| 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 is 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.
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 is 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.
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