Biography
Born in Athens in 1986, the tenor Vassilis Kavayas studied Composition at the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University and Singing at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata with Christina Yannakopoulou. In 2011 he graduated his master studies in opera with Barbara Bonney at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He continues to study with Aris Christofelis. In 2007 he received the first prize at the National Yamaha’s Vocal Competition (YMFE). He has attended masterclasses with Kostas Paskalis, Aris Christofellis, Kurt Equiluz, Marina Krilovic, Daphne Evangelatos, Angelika Kirchschlager, Raul Gimenez. In 2013 he joined the Accademia Rossiniana at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro under the guidance of Alberto Zedda. In 2008 he debuted as Edoardo in Rossini’s La cambiale di matrimonio at the Municipal Theatre of Corfu and at the Teatro Kennedy in Fasano. He has appeared in important venues including Greek National Opera, Megaron Hall in Athens and in Thessaloniki, Hellenic Festival, Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Wildbad Rossini Festival, Linbury Theatre of Covent Garden in London, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro Nacional São Carlos in Lisbon, Landestheater in Salzburg, Theater Heidelberg, Theater Heilbronn, Bayerische Kammeroper Veitshöcheim in Würzburg, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Thalia Sala in Sibiu, Schloss Palace in Eisenstadt, Bozar in Brussels, Philharmonie in Krakow. His repertoire includes mostly leading rossinian and mozartian roles such as Conte d’Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Conte di Libenskof (Il viaggio a Reims), Selimo (Adina), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) as well as Paolino ( Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto) and Cosroe (Hasse’s Siroe). In 2012 he joined two world premieres performing and recording the roles of Porsenna in Gluck’s Il trionfo di Clelia and Silvio in Weigl’s Il Sacrifizio (I Virtuosi Ambulanti). He is a frequent concert soloist interpreting masterpieces by Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Rossini, Vivaldi, Jomelli, Hasse, Galuppi and Fasch among others. He has collaborated with great conductors such as Alberto Zedda, Antonino Fogliani, Carlo Rizzi, Diego Fasolis and George Petrou. His discography includes Gluck’s Il trionfo di Clelia (DMG), Weigl’s Il Sacrifizio (Newplay) and Rossini’s Semiramide (Naxos).