Join host Stefania Passamonte for an inspiring conversation with Aliki Chrysochou, a classical crossover soprano of British and Greek origin, as she discusses her musical journey during the COVID-19 lockdown in Cyprus. Despite the cancellation of concerts and performances worldwide, Aliki discovered unexpected creative opportunities, collaborating with talented musicians from around the globe—Malta, Australia, New York, and Italy—entirely through technology and virtual recordings. Her story is a testament to how music and art became vital sources of connection and hope during one of the world’s most challenging periods.
Aliki shares the magic of creating art remotely, including her beautiful collaboration with pianist Oliver Poole on ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,’ a poignant choice that embodied themes of hope and dreams during lockdown. She reflects on how classical music resonated deeply with her own family, even inspiring her young daughter to participate in the creative process. The conversation touches on the often-undervalued role of music and arts in society, emphasizing how these disciplines nourish the soul and provide solace during difficult times—a crucial reminder that artists do far more than simply ‘open their mouths and sing.’
Main Topics
Aliki spent lockdown in her hometown of Cyprus, where despite restrictions, she found herself more creatively inspired than ever
Technology enabled unprecedented global collaborations with musicians from multiple countries without ever meeting in person, creating surprisingly harmonious musical connections
The classical crossover piece 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' with pianist Oliver Poole became a symbol of hope and resilience during the pandemic
Aliki's young children were naturally drawn to classical music and wanted to participate in her virtual recording sessions
Music and arts were undervalued during lockdown, classified as non-essential, despite their crucial role in mental health and emotional wellbeing
Aliki's education journey took her from London to Sheffield University to New York, where she learned valuable life lessons about perseverance and artistic development
Remote recordings required performing in one take without studio facilities, pushing artists to find new ways to create polished performances at home
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on the Women's Radio Station, the program...▼
Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on the Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today is our 11th episode since the start of the lockdown here in the UK, and our special guest is Aliki, a fantastic classical crossover artist and soprano of British and Greek origin. Good morning, Aliki! Good morning, Stefania, so lovely to talk to you. So excited to have you on our program. Aliki, you grew up in London, but where is your lockdown now? At the moment I'm in my hometown in Cyprus where my father is from. Wow, so have you spent the whole lockdown in Cyprus? Yes, I think we were I think I'd say we were kind of lucky to be here in Cyprus during lockdown. Things have been troubling also on the island. We were in lockdown for almost, I'd say, 3 months at home. But I think as an artist, I found myself very creative during that moment. As soon as I was— I had accepted that this is the situation, this is what we are living at the moment. You had to find ways at home to be creative one way or another. Absolutely. So, I mean, did you have concerts cancelled, maybe recording cancelled? Did you have a lot of disruption in your career? Yes, I did, because as soon, you know, after the winter, the spring starts, and then you start getting ready for your spring and mostly the summer concerts. Yes. They have been cancelled and postponed for a later notice because still the theatres, I mean, everywhere around the world where I was invited, it's still not sure about how things are going to turn out. What did you think about, I don't know if you've been following the directive of the government, but, you know, they're talking about the fact that we can start slowly to perform again classical music, but for example, singers and wind players, they are not allowed to perform because there is too much spreading. There was a very funny thing that was going around about the fake government directive where it was saying that singers were supposed to sing with the mask on. Oh, well, well. I had some, and even the wind player, they had to perform with the mask on. Because I had some friends that they missed that it was signed by Mr. Funny Joke or something like that to translate, and they were all like, ha! That would be a very interesting thing to be able to see that. And I guess whoever mentioned that, maybe they should try, they should try to see if it works before Or to sing— we like start singing with the mask on our face. Or behind the screen. How would you be able to see behind the screen? I mean, it's a big problem, isn't it? Particularly for your type of musician. So, but you overcome that luckily with technology. So I've seen some fantastic collaboration. Yes, it was actually during lockdown was a very good opportunity because I was home and as, as everybody was at home, it was an opportunity to get in touch with some amazing artists from all over the world, from Malta, from Australia, from New York, um, from, um, where was it, Italy. Oh yeah. And, um So we got in touch. It was my initiative, my idea. At first, it was really— I didn't know how this thing would work out because, you know, we're in different countries. How are we going to sing together? Yeah. Um, or perform if it was a piano accompaniment for me. But it worked wonderfully. And with some musicians, I found that even though we were not in the same room, we had never ever met, ever. It was only like an Instagram conversation or a Facebook conversation. How, how, how well we matched the musicality, how the musicality came out from the both of us as if we were practicing for, for days together to perform this piece. Wow. And I guess this is the magic of music. Mm-hmm. That's, that's incredible. Yeah. And also the fact that we've been very lucky to have this worldwide tragedy in a way, but in such an advanced technology, technological era. So we were able to continue to be creative and to be connected, although we were millions of kilometers apart. Yes, yes. I think I, for me, and I think for many other artists, I believe that during the lockdown we found to be more connected to each other because we were all living the same struggle, the same situation, the same. And as an artist, I think you, you, you want to express your, your music, you want to sing, you want to perform just because you love doing it. Yeah, and also because it brings, brings joy. It helps a lot, particularly, you know, with the depressive status that my people might be in during the pandemic. So I totally agree. I think it's very— it heals in a way. Absolutely. And it makes people happy in this terrible situation that the whole world was is going through. Well, you know what happened to me just yesterday? So I've been asked by a friend soprano to do one of these recordings, distance recordings of Casta Diva. Oh, I love that song. I love that song. So of course we are distant and I was just looking at the music and I had Maria Callas singing. Just one singer. Yes, of course. The only one. And that music is so powerful. I was just crying, you know, thinking about the fact of being together, for example, playing with Maria Callas or playing with my friends. And just, you know, when Bellini composed the Casta Diva, I mean, come on, it's so simple, such a simple melodic line and so powerful. And so I was crying and my daughter saw me and she decided to come and sit and play with me because she loved it. The energy of the song. So I don't know if you had that with your children. I did, actually. It's funny that you say that because, you know, classical music, I think especially, and any beautiful music, the beautiful music, my children are very drawn to it. Actually, when I was doing these recordings virtually with the other artists, It was very difficult to keep them away from it because they wanted, you know, they wanted to be in the video and enjoy and like just listen to the— what this thing that was being created. They were fascinated by it, actually. My daughter, she was 5, she just turned 6 like a couple of weeks ago, but you know, and she wanted to be the movie director, so she kept saying, "And action!" and whatever. She would come in, in action, like, "No, it's not the time." Maybe the performance was almost perfect because, you know, when you're at home, you don't have the facilities of a recording studio, of doing editing. So really, it's a one-go through. Yes, yes, it is. And you just have to make it happen, right? Oh yeah, and it's so extremely difficult. But the first song actually we're gonna listen to, it's one of your most successful collaborations, and is the beautiful song, one of my favorites, Somewhere Over the Rainbow with Oliver Poole. Would you like to tell us something about this? Well, when I first contacted Oliver, he is an absolutely magnificent artist. He's a wonderful pianist. I mean, I just— we found each other on Instagram, and actually it was so mutual, and we said, you know, what song should we do together? So we both wrote Somewhere Over the Rainbow at the same time almost. A very moving song, I think. Very lovely for the moments that we are living because I do believe in rainbows. I don't know if you do. Absolutely. And actually, my oldest son, who is 3, Christian, absolutely loves that song and he sings along the words with me. Yeah. So it's very poignant, I think. Very special. Let's listen to Somewhere Over the Rainbow with Aliki and Oliver Poole. When all the world is a hopeless jumble and the raindrops tumble on the road, Heaven, ooh, has a magic land. When all the clouds darken up the skyway, there's a rainbow highway to be found, leading from your window ledge. To a place beyond the sun. Justice and glory. Somewhere, oh Fatherly God. Way on high, there's a land that I've heard of once, in a lullaby. Sun will rise, skies all blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me. My troubles now like lemon drops are way above the chimney tops. That's where Bluebirds fly over the rainbow, white and a white contour. Why, oh why, Kunta? Wow, I have goosebumps. That was a fantastic rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you. That song is super, so powerful because it talks about blue skies, about rainbows, about dreaming, and about keeping dreaming, isn't it? Yes, yes. And that there is no place like home as well. And we all had to learn how to be happy being home, you know, sometimes you give that for granted because we had such a frenetic life, wasn't it? Going out for meeting, for work, for, and then going away for holidays. And then suddenly you are in your house and you have to live and work and be happy and find your own rainbow and your own blue sky as well. Some people were not allowed to go out at all. Not everybody had a balcony or a garden go to as well. You were only allowed to go out shopping, for example, for food, or not even that. So, and, um, and what appalled me the most was when they, um, they published here, um, a list of the most important jobs, and music and arts was the first of the less useful jobs ever. And, and it's like, not at all, because soul is a big part of our life, and there is nothing that can nourish soul and hope and dreams like music or arts in general. Uh, yes, I totally agree with you. I think that music is, music is It's always there, and I'm going to say supports us when we're sad. Absolutely. It's there when we're happy. It's there for the biggest occasions, whether they're happy occasions, whether they're sad occasions. I think every moment in our life is associated with a song, a melody, a note. Yes. And it's kind of sad that somebody, you know, they would say that it's the last of the most beautiful, beautiful, but hey. It's okay. Hey ho, we understand what they mean. Absolutely. I think these might be people that they had a music lesson when they were forced, probably, probably, yeah, when they were little and they didn't like it one bit. And actually, I do believe, you know, that a lot of people think that we just stand on the stage like with a full orchestra and that we open our mouth and that, you know, it's okay, that that's what That's what we— that's easy. That's what you do. Just open your mouth and you sing. Never mind, never mind, you know, the practices, the sacrifices, the money that you have to spend to study with this, this professional teacher that you've always wanted to study with, you know, which costs maybe a fortune to go and have one lesson with. Um, but that's part of our art. Is it not? Absolutely. Well, I've seen it. So you grew up in London, you studied at the Sheffield University, and then you completed your studies in New York. So how was this changing of life when you left London for New York? Well, New York, I guess 'cause I spoke about this with a friend of mine who's in Australia, and I said, you know, New York for me was the dream. I wanted to go into New York. And this friend of mine that I did the collaboration, Mirousha Loewers, a wonderful soprano, she said to me, you know, for us Australians, Europe is— The dream. The dream where we want to go. So I will never forget, it was, 'cause me and my husband have been together for like 16, 17 years. So together we said, let's just go to New York and see what happens. All right. So we just bought a ticket, we went there, and it was— the times we were there was very, very beautiful, very difficult, very fulfilling, challenging, such strong emotions. And, um, I learned a lot I think about myself also, because living in New York, when they say— the song says, "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere." Yes. I think it's not per se if you can make it as in to be a big Hollywood star. It's about if you can actually survive and live in New York, then you have nothing to fear about later, you know. You'll make it wherever you decide to live. That's a fantastic message. Um, it's also part of our nature in a way, the fact of leaving the nest and then going out and trying new things, new adventures. Um, it's something that the younger, um, uh, people that they were affected by the COVID suffered the most. The fact that they were back at home and they were not able, maybe they were invited to go to study in New York, for example, or to study in Europe. Couldn't go and they had to wait, postpone. Some universities are closed until September '21. So, but it's such an important part of our nature as a social being as well, to be together and to discover new things, isn't it? Yes, yes, I totally agree. I'm all for, you know, traveling and deciding to, to go and study in different places, whatever that is. Maybe you want to study with just a certain person, to go and learn something new, because I think it's part of our being as people to keep discovering new things. Absolutely. Now I would like to ask you then, um, I mean, you are a classical crossover. What does it mean to be a classical crossover singer for you? Well, I'd say for me, I mean, I am classically trained. All my, all my studies are— it's a classical, classical training. But with the classical crossover, I think that I, I and the other artists of classical crossover, you are trying to reach a bigger audience to, to to try and tell, I'm going to say, to the simple person, to the different person who doesn't, who will not go to the Metropolitan Opera to like listen to a whole production of an opera, that classical music and the orchestra and all this beautiful sound, it doesn't have to be heavy or boring in their ears. And I think that when you bring them a song like, I don't know, Mambo Italiano, in their ears but in a more classical version, then they're like, oh, this is nice, I could listen to this. I could listen to more of that. Yes. And I think I, as an artist, I like to explore different, different genres. I, I rarely would say no in a collaboration which is not my kind of style because I like to explore and see what I can do with that. Is this the reason why you decided to enter the program Britain's Got Talent? That is where your career in a way opened up to the worldwide audience. Yes, that is when this happened. I, you know, I was not 20 and it is, for me it does matter. I wasn't really, really young when I went to Britain's Got Talent. I was trained, I was a professional. Britain's Got Talent gave me a platform. It helped me to reach out to other people who didn't know my art and didn't know who I was. Um, this is what I'd say it gave me. It was a wonderful experience to live. And also another very important thing for me was that I was able to Through the— through Britain's Got Talent, um, the Encephalitis Society, they reached out to me because I was also— I'm a survivor of the encephalitis. So I became their ambassador, which is a very important part of my life, to be able to help other people who are going through this at the moment. Would you like to tell the audience what is the specifically the encephalitis? Encephalitis I don't want to tire you with this. It's just a very big part of my life. Encephalitis is, um, headache. Encephalos in Greek means brain. Yes, the brain. So it's basically an inflammation of the brain, which affects— it affects different people in different ways. But it's, um, the scary part of it is that you don't know you have it until It's not very— it's not obvious. Other things will happen that will indicate that this is it. So it's important to raise awareness about it. Yeah, absolutely. Well, I had a piano teacher that had this problem, and it was a very— she had a very big problem, so she couldn't perform. And so she She spent her life in teaching. That was still a wonderful way of expressing your art and your music. So it could be debilitating, and people don't— it's not— they don't talk about these as much as other physical problems in a way. So it's another very good opportunity of being a musician and use your art to raise awareness to important issues like Oh, like please. Yes, of course. Um, it's very important to do that. Uh, but so yes, Britain's Got Talent, um, brought me out to other audience and it got me to travel in many places in the world after that. So I'm very happy about that. Fantastic. Well, now I'd like to listen to from your debut album Reflections The song Lascia che io pianga from Endo. This is also one of my very favorite songs. Lascia, my whole album Reflections was recorded with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, which is wonderful, at the SMECI Studios. And it's a collection of some of my favorite songs that at the moment when I was recording Yeah, fantastic. Let's listen to "Lascia che pianga." Kyobion go, miya kuru da sorte, ekkesu zi ri uri meruta. Solti il Mido. Lascia che abbia ancora miracolosa sorte. E che esulto. So beautiful. And this was Lascia che pianga by Handel from Aliki debut album Reflections. Lascia che pianga translates into let me cry, let me cry for my cruel um, destiny, faith. Yes. And it's something I think it's a very important message. Sometimes, um, we, we don't allow ourselves to cry, to express our emotions, even the sad ones. And this is such a therapeutic thing, isn't it? Very, very therapeutic. If you are able to cry, it's a good way to release, to release one's emotions. Absolutely. I always cry for joy. Yes, I'm actually such a bad person sometimes. My, my daughter's like, Mama, why are you crying? I'm like, because I'm so happy. So it doesn't have to be— I agree. And tears of joy. I, uh, yeah, yeah. And music is something that just touched inside our heart in such a direct way that there is no escape, really. I think that if you hear a piece of music and it kind of— it— that feeling where you say that gut feeling, you can feel it in your guts and it just makes your whole body like move with emotion. Absolutely. Now, gonna ask you some more specific things that I normally ask our guests. So for example, what was the most exciting moment in your career? Oh, You can tell me more than one, it doesn't have to be just one. Yes, I think it's a difficult, difficult question to answer, to say just one, because, you know, in different, in different years, in different times, in different parts of your career, I guess everybody has different reasons why one is most important than the other. But the most recent one was a few months ago when Mario Frangouli, the amazing Greek tenor, he invited me to go on tour with him last August. Wow. Which was a dream come true for me, actually. He is one of my favorites that I've heard for many, many years. So we went together and the audience where we performed in Istanbul and in Bodrum especially was breathtaking. I think something that I've never felt in my life. They were so warm, so embracing. I mean, the whole theater was on their feet and it was, it was just as if one big family. It was a very beautiful emotion. Um, and another recent one also was, uh, when I was asked to do the opening for Il Divo, the classical crossover group. Yes. And I got to meet those 4 wonderful boys. Incredibles. Yeah. And I actually— what I'm— maybe you can understand me with this one. One of the other most important maybe was when I was almost, almost ready to give birth to my first child and I was on stage with my belly. And he was— I remember standing behind the stage telling him, don't start kicking now, mommy needs to sing and you can do that later.— and I remember walking on stage and singing Nella Fantasia with him in my tummy, and it was actually a very beautiful feeling. Yeah, absolutely. Well, it happened to me performing Rachmaninoff. I was, yeah, I was 6 months pregnant, and Lucia was kicking in my tummy. But the good was that she loved that piece so much that when she was born, I had to perform it again. I, you know, I had the tour booked. I didn't know, you know, tours are booked years in advance, so I wasn't planning to have a baby, be pregnant, and then be back on stage soon after. And, um, and I would practice Rachmaninoff and she would be in a crib just next to the piano and just falling asleep under the music of Rachmaninoff. Isn't that so moving? I do believe that they do, they do understand one way or another. They are listening because my And my boys have that also. They are more connected to some songs than others. Uh-huh. Absolutely. So would you say that was also a challenging moment in your career to continue performing while you were pregnant or when you had children? Sorry, what was the question again? Would you say that also it's quite a challenge of our career being a mother? Yes. Yes, I would say that it was a challenge, especially the first months of being a first-time mother. Probably the first year, because I also chose to be next to him. I mean, if I traveled after 6 months, if I had a tour, I would take him with me. So my husband would be here at work and I'd say to my mommy, please, please come with me to look after him whilst, you know, I'm rehearsing or on stage. I couldn't, so I'd rather take him with me than leave him here and be away. Amazing. I think now it's, it's easier to say, I, you know, Mommy's going away for a couple of weeks and I'm coming back, because there's, there's two together and I feel they kind of have each other now. I see. But it's definitely a challenge. Things are not as easy just to pack up and leave. As before. Absolutely. Well, we have the advantage again of technology. I remember I was going away and I would talk to my daughter through Skype so she could see my face, but I could also see that sometimes she was ignoring me on purpose because she was making me to pay. Yes, mine the same. We know that. Yes. Now, you already told me that you had this fantastic collaboration with Mario and Frankoli. Yeah. Um, would you have any other big collaboration that comes to mind that was very interesting, maybe original, something that was different than what you expected? Uh, a previous one, do you mean? Yes. Well, in my, um, in my album It was a collaboration that I didn't know how that would blend together with the style that I perform. It's with— his name is— he's a Greek. He's probably the— he's for now 30 years the most famous pop singer in Greece. Wow. His albums are all platinum. His name is Michalis Hadjiani. So when we said to perform together Falling Slowly on my album from the musical Once, it was a challenge. I didn't know how that would blend, and probably also for him not knowing where this is going to lead, but it was very well received, and in the end our voices, uh, they matched very beautifully. Wonderful. Now the next song we're gonna listen to It's Granada. Would you like to tell us something about this performance? This performance was one of my songs. This is a live performance, so I do hope it's very clear. Yes, it's from my— when I went for the opening of Il Divo for the concerts. So this is one of the songs that I chose to perform. The orchestra is the orchestration from my album, so it's my It's an original orchestration. Yes, that was done in the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and I just absolutely love this song. It always gets me on my toes and start to dance, so very full of passion. Wonderful. Let's listen then, Aliki, with Granada. Beautiful. This is one of my favorite songs, really. Um, I still— I always have in mind the three tenors singing. Yes, of course. Plácido Domingo. Yes, yes, yes. An unforgettable performance from the three of them. They're actually the one who opened the way to crossover. Never before crossover was something that was even conceived, although it was part of the everyday life. You always had opera in a way, or classical music in movies, soundtrack, or advertising as well. So yeah, so now it's time for the most fun questions. This is the last part of our interview. I'm gonna ask you if you have any strange hobby or just an hobby to free your mind or relax. Um, I'd say, I'd say swimming. I've done, uh, I've done— well, living on an island is definitely a part, a big part of my life. The beach and the sea, the water. Um, I, I enjoy running a lot. I mean, I, I ran the London Marathon, uh, 42 kilometers a few years ago. Um, yoga, Pilates, and, um, singing. Really, it always helps me to relax, you know, to do the vocal exercises. I feel that it's something that relaxes my head and my being. Well, singing in particular, you know, you use your body as an instrument and you make the whole body to vibrate. Isn't it? Yes. Oh, it's a very transcendental way of touching your soul as well. So I would recommend everybody to have a go in singing, even if they can't sing in tune. That doesn't matter at all. It's just the fact of producing the sound and making your body to vibrate. I agree. It's actually very, very relaxing. It's a bit like doing yoga. Actually, and a little bit of meditation. I think it has a lot of benefits. Absolutely. Now, do you have any superstition or ritual before going on stage? Oh, like a favorite dress or a favorite pair of earrings? I don't know, favorite color? Actually, no, I don't have that No, no, I don't. I always— but dressing up, yeah, it's a very big part of getting ready, you know. It's always very exciting. It always gets me into the mood, you know, to wear a big dress or, you know, get your makeup done and everything. I'd say my ritual— I don't think it's a matter of a ritual before, like actually before I go on stage, but it's a few days in process before I have a performance that, you know, I'm always, I'm always a bit more careful with things, like to try to sleep, not to eat specific foods, definitely no alcohol, which I don't like anyway, less talking. So my children are kind of like, what's up with you, Mommy? Please, please speak with Yeah, because the funny thing is people sometimes don't realize that they only see us on stage for 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, but there is such a preparation before that. So that's the cherry on the pie in a way, but you have to have the pie underneath, and it's a long process to make up a pie, isn't it? Yes, yes, I agree. I mean, yes, Yes, I mean, I like to be a few moments alone before I go on stage, you know, to pull myself together. And I don't like to be surrounded by a lot of people and start talking. I need to, you know, be— Concentrate. Yes. But actually, yes, the ritual is a long process. I'd say it's not an hour before or something, which are these other sacrifices of an artist. Yeah. Do you have any funny moment or embarrassing moment that you can recall being on stage or preparing for something? It would be lovely if I did, actually, but I don't think I do have a funny moment. Oh, okay. Unfortunately, I'm trying to think if I ever fell down or, you know, walking on stage. But no, I haven't actually, so sorry about that. It's all right. Anytime. You know, it happened to me once. I was performing for the Conservatoire, 150 years since the foundation, etc. So they asked me to play a piece with the orchestra by a composer, so I had the music. And right before going on stage, we had a fire drill. Fire drill? Yeah. So everybody had to leave the theater. And then we went back on and I walk on stage. There is the applause and everything. And suddenly I don't have the music. I didn't have the score on the piano. And I go out again and people are like, what's happening? And I'm desperate and I make everyone to look for the score everywhere. Someone stole the score! I was so desperate. Oh no! Because I couldn't play otherwise. And then finally I found the music in my dressing room and I don't know I don't know how, maybe I put it there to be more safe or someone put it there because it wasn't safe to have the paper on stage. Not sure what happened, but that was quite an embarrassing moment. That's more, I'd say that's more of a horror funny story. Yeah, of course. Oh dear, oh dear. But you think about that, we laughed a lot after we did that orchestra. All right. After it, yes. They said I did it on purpose. They said I did it on purpose to have a double applause. Ah, yes, yes, yes. For example. All right, so what's your next project or the recordings or concert? Um, there are a few things in line at the moment, but because of the lockdown, um, nobody knows, uh, at the moment when they are going to happen. And they are with some great names from the opera world and the classical crossover world. But if we speak again, I'd be glad to share them with you once they're out in the open. Absolutely. And also planning for a second album now, most probably with the London Symphony Orchestra, which I'm very excited about. Fantastic. So, but with all this thing happening around us, things are just a little bit more delayed than they would be usually. But I'm very excited to talk about them with you next time we speak when everything's a bit more sure. Absolutely. And hopefully next time we will be in person at the ranch. Yeah, yes, yes. Much, much more fun. So let's listen now to the last song of of today, that is your collaboration with Mario Frangoulis, and is "Tonight from West Side Story." The only thing I'll say forever, in my eyes, in my words, and in everything I do, nothing else but you. There's nothing for me but Maria. Every song I sing is Maria. It won't be that tonight. I saw you and the world went away. Tonight, tonight, there's only you tonight. What you want to do, what you say. I have been a hero. I know now I was wrong, for here you are, and what was just a word is a song to joy. Good night, good night. Sleep well, and when you do, Dream on, dream on. So beautiful. The best way to finish our interview with Tonight. I think this is one of the most beloved songs. It's the message as well that comes from Tonight, like tonight everything will happen, tonight everything will go well finally. Yes, yes, I agree. And thank you for speaking that, those words. I would have said exactly the same thing. Well, that's the meaning of it is, I think, West Side Story, Bernstein, it's, um, one of my favorite Crossover opera, in a way it's a crossover opera. Is, um, it's, um, composed by classical composers and is a musical and is the bridge between opera and musical. If you had to choose an opera, which one would be your favorite opera to perform? To perform? I'd— oh, I'd probably say, uh, La Bohème. Oh, Mimi? Yes, yes, Mimi. Or I would say Romeo and Juliet. Oh, Romeo and Juliet. Wow, that's a beautiful one. Yes. Yeah. And if you had to choose a musical, which one is your dream role? I'd have to be between Maria from West Side Story or Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. Oh ho ho, absolutely! Another excellent one. Yes, yes, so many beautiful operas and musicals. I think the best advice to the audience is go and watch as many as possible as soon as the theaters will be open again. Most definitely. Most definitely. Well, um, if you have any other questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our future Classic Women Awards, please email presenters@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioSTN. Again, a big thanks to our guest soprano Aliki for the great chat and the beautiful music played today. Aliki, um, when do you think you will be back in London? Well, not until we feel that things are a bit more safe. I don't know, I don't know if that will be October, November. I mean, I have to be back in Cyprus in December because I'm doing a tour with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra for Christmas concerts. Lovely. Which seems far away at the moment because it's absolutely so hot here, it's about 40 degrees. Oh wow, so I can't really think of Christmas right now, but I'm hoping that everything will be okay and that they will happen. Well, funny enough, I don't know why, my daughter just yesterday, she decided she wanted to remember how to sing, um, You Better Watch Out. So she put on all these songs with YouTube about Christmas, I think maybe because it's a moment of being all together. It's like when the lockdown started, my daughter was like, when are we going to see Grandpa and Grandma? Or nonna e nonno in Italy. Because for her, holidays, being home from school means let's go and see the grandparents. So absolutely. Wow, it's been a joy talking to you today. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 PM and 10 AM London time. If If you would like to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to my presenter's page, Stefania Passamonte, Future Classic Women Awards, on womensradiostation.com. Thank you for listening. Thank you for having me. It was lovely talking to you.
