Maria Soulis

Toronto-born mezzo-soprano Maria Soulis enjoys an exciting career in both Canada and Europe. She began her European career as a principal artist with the Regensburg Opera in Germany, later performing the roles of Adalgisa (Norma), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Nicklausse (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Orfeo (Orfeo), and Dido (Dido and Aeneas), La Périchole (La Périchole), Mrs. Grose (The Turn of the Screw), Néris (Médée), and Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos) in theatres throughout Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

A familiar artist on many European stages, Ms. Soulis has sung the roles Madame de la Haltière in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Olga (Eugene Onegin) with the Orquestra Gulbenkian in Lisbon, as well as Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte) in Montpellier. She enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate her Greek heritage when she appeared as soloist in Theodorakis’s ballet Zorba in Metz, Toulon and Nice.

Her voice has been praised internationally by reviewers who have described it as “warm and powerful” and “gorgeous, dusky toned” as well as “full of warmth and drama” with “a ruby red timbre”.

As a concert singer in Europe, Ms. Soulis has interpreted many of Gustav Mahler’s great orchestral song cycles: Rückert Lieder, Das Lied von der Erde, and Symphony No. 8 with the Philharmonisches Orchester Regensburg as well as Kindertotenlieder with the Mährische Philharmonie.

In Canada, Maria Soulis has appeared as a soloist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, (Kingston Symphony and Windsor Symphony), Dvorak’s Requiem (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony), Mendelssohn’s Elijah (Chorus Niagara) and an Opera Gala with the Elora Festival. The 2012 season marked her debut with Thirteen Strings as Cornelia in Handel’s Giulio Cesare.

As a Composition graduate of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto Ms. Soulis is highly valued as an interpreter of contemporary works, notably with Tapestry Opera as Clara in The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G. (Gervais/ Murphy). Most recently Ms. Soulis sang several roles in a concert performance of Laura Secord: an Opera, composed by Mark Richards for Music Niagara.

An avid recitalist, Ms. Soulis has an extensive song repertoire that spans the English, French, Spanish and German languages. Her love of chamber music inspired her to form the Maria Soulis Trio, with guitarist William Beauvais and violinist/violist Julian Knight. Their inaugural programme, “From Greece to Granada – pathways in song”, was warmly received at Heliconian Hall in Toronto Performances in 2014 include St. John Passion with Thirteen Strings as well as a concert of Vivaldi’s Magnificat and sacred motets with Aradia Ensemble, to be recorded and released on CD by Naxos.