Bio
The Greek soprano and pianist Maria Skandalidou was born in Thessaloniki into a musical family.
She began piano studies at the age of nine at the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi with Erieta Alakiozidou, with whom she obtained her diploma in 2016 with the highest distinction. At the age of seventeen she started singing lessons with Sophia Kyanidou and was later admitted to the Faculty of Musicology and Arts of the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, where she studied Voice in the class of Angeliki Kathariou, graduating with honors (2011–2016). From 2017 to 2020 she pursued advanced vocal studies with the international soloist and professor Manuela Uhl at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, graduating with distinction. During her studies she was awarded a scholarship from the Possehl Institut.
Her mentors include Angelos Samartzis, Franco Farina and Taxiarchoula Kanati.
A versatile artist, she has appeared both as a soprano and a pianist in opera and theater productions, as well as chamber music concerts and festivals in Greece and abroad. She has performed as a soloist with the HansePhilharmonie Hamburg under M. Steurenthaler, the Lübecker Kammerorchester under B. Merse, the Symphony Orchestra of the HfMT Hamburg under Prof. Ulrich Windfuhr, the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Macedonia under G. Vranos, and the Orchester in St.-Jürgen under Norburg Najock. Her operatic and theatrical engagements include productions of La belle Hélène, Weiße Rose, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, La Calisto, Die Zauberflöte, Trotz Flöten und Geigen (Opera Pasticcio), Pimpinone, L’elisir d’amore, The Snow Bogatyr, Bloody Wedding.
She has participated in numerous master classes and seminars with internationally renowned artists such as D. Evangelatos, H. Stamm, B. Lindner, I. Kaiserfeld, B. Schröder, S. Kyanidou, A. Christofelis, H. Glavopoulou, A. Chierichetti and V. Licari. To deepen her artistic expression and broaden her creative identity, she has also studied theater with K. Kavakiotis, K. Diakomopoulou, A. Birnbaum and M. Winter, as well as dance with M. Petintian, E. Tsouma, A. Liagouri, M. Manelidis and E. Pelz. She has been active in chamber music ensembles and since 2022 has been performing in Germany with the newly founded Trio Erilis.
