Greek soprano and voice-over artist Vassia Zacharopoulou is recognized for her remarkable vocal range across opera, contemporary classical music, and musical theatre, establishing her as a noteworthy talent of her generation. Born in Athens on February 23, 1985, Vassia initially pursued studies in piano and ballet before transitioning to a singing career. She earned her vocal performance diploma with distinction, along with a first prize award, from the National Conservatory of Athens. Following her education, she became a member of the Greek National Opera Studio, where she portrayed Clarice in Galuppi’s L’amante di tutte during the Grand Finale staged production.
In 2011, Vassia made her debut at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, taking on the leading role of Rika in Sakellaridis’ Greek operetta Daughter of the Storm, directed by Alexandros Efklidis. That same year, she joined the casting database of Cirque du Soleil artists. At just 23, she debuted with the Greek National Opera as the Swan Princess in Rimsky-Korsakov’s children’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Since then, she has played leading roles in various children’s operas at the GNO, including Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel and the title role in Barab’s Little Red Riding Hood. In 2013, she took on the leading role of Princess in the world premiere of Beware! The Prince is Messy, composed by Nikos Kypourgos, a performance that enjoyed great acclaim and was repeated the following season. The studio recording of this opera was released simultaneously by Mikri Arktos Records.
In 2014, Vassia won the Song Prize at the 14th International Operatic Competition Marie Kraja in Tirana, Albania. The 2014/15 season was notable for her numerous role engagements, including Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Vespetta in Pimpinone, and Toula in The Murderess, all in new productions at the Greek National Opera. She also made her debut as Lola in Sakellaridis’ operetta Pic Nic with Camerata Armonia Atenea, under the direction of George Petrou, a performance that received positive reviews.
In the 2016/17 season, Vassia reunited with George Petrou and Camerata Armonia Atenea to perform Rosalia in Bernstein’s musical West Side Story at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, directed by John Todd. In June 2017, she made her debut at the Greek National Theater in a different theatrical style, ancient musical comedy, playing Coryphaeus/Daughter A’ in Aristophanes’ Peace, a musical adaptation with music composed by Nikos Kypourgos, staged at the historic Ancient Theater of Epidaurus.
Beginning the 2017/18 season, she starred as the Firebird in the Greek National Opera’s production of Prince Ivan and the Firebird, a new opera by Thodoris Ambazis. Additionally, she performed as a guest artist at the concert Night for Beijing, held at the Pallas Theatre in honor of the President of the People's Republic of China, accompanied by China’s Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra.
During the 2018/19 season, Vassia participated in two theatrical productions: Terrence McNally’s Masterclass as Sophia de Palma, and Xenia Kalogeropoulou’s The Slave’s Child for children, where she again performed music by Nikos Kypourgos. The season concluded with her portrayal of Cupid in a new production of Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers, staged at the newly renovated Olympia Theatre, celebrating the reopening of Athens’ first opera theatre.
Vassia commenced the 2019/20 season at the Greek National Opera, portraying Eliza Doolittle in Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Later in the season, she played Hilda in G. Kouroupos’ new opera Leporella, which premiered at GNO’s Alternative Stage in January 2020. Critics noted her ability to engage audiences, with one stating, “Vassia Zacharopoulou knows how to breathe the necessary life into music.”
In addition to her operatic work, Vassia has performed as a soloist in oratorios and cantatas by composers such as Bach, and in works like Charpentier’s Te Deum, Mozart’s Requiem, Lully’s Te Deum, Scarlatti’s La Giuditta, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Her career also encompasses musical theatre roles, chamber music, film music, contemporary classical compositions, and song cycles by notable composers including K. Weil, L. Bernstein, C. Porter, R. Rodgers, O. Hammerstein, M. Theodorakis, M. Hadjidakis, N. Kypourgos, Sh. Umebayashi, D. Brossé, and M. Plessas.
Described by the press as a “multi-tasking soprano,” Vassia also lends her voice to dubbed foreign language and animated films as a voice-over actress and singer. Her notable projects include: Over the Moon (2020) as Mother, Frozen II (2019) as Anna, Mary Poppins Returns (2018) as Mary Poppins, and the original Frozen (2013) as Anna, among others. Since 2011, she has served as Mattel’s official singing voice of Barbie in Greece and is particularly known for her portrayal of Anna in the Greek dubbed version of Disney’s Frozen. Furthermore, she is recognized in the text-to-speech sector as Google’s official voice in Greece.
