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“Soula Parassidis, absolutely dominated in the title role with tremendous intensity as an actor-singer, wielding a dramatic instrument that powerfully transcended.”
- The Boston Intelligencer
Hailed as “incandescent” (Boston Globe) and “for the ages” (Schmopera), Greek-Canadian soprano Soula Parassidis has garnered widespread critical acclaim for her electrifying performances worldwide. In 2026 she makes her debut at the Gluckfestspiele conducted by Michael Hofstetter accompanied by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin in a double bill of Elena ed Paride/Iphigenie en Aulide. She will also be featured on a new album, Radio Days ahead of the USA 250 celebrations alongside Grammy nominated producer Jeff Trott (If it makes you happy, Soak up the sun), and Academy award winning arranger Patrick Warren.
Highlights for 2025 included her debut as Chrysothemis in Strauss’ Elektra at the Teatro Filarmonico Arena di Verona the release of All is Bright, her debut album in collaboration with the Orchestra Filarmonica di Benevento.
In 2024, Soula made her Festival d'Aix-en-Provence debut in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide/Iphigénie en Tauride under the baton of Emmanuelle Haïm and directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, a production she reprised for her Greek National Opera debut with conductor Michael Hofstetter.
During the 2023 season, she starred in the title role of Iphigénie en Tauride in three major productions celebrating the Maria Callas Centennial: Olympia City Music Theatre “Maria Callas” in Athens, directed by Thanos Papakonstantinou and conducted by George Petrou; Boston Baroque, under Martin Pearlman and directed by Mo Zhou (streamed on IDAGIO); and Stadttheater Bern, directed by Silvia Paoli.
Soula has worked with some of the world’s important directors including Dmitri Tcherniakov, Tobias Kratzer, Peter Konwitchny, Moshe Leisner and Patrice Caurier, and Pier Luigi Pizzi. Notable conductors include Emmanuelle Haim, Rene Jacobs, John Wilson, Ulf Schirmer, Pinchas Steinberg, and Daniel Cohen.
“I do not state this lightly: this is an Iphigénie for the ages, and whenever she was off-stage I longed to see her on the stage again." - Schmopera
Other notable opera engagements include Soula's Asian debut in La Clemenza di Tito with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Handel's Teseo at Theater an der Wien, Les Pecheurs de Perles at Opera Holland Park, Don Giovanni in Guangzhou China, and the title role of Vanessa by Samuel Barber at the Opéra-Théatre de Metz Métropole, where she also sang the Gräfin Madeleine in Capriccio by Richard Strauss, marking her debut in the lyric dramatic fach. In 2019, she sang Elettra in Idomeneo at Teatro Massimo Palermo and Helmwige in Die Walküre at Opéra National de Bordeaux. She made her debut in Korngold's Violanta at the Teatro Regio Torino and participated in the Guangzhou Opera's 10-year anniversary gala in 2020, performing Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder. Soula was also a member of the ensemble of Oper Leipzig for three seasons, where she performed a variety of leading repertoire and returned on several occasions with the company as a guest soloist.
Soula is equally at home in orchestral repertoire with highlights including her debut with the Czech Philharmonic at the Prague Rudolfinum in Henri Dutilleux's Correspondances, a performance that was also broadcast on Radio France. She also performed Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder at the Attersee Festival, Bachianas Brasileiras at the Berliner Waldbühne, and New Year’s concerts at the Teatro Massimo Palermo. Further debuts include appearances at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, Berlin Philharmonie, Wüttembergische Philharmonie, RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Capitole de Toulouse, where she performed Mahler's 4th Symphony.
“Parassidis gave a fierce dramatic and vocal performance, perfectly in tune with Pearlman and the orchestra."
- Bachtrack
Amidst her career as a soprano, Soula has also collaborated with brands such as Bärenreiter, Medici TV, IDAGIO streaming, Les Arts Valencia, and Stagetime Arts, gaining recognition in popular press outlets like HuffPO, Marie Claire, Forbes, Newsweek, GALA, and luxury hotels including The Bristol Vienna, Grande Bretagne Athens, and Grand Hotel Vienna. Soula has also worked with prominent fashion designers including Vassilis Zoulias, Daphne Valente, and Lena Hoschek.
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“Parassidis met the challenge head-on: every aspect of her performance injected life into the music, and even the less dramatically interesting moments felt like the most important thing in the world.”
- Schmopera
Soula Parassidis was born in Vancouver, Canada and first trained as a classical flutist and actor. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia, and subsequently received generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts, and was a multiple prize winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, which helped lay the foundation for her multifaceted career. With her unique timbre, glamorous stage presence, and unwavering dedication to her craft, Soula continues to captivate audiences worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the international operatic landscape.