Determination, nerves of steel
Daphne Evangelatos needs little introduction. The daughter of composer and chief conductor Antioochos Evangelatos and sister of academic and stage director Spyros Evangelatos, Daphne Evangelatos serves, in her own right, as vice rector of the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. Even while keeping appointments around the globe, the Greek mezzo-soprano remains very much present in the musical life of the Greek capital and on Saturday is due to appear at the Athens Concert Hall in a recital of lieder by Schubert, Schumann and Schreker. In anticipation of her upcoming appearance, Evangelatos agreed to shed some light on her life and career. Was it a matter of course for the children of Antioochos Evangelatos to become involved in the arts? Our parents never put any pressure on us in any particular direction. But from the time when I was a girl watching my father rehearse, either with the Greek National Opera or the radio, I became acquainted with and grew to love classical music, opera and lieder. It is hard to follow a different path if you grow up in an environment like that. For me it was just a matter of course. You went to Munich and stayed there. Were the possibilities for musicians limited in Athens at the time? Definitely. I had once said that if I lived in Greece permanently I would change professions. There were very few opportunities for young artists. It was not about being able to participate in a production with the National Opera or in a concert. It was that there was no potential for growth. It’s important to be able to evolve in a craft, to collaborate with colleagues who are better than you, with conductors, directors. I loved this job and I wanted to be involved in it, to broaden my horizons. That is how I ended up in Germany. Have things changed in Greece since? Absolutely. At least in terms of possibilities for artists to appear in public: There are the Athens and Thessaloniki concert halls, another opera in Thessaloniki, a lot more concerts… The musical life in Greece may not be equal to other European capitals, but there are certainly more opportunities. How did you end up at the Bavarian State Opera? When I was still a very young woman, a director who had heard me sing in Vienna suggested that I audition for the young artists’ group of the Bavarian State Opera. It was my first audition and I was fortunate to be hired on the spot. From the very beginning I found myself in a wonderful theater, where every evening I would listen to the greatest singers of the time. Things began to fall into place gradually. I stayed in Munich as a leading lady and also began making appearances on other big stages. Is vocal delivery the key to a singer’s success? Even though it is definitely a requirement, I would say no. We have a lot of examples of people with vocal skills who didn’t go very far. On the other hand, we have people who don’t possess the best vocals, but with a lot of work have succeeded in becoming excellent artists. It takes concentration, dedication and, more than anything else, nerves of steel. This makes up half of what it takes to achieve a successful career. Every night artists stand on the stage they are passing a test, and the audience doesn’t care if they’re happy or sad. Three times a year when they are in top vocal form, chances are they won’t have a performance. Do young artists in Germany have the motivation to become musicians or dancers? They always have had, at least when they have enthusiasm and determination. Of course it is always tragic to see people who believe they are made to sing but haven’t got any of the necessary talent or skills. Even though things are getting a little bit tight in Germany too, cutbacks are much smaller than in other countries. The country is still a paradise for singers because it has a lot of theaters and orchestras. The competition, though, is fierce. It is considered a given in Central Europe that a singer also has to be a very good actor. You’ve also got a lot of young artists arriving from the East who have incredible vocal skills, such as from Korea, where oddly enough they have an Italian singing style. There is an abundance. You have enjoyed some excellent collaborations. Are there any that stand out in particular? There are so many moments. Among the most memorable are when I worked with Carlos Kleiber on «Die Fledermaus,» with Jean Pierre Ponnelle on «La clemenza di Tito,» with Harry Kupfer in «Werther,» several productions of «Carmen» in France, as well as when I performed Geschwitz in Alban Berg’s «Lulu» in Athens. Are there any roles or works you would like to perform but haven’t? I am very interested in Clytemnestra in Strauss’s «Elektra.» In 2001 you became vice rector of the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. Did you experience any difficulty in your career because you are Greek? I never once, over the entire course of my career, encountered any difficulty because I was foreign. It may have to do with the fact that my German was very good from the outset. Mezzos seem to be enjoying a lot more popularity than sopranos. How do you feel about this? Very happy. Of course it has to do with the people who are at the top right now, but also with the repertory. Baroque, for example, which is experiencing a rebirth nowadays, has a lot of very important roles for mezzos and countertenors. Lieder recital with Daphne Evangelatos on Saturday at the Athens Concert Hall, 1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2333. Starts at 8.30 p.m. at the Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall.
