The 1st Golfo Festival 2024 and the “Ellinikon Eidyllion” Music and Cultural Center, in collaboration with the Deputy Mayor's Office for Public Relations, Communication, and Protocol – Events of the Municipality of Aegialia, are organizing a unique evening of lyrical song and piano works.
The distinguished soloists Kristina Šop (lyrical soprano) and Ingrid Zacharias (mezzo-soprano) will perform an exceptional program, which includes love songs from the wider lyrical repertoire, as well as songs of Greek interest.
They are accompanied by the renowned pianist Wolfgang Kraemer, who also presents solo pieces for piano.
The evening opens with the Aegialia Children's and Youth Choir and the Aegialia Mixed Choir, conducted by pianist and conductor Bessy Nassi.
The evening's program will be presented by journalist Eleftheria Stergiopoulou.
Biographies
Kristina Šop (lyric soprano)
Kristina Šop is a classically trained singer from Croatia with a wide repertoire that includes opera, concerts, musicals, and jazz. Today, she sees herself as a bridge between classical and popular music, seeking to break down the rigid structures of classical music and bring it closer to the general public. Her innovative crossover project includes songs composed especially for her, as well as modern arrangements of classical works.
Her personal story adds greater depth to her mission of making classical music accessible to everyone. Despite the difficulties she faced, Kristina managed, through hard work and dedication, to complete her music studies and devote herself fully to her art. As the child of immigrants who found her way into classical music despite financial difficulties and a lack of family support, her commitment to promoting music to a wider audience is even more admirable. Kristina Šop is a living example of how music can bridge barriers and bring people together.
She is aware of the criticism her new song may provoke. Transforming an aria by a famous composer such as Giacomo Puccini is risky and may provoke reactions. However, with her exceptional musicality and knowledge, Kristina feels confident that she can withstand the criticism. Her artistic integrity and deep understanding of music allow her to venture down new paths, even if it means transcending traditional boundaries.
https://www.kristinasop.com/en/index.html
Ingrid Zacharias (mezzo-soprano)
Ingrid Zacharias was born in Vienna and studied musicology (LMU) in Munich, followed by folk music at the Richard Strauss Conservatory, specializing in accordion and violin with Antal Veress. She was also able to take singing lessons with Hanno Blaschke as a guest student at the University of Music and continued her singing training privately. Ingrid Zacharias works as a music teacher at the Municipal School of Singing and Music in Penzberg.
She plays the violin in various orchestras and leads the folk choir at the Munich Adult Education Center. In addition to her active work as a contralto in church music, she has given many recitals and participates as a singer in various musical projects.
Wolfgang Kraemer (pianist)
Wolfgang Kraemer received piano lessons from his father (a music teacher) at the age of six. He studied at the vocational music school in Krumbach/Swabia with P. Kovac, piano. In 1992, he received his degree as a state-certified music teacher.
In 1993, he received his diploma from the Munich University of Music. He continued his studies with Professor Ansgar Janke, Munich (piano), Professor Herbert Roth, Würzburg (vocal accompaniment), and J.P. Schulze (vocal accompaniment, piano, and chamber music). Teaching activity: since 2015 at the Karlsfeld Music School near Munich. Concerts in Germany, Spain, Greece, Russia, and China (tour with the Tölzer Boys' Choir).
