Zoe Zeniodi: Who is the first Greek conductor for Opera Australia

Zoe Zeniodi will make history and become the first Greek orchestral conductor for the Opera Australia at the iconic Sydney Opera House. Shortly after her arrival in Australia and a few days before the grande-premiere she spoke to SBS Greek

Supplied / Photo: Stavros Habakis

The famous Greek conductor Zoe Zeniodi, or ‘Miss Dynamite’ as she is also known, is currently in Sydney.

She will conduct the orchestra in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera ‘Così fan tutte’, a production by Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House.

The performances will run from August 1 to 17.

Ms. Zeniodi explains the conductor’s role in front of a multi-member orchestra, if it is necessary for the maestro to know how to play one or more musical instruments, the time it takes to become a maestro by studying in a conservatory and her ability to speak several languages.

Zoe Zeniodi

The Greek conductor talks about the opera "Così fan tutte," by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, which is a typical example of an Italian cheerful opera.

Although well received by the Viennese audience on its premiere in 1790, the play tells a very bold narrative for the times, with the main themes being the eternal conflict of the sexes, marital fidelity and the story of exchanging love partners.

For years the opera was abandoned because it did not match the moral Western world’s principles of ethics.

It took until the 1950s for it to regain its place in the operatic repertoire. Since then, it has become one of the most popular and performed operas.

Ms. Zeniodi explains why opera is not an old-fashioned art from and why she believes it could become even more popular.

The Greek maestro collaborated with Opera Queensland to present the same work and will now (in August) lead Opera Australia's orchestra, a first for a conductor of Greek descent.

Ms. Zeniodi could not imagine her life without music and art.

After all, she derives her origin from the once cosmopolitan and Greek-dominated Smyrna, (today’s coastal Turkish city of İzmir).

Greek conductor Zoe Zeniodi is making her Opera Australian debut with 'Così fan tutte' at the Sydney Opera House this August (eight performances over 1-17 Aug). Credit: Jeff Busby/Photo © Jeff Busby

She is adamant when she says that she could move to Australia… yesterday and give a few reasons for that including the people, the local culture and respect in diversity.

Ms. Zeniodi has already met members of the Greek Diaspora in Australia and plans to participate in several Greek community events in Sydney.

Ms. Zeniodi's life and career was a focus of the documentary film La Maestra (2023), by American actress and director Maggie Contreras.

The documentary film follows five international women who participate in 'La Maestra', which, at the time of filming, was the only top-level competition in the world for female only orchestra conductors.

The film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in May 2023 and received positive reviews and the festival's second Audience Award.

The performances of ‘Così fan tutte’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a production by Opera Australia, will take place in the Joan Sutherland Theatre building at the famous Sydney Opera House.

The play is in Italian with English subtitles and lasts three hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.

For more information at the official program of Opera Australia here