English version

MARILENA ZLATANOU Mezzosoprano / Choral Conductor / Composer

Fjordveien 76, 1450 Nesodden, NORWAY,Tlf. / fax: (00 47) 66 91 16 79 cellphone: 98 81 36 36
website adr.: www.zlatanou.net e-mail marilena@zlatanou.net

Wide-ranging and extensive repertoire both as a singer and as a conductor, spanning from medieval to our own times.

She works with a variety of different instrument combinations depending on the project at hand. Of special interest to her, are works undeservedly "forgotten" and has therefore studied particularly subjects like: WOMEN COMPOSERS Through The Ages, unusual accompagning instrument combinations with the voice like Voice-Harpe, Voice-Violin or Voice a cappella, as well as music from other continents (like african and south american songs, etc.).

The above mentioned, naturally alongside the classical repertoire to piano or classical gitar acc., continuo (for the baroque period) and orchestra for ORATORIO or OPERA parts.
* Composers of different nationalities have written works and dedicated them to her.
* More often than not, she is both soloist and conductor at the same concert.
* She has received excellent reviews both as a singer and a conductor.
* She had her debut as a composer in the spring of 2007 and has had several other performances of her compositions since then.

*She received the Cultural Price of the municipality of Nesodden for 2008:
For more than 25 years she has been an important cultural personality and an inspiration for children and grown-ups as a choir leader, conductor and music teacher alongside her own solo career mostly with song treasures from the medieval period.

New CDs:
O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM: Vocal Italian Baroque Church Music by Women Composers Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Lucrezia Vizzana and Isabella Leonarda. With cembalist / organist Lars H. Johansen. (BD label, 2009)

JEG SYNGER JULEKVAD: Christmas music by B. Britten, D. Buxtehude, J. S. Bach and many more, with the choir CORO MISTO

MARIAM MATREM: Medieval Marian Songs with VOX ANTIQUA, (BD label, 2008)

Short musical examples may be heard under recordings

Please visit also youtube links under compositions

STUDIES

In Greece:Singing, piano and theoretical studies at the State Conservatory in Thessaloniki.
In England: Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London). Singing lessons with bel canto specialist, Myra Ross.
In Norway: Østlandets Musikkonservatorium. Degree in 76 with distinction.
That season she was also a member of the Norwegian Opera Chorus.
   From 76 to 79, student at the National College of Operatic Art, on a full scholarship.
   She has also taken several post-graduate conducting courses.
   Takes composition lessons with Norwegian composer Ragnar Søderlind.

SOLO PERFORMANCES

She has worked as a professional singer since her student days.
Debut-recital in 79.
Numerous radio recordings and TV appearances in Norway and some in England, Holland, Greece etc.
Opera performances, concerts and concert-tours all over Norway.
She has participated in International Music Festivals in Norway, Greece, England, Israel, Latvia, Holland etc.
Wide-ranging and most extensive concert activity.

RECORDINGS

O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM Vocal Italian Baroque Church Music by Women Composers Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Lucrezia Vizzana and Isabella Leonarda. With cembalist / organist Lars H. Johansen. (BD label, 2009)

JEG SYNGER JULEKVAD. With the CORO MISTO choir, a CD of Christmas music with B. Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, D. Buxtehudes In dulci jubilo and other songs by J.S. Bach, E. Grieg, Saint Saëns, K. Nystedt, and more. (2008)

MARIAM MATREM Marian-songs from different manuscripts (cantigas de Santa Maria, Llibre vermeil, laude) and compositions by Hildegard von Bingen, Gautier de Coinci, and st. Godrich.With the medieval music group VOX ANTIQUA, for the Bergen Digital Studio, label. (2008)

With the CORO MISTO choir, a CD with J. S. Bachs "Jesu meine Freude" , choral compositions by renaissance women composers Sulpitia Cesis and Raphaella Aleotta, norwegian composers Eivind Groven, Ketil Bjørnstad og Klaus Egge, as well as the south american composers Alberto Favero and Ernani Aguiar. (2002)

AHI! AMOURS medieval love-songs. With the medieval music group VOX ANTIQUA, with songs by Conon de Bethune, Chatelain de Coucy, Contessa de Dia, Bernart de Ventadorn, Gace Brule, Oswald von Wolkenstein, and more. (2000)

Greek Choral Music Through The Ages. With the ARKADIA choir , mostly comprising of her own choral arrangements, with songs by Hadjidakis, folksongs etc. (1999)

CONTRAST A Solo-recital CD with works by Rossini (Giovanna d' Arco), Brahms (Zigeunerlieder), Ravel (Cinque melodies populaires grecques), Britten (A Charm of Lullabies) and Cecilie Ore (Calliope), with pianist Heather Slade-Lipkin, partly funded by Norsk Kulturråd. (Bergen Digital Studio, label). (1991)

For the Contemporary Music from Norway series, with works by Maj Sønstevold (1978), and Ketil Hvoslef. (1981)

CHAMBER MUSIC

She has appeared with the english baroque ensemble Accademia Arcadiana in Norway and in England.

With HELENA INTERNATIONAL TRIO (voice, flute, harpsichord/piano) and as one of its founders, she has participated in international festivals and held concerts in, among other places, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Purcell Room in London. The trio specialised in music by women composers and performed also for BBC radio.

She is the singer and the leader of VOX ANTIQUA one of the best renowned norwegian groups of MEDIEVAL MUSIC. (please see specific information about the groupe in the menu)

She very often performs baroque-music concerts with period instruments and frequently holds recitals with different accompanying instruments, like the piano or the classical guitar, for ex. (please browse at some specimen programmes in the menu)

CHORAL CONDUCTING

Ever since the beginning of the eighties , she has been very active as a conductor, leading choirs on a regular basis as well as "ad hoc" projects throughout Norway.

In 1997 she took the initiative to form CORO MISTO, a mixed choir of about 25 members, aspiring to present classical as well as seldom performed works of the highest quality.
They have premiered in Norway, E. de Cavalieri’s "Rappresentazione di Anima e di Corpo", Claudio Monteverdi’s complete "Lamento d’Arianna", Hildegard von Bingen’s "Ordo Virtutum", as well as presented world premieres like E. Østergaard’s "From the ninth Duino Elegy" and classical works like J.S. Bach’s "Jesu meine Freude", kantate nr. 150, A. Vivaldi’s "Gloria", "Magnificat", H. Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas", W. A. Mozart's "Messe in B", "Requiem" and other pieces, Franz Liszt's "Via Crucis", " Missa Choralis", B. Britten's "Rejoice In The Lamb", to mention some, alongside other works by A. Bruckner, Fr. Poulenc, Knut Nystedt and many more.

Since 1988 she has been the conductor of ARKADIAKORET (Oslo), a choir specialising in greek music.
They have been performing full scale works like "To axion Esti" by M. Theodorakis, movements and songs by M. Hadjidakis, M. Adamis, J. Markopoulos and other greek composers, as well as folk-songs from all over Greece, Byzantine music and fragments of Ancient Greek music.
They have appeared on radio and TV in Norway and have toured extencively in Greece.
In 1999 they launched a CD with "Greek choir Music from ancient to our own times"
Very often the choir sings Marilena Zlatanou's own choral arrangements.
Since 95 she has conducted youth- and chamber-choir at STEINERSKOLEN I MOSS (a Waldorf school), presenting among other things full scale works like Benjamin Britten’s "Noye’s Fludde", Ch. W. Gluck’s opera "Orpheus", excerpts from Handel’s "Messiah", J. S. Bach’s Kantata nr. 61, Orff's "Carmina Burana", contemporary works especially written for the school, and many other works.

Since the same year she has been teaching singing as well as conducting childrens- and girls-choir at NESODDEN KULTURSKOLE (a council music- and culture-school).

During the last mentioned period she has also conducted other choirs and performed, among other works, G.Rossini’s "Petite Messe Solenelle".

She has also often conducted choir-seminars all over Norway.

EDITIONS
Three of her a cappella (mixed choir) choral arrangemements have been published by NORSK MUSIKFORLAG, also internationally.
1. CODLIBET: A combination of a greek and a norwegian folk-song
2. KALANDASUITE: A suite comprising of 9 christmas songs (duration: ca 10 min.)
3. GREEK SUITE: A suite comprising of 7 songs, all from Macedonia, northern Greece, her place of origin. Duration: ca 25 min.