Firebird at the Greek National Opera’s production Prince Ivan and the Firebird, a new work commissioned by the GNO’s Alternative Stage to the leading composer and director Thodoris Ambazis. On the concert stage, she sings as a guest artist at the concert Night for Beijing which was held at Pallas Theatre in honor of the President of the People’s Republic of China, accompanied by China’s Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra.
The season 2018/19, she participated in two theatrical plays: Terrence Mc Nally’s famous Masterclass as Sophia de Palma, and Xenia Kalogeropoulou’s The Slave’s child theatrical play for children, where she is called once more to perform Nikos Kypourgos’ music. Her season concluded singing Cupid in a new production of Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers, which was staged at the newly renovated Olympia Theatre celebrating the re-operation of Athens’ historical first opera theatre.
Vassia starts the current season 2019/20 at the Greek National Opera singing Eliza Doolittle in Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Later in the season, she sings the part of Gilda in G. Kouroupos’ newly written opera Leporella which will be staged at GNO’s Alternative Stage on January 2020. Also in this season she returns to Olympia Theatre as Cupid in Orphée aux Enfers.
On the concert stage, Vassia has been a soloist in oratorios and cantatas by Bach, in Charpentier’s Te Deum, Mozart’s Requiem, Lully’s Te Deum, Scarlatti’s La Giuditta and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Among other, her career includes performances of musical theater roles, chamber music, film music, contemporary works and song cycles by composers such as K. Weil, M. Theodorakis, M. Hadjidakis, N. Kypourgos, Sh. Umebayashi, D. Brossé, M. Plessas.
Described as a “multi-tasking soprano“, Vassia Zacharopoulou also provides her voice for dubbed foreign language and animated films as a voice-over actress and singer. Her projects include among others: Mary Poppins returns 2018 (Mary Poppins), Frozen Fever 2015 (Anna), Frozen 2013 (Anna), , Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return 2013 (China Princess), The Muppets 2011 (Mary), Disney Princess Enchanted Tales 2007 (Princess Aurora Sleeping Beauty), commercials, text-to-speech, e-learning, audiobooks, IVR and other. Since 2011 she is Mattel’s official singing voice of Barbie in Greece. She is mostly known for her interpretation as Anna (voice & singing voice) in the greek dubbed version of Disney’s biggest success Frozen.