When you can make your dream come true, then reality can open the gates and horizons of a dreamy path, but at the same time painful, like the one that the Cypriot soprano goes through all over the world. Katerina Mina.
Born in Cyprus to father Xanthiotis and mother Cypriot, Katerina Mina is a classical singer, having an international career, based in London and endless appearances around the world. However, it is almost unknown in Greece. The Cypriot soprano impresses with her divine talent on the world music scene, in classical song, piano and opera, having won innumerable distinctions and awards for her brilliant performances, based on her musical studies and a unique, upward artistic course.
Nevertheless, in Greece her appearances are few, few, not even in the special homeland of her father, Xanthi, where she would very much like to sing once. Her last appearance in our country was in 2014, in a double performance, in a tiny space, in Thessaloniki, where she sang Giacomo Pocini’s opera “Il Tabarro” (The Mantle) – mainly to put in her repertoire and biography specific role.
The last time was on August 28, 2013, at the open theater of Kilkis, where he was invited to sing accompanied by a band from Cyprus as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the liberation of the city. A concert that became the occasion to impress the public of the city with the wonderful ballads, unsurpassed melodies and songs of Theodorakis, Hatzidaki and other renowned composers, selections of jazz music and part of the classical repertoire that she supports internationally.
From Asia Minor
THE Katerina Mina was born in Limassol, but grew up in Nicosia. The origin of her ancestors is from Asia Minor. Her grandmother from Smyrna and her grandfather from Kioutacheia (on her father’s side). According to her, this is visible in her DNA as “the smells of oriental food” still affect her, in London where she has lived since she was 18, having of course obtained British citizenship. Her last name is her father’s name, as her real name is Hatziefraimidou.
Her father Minas Chatziefraimidis, a famous photographer in Cyprus, born in Xanthi, met in Athens his later wife Anastasia, during her studies there, and their marriage gave birth to two children: Katerina and George. THE Minas Chatziefraimidis, who in the meantime moved with his wife to Cyprus, before the Turkish invasion, was until his retirement the exclusive artistic photographer of the Cypriot leaders. The Archbishop passed through his studio for the established presidential portraits Makarios, Kyprianou, Glafkos Clerides and Vassilios as well as all political leaders, until his retirement.
THE Katerina Mina was born in Cyprus and London, where he lives, studied voice and piano in Guildhall School of Music & Dramabefore winning awards at Julián Gayarre International Song Contest and to Sacra Music International Vocal Competition. In 2014 he appeared next to the late professor Stephen Hawkingat its closing ceremony STARMUS 2014, of International Astronomy Festivalin the Canary Islands, in Tenerife, in a theatrical masterpiece made by Calatravawhere he performed his music Alexandrou Chahalis and in 2018 opened and closed the ceremony of the First World Light Day Event at the UNESCO Center in Paris, performing songs by the British songwriter Linda Lamon. In fact, it was there that the British rocker saw her artistic talent Rick Wieckmana former member of Yes and other big rock bands, where he had both his own presence and participation in the event. He hugged her in the dressing room with admiration and invited her to collaborate in London. A collaboration in which they managed to give “flesh and bones”, despite the fact that they both serve different types of music.
“Boy girl” in her childhood
THE Katerina Mina Although at the age of 4 she had started ballet lessons and later dance and piano lessons, she was a classic “boy girl” in her childhood, with a constant, in fact, dedication to sports.
She played soccer with the boys and was the class goalkeeper in elementary school, while she also played volleyball, basketball and athletics. In fact, at some point he tried to run a marathon, but it was there that he decided to finish…
Returning to the forefront
The gradual return to normalcy brought her back to the forefront. Thus, the appearance of the Greek Cypriot soprano at the annual dance concert on New Year’s Eve, in the Croatian capital, two months ago, was a really important event for the city and the country. In the Concert Hall Vatroslav Lisinski -with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra- the Katerina Minalike the tenor Roko Radovan“Enchanted” the excited audience, who adored them at the end of the musical performance.
As a teacher he has conducted two school choirs and a number of successful music productions. She is also the Ambassador of the Opera of the Friends of Israel in the United Kingdom and has been awarded the Russian Federation Medal for Peace and Friendship. Last month he will also receive the medal “Ludvig NobelAt the Stockholm Culture Awards.
Recently he implemented a difficult musical project, with a triple dimension. He staged a play entitled “Three women“, Where she played the three different roles: Medea, Antigone and Hecabe. Roles that naturally required in addition to musical knowledge and acting skills. These roles – interpreted by her as a vocalist and an actress – with strong dramatic elements were a real challenge that she fulfilled successfully since, as she told us, she managed to pass her individual temperament to the distribution. She was applauded and is now ready for new challenges. “Music is a great path that has no end. You are evolving and you have to take the risk for something more important and bigger “, stressed Katerina Mina, who loves Greece.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
