Kassandra
Pablo Ortiz / Sergio Blanco

Kassandra

Pablo Ortiz / Sergio Blanco

Available for on-demand streaming from December 25, 2024, to August 25, 2025.

On https://www.nationalopera.gr/GNOTV

Ticket: 5€
Opera

The daring, contemporary chamber opera Kassandra by the distinguished Argentinian composer Pablo Ortiz and a libretto by the renowned Uruguayan dramaturg Sergio Blanco. -a commission and co-production of the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera and the Centro de Experimentación of the prestigious Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. -is coming to your screens via GNO TV.

Blanco's monologue Kassandra was transformed into an opera and successfully staged under the musical direction of Nicolas Vassiliou and the direction of Diana Theocharidis and Alexandros Efklidis. The leading role was performed by the transgender soprano María Castillo de Lima, a phenomenal vocal talent, with musicians from the Ergon Ensemble.

In this work, Kassandra, destined to wander at night on the outskirts of an anonymous city in search of clients, blends the terrible with the sublime, the profane with the sacred, the contemporary with the ancient, and the myth with the present. She also pairs the dramaturg's aesthetic with the composer's, illustrating their joint work on the ever-shifting interplay of past, present, and future. Although so far apart, these universes are included in a single space, according to the directorial concept of Diana Theocharidis and Alexandros Efklidis.

"I am not a man, I am not a woman, I am Kassandra."

Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco, one of the most fascinating and intriguing voices in the contemporary global theatre scene, wrote Kassandra in Athens in 2008. Inspired by the legend of Kassandra, he wrote a heart-wrenching monologue. In this modern adaptation, the famous heroine from Troy is transformed into a transgender immigrant. Feeling like a foreigner in her own body, she tells her story in broken English, expressing her feelings of solitude, isolation, and the desire to be understood.

The play had an amazing run, showcased over thirty times across five continents. It was held in various venues, from alternative theaters to prestigious stages like Le Palais des Papes in Avignon, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Greek National Opera.

The chamber opera Kassandra carries the signature of the award-winning Argentinian composer Pablo Ortiz, who is a professor of composition and music theory at the University of California, Davis, and has made a significant contribution to modern music. The opera was tailored to the unique voice of transgender soprano Maria Castillo de Lima, famous for her groundbreaking career in the sphere of opera.

Buenos Aires - Athens

The opera Kassandra's stage direction is credited to Diana Theocharidis, a Greek individual who currently resides and works in Buenos Aires, and Alexandros Efklidis. The two directors have created a performance about the modern challenges of identity and acceptance, telling the story of a woman who possesses the gift of prophecy but is condemned not to be believed by anyone.

From Tenor to Soprano

The operatic role of Kassandra found its perfect embodiment in the Brazilian transgender soprano Maria Castillo de Lima, a performer with an exceptionally wide vocal range. Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, she moved to Argentina, where she carved out a career in music. Although she was initially singing in the tenor range, she switched to soprano after her gender transition, becoming the first transgender singer to perform as a soprano at the historical Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

Her career is marked by her extraordinary vocal skills and persistence, which make her a source of inspiration for the transgender community. Despite her humble beginnings - her father was a construction worker, and her mother used to sing at the church - Maria started learning music at an early age, and was even given the nickname "Little Mozart" due to her exceptional music skills. She joined the choir of the Teatro Colón as a tenor in 2010 and later transitioned to soprano in 2019, an achievement that marked both her personal and professional trajectory.

Conductor: Nicolas Vassiliou
Stage directors: Diana Theocharidis, Alexandros Efklidis
Set and lighting designer: Gonzalo Córdova
Costume designer: Luciana Gutman

In the role of Kassandra María Castillo de Lima

With the participation of musicians from Ergon ensemble: Kostas Tzekos (bass clarinet), Charalampos Taliadouros (percussion), Konstantinos Pangiotidis (violin), Dimitris Travlos (violoncello)

With a 5-euro ticket, viewers can enjoy this production from the comfort of their homes at tv.nationalopera.gr/en, at any time they choose, on their computer, ipad, TV or mobile phones. The ticket offers the possibility to access the performance for an unlimited number of times over the course of a 30-day period starting from the first streaming.

The funding body of the project is the Ministry of Culture, within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan "Greece 2.0" with funding from the European Union - NextGeneration EU.

Lead Donor of the Greek National Opera and Founding Donor of the GNO TV

Stavros Niarchos Foundation