| BIOGRAPHY |
| OLGA BAKALI |
DRAMATIC SOPRANO
The young dramatic soprano Olga Bakali was born in Athens, Greece, where she began her musical training as a pianist. At the age of fourteen, she was awarded first
prize at the Greek Competition “Filon” for piano. It was at this time that her unique vocal abilities were discovered and she began serious vocal studies with Barbara
Gavakou at the Glyfada Conservatory of Music in Athens where in 1991, she received her diploma with honors. She continued her studies under the noted Greek
baritone Kostas Paskalis and Mme. Gavakou. A recipient of grants and scholarships from the European Community, she participated in master classes at the Athenaeum
Cultural Center under the tutelage of such distinguished artists as Ileana Cotrubas, Jeanette Pilou, Luigi Alva, and Maestro Paskalis. In 1996, she received her second
diploma in piano from the Greek Conservatory of Music in Athens, again with honors.
Olga Bakali was a prizewinner and scholarship recipient at the Francisco Vinas World Competition at 1991 in Barcelona. In 1994, she represented Greece at the
Competition for Wagnerian Voices, held annually in Bayreuth. She was awarded an artists grant from the Fulbright Foundation in 1996. This enabled her to come in
New York ,and during that time also to receive a grant from the Evangelos Simigiatos Foundation.
During these years, her performing career blossomed. An early debut with the National Opera of Greece at 1991, was followed in other theaters with leading roles in
staged and concert opera. Among them Respighi’s rarely staged opera Maria Egiziaca. Her 1992 debut at the Megaron Theater in Athens was in a fully staged Elektra in
which Hildegard Behrens sang the title role with the Dresden Philharmonic. In 1993, she debuted at the Athens Festival with the National Opera of Greece, as the
Priestess in Aida in a production that featured Maria Dragoni and Giuseppe Giacomini. In 1996, she sang in a concert sponsored by the Jose Carreras Foundation for
Leukemia Research. Since her arrival in the United States, Miss Bakali has given a number of concerts, including a joint recital in New York with the bass Dimitri
Kavrakos.
The summer of 1999 brought a great personal and artistic triumph with Olga Bakali’s debut in South America. She was invited to replace Aprile Millo in performances of
Gomes rarely heard opera "Lo Schiavo", under the auspices of the Opera do Brasil, she sang performances of the lead soprano role, Ilara, at the Teatro Municipal’s of Rio
de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and throughout the major cities of Brazil, including Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Belem and Sao Luis. These appearances were also accompanied by a
series of joint and solo recitals throughout Brazil.
Engagements during the 2000-2001 season included her return to the Greek National Opera in Nabucco as Fenena , and her participation at a Gala for the New Jersey
State Opera .
In 2002 she sang in a series of recitals in Brasil, including a recital at the famous Teatro Sao Pedro in the city of Sao Paolo.
For the season 2004-2005 she was featured as Santuzza at the opera Cavalleria Rusticana at the Regina Opera , as Aida in 2 concerts of Aida highlights with the
Harrisburg Opera Association, recitals in two cities in Brasil and a concert performance of Rossini's Stabat Mater.
In the current season she has already been featured in concerts with the New Jersey State Opera Guild, the Opera of the Hamptons where she was awarded the Young
Artist Franco Gentilesca Award, the Hawthorne Symphony Orchestra and other concert venues.
In the season 2006-2007 her engagements included her fisrt Amelia in Ballo in Maschera and her first Tosca with the Opera of Hamptons and the Hawthorne Symphony
Orchestra.
In the 2008 season she was featured as Giocasta in the rarely heard opera of Leoncavallo Edipo Re at the Opera of Thessaloniki as also as her first Donna Anna in Don
Giovanni.
The current season she will be featured at a concert with her husband bass Luiz-Ottavio Faria in Athens Greece, as also in USA in a series of concerts.
prize at the Greek Competition “Filon” for piano. It was at this time that her unique vocal abilities were discovered and she began serious vocal studies with Barbara
Gavakou at the Glyfada Conservatory of Music in Athens where in 1991, she received her diploma with honors. She continued her studies under the noted Greek
baritone Kostas Paskalis and Mme. Gavakou. A recipient of grants and scholarships from the European Community, she participated in master classes at the Athenaeum
Cultural Center under the tutelage of such distinguished artists as Ileana Cotrubas, Jeanette Pilou, Luigi Alva, and Maestro Paskalis. In 1996, she received her second
diploma in piano from the Greek Conservatory of Music in Athens, again with honors.
Olga Bakali was a prizewinner and scholarship recipient at the Francisco Vinas World Competition at 1991 in Barcelona. In 1994, she represented Greece at the
Competition for Wagnerian Voices, held annually in Bayreuth. She was awarded an artists grant from the Fulbright Foundation in 1996. This enabled her to come in
New York ,and during that time also to receive a grant from the Evangelos Simigiatos Foundation.
During these years, her performing career blossomed. An early debut with the National Opera of Greece at 1991, was followed in other theaters with leading roles in
staged and concert opera. Among them Respighi’s rarely staged opera Maria Egiziaca. Her 1992 debut at the Megaron Theater in Athens was in a fully staged Elektra in
which Hildegard Behrens sang the title role with the Dresden Philharmonic. In 1993, she debuted at the Athens Festival with the National Opera of Greece, as the
Priestess in Aida in a production that featured Maria Dragoni and Giuseppe Giacomini. In 1996, she sang in a concert sponsored by the Jose Carreras Foundation for
Leukemia Research. Since her arrival in the United States, Miss Bakali has given a number of concerts, including a joint recital in New York with the bass Dimitri
Kavrakos.
The summer of 1999 brought a great personal and artistic triumph with Olga Bakali’s debut in South America. She was invited to replace Aprile Millo in performances of
Gomes rarely heard opera "Lo Schiavo", under the auspices of the Opera do Brasil, she sang performances of the lead soprano role, Ilara, at the Teatro Municipal’s of Rio
de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and throughout the major cities of Brazil, including Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Belem and Sao Luis. These appearances were also accompanied by a
series of joint and solo recitals throughout Brazil.
Engagements during the 2000-2001 season included her return to the Greek National Opera in Nabucco as Fenena , and her participation at a Gala for the New Jersey
State Opera .
In 2002 she sang in a series of recitals in Brasil, including a recital at the famous Teatro Sao Pedro in the city of Sao Paolo.
For the season 2004-2005 she was featured as Santuzza at the opera Cavalleria Rusticana at the Regina Opera , as Aida in 2 concerts of Aida highlights with the
Harrisburg Opera Association, recitals in two cities in Brasil and a concert performance of Rossini's Stabat Mater.
In the current season she has already been featured in concerts with the New Jersey State Opera Guild, the Opera of the Hamptons where she was awarded the Young
Artist Franco Gentilesca Award, the Hawthorne Symphony Orchestra and other concert venues.
In the season 2006-2007 her engagements included her fisrt Amelia in Ballo in Maschera and her first Tosca with the Opera of Hamptons and the Hawthorne Symphony
Orchestra.
In the 2008 season she was featured as Giocasta in the rarely heard opera of Leoncavallo Edipo Re at the Opera of Thessaloniki as also as her first Donna Anna in Don
Giovanni.
The current season she will be featured at a concert with her husband bass Luiz-Ottavio Faria in Athens Greece, as also in USA in a series of concerts.
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