Hailed as ‘exquisite’ by Gramophone, soprano Stella Markou, has performed internationally as a soloist in opera, musical theater, oratorio, and on the concert stage. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, she has appeared at leading festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Heidelberg New Music Festival, International Computer Music Conference, Paros Parks Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, Xortos Music Festival, Naxos Island Music Festival, and the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music (SEAMUS).
She was a featured guest artist with the Edinburgh Contemporary Musical Ensemble, Union Avenue Opera, Masterworks Chorale, Dance New Amsterdam Company, University of Nevada Las Vegas Concert Series, Ambassadors of Harmony, Arianna String Quartet, the Nassau Music Society, and the Nashville Ballet.
As a concert soloist, Dr. Markou has performed major works such as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Fauré’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Rutter’s Gloria, and Bach’s Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen. Her operatic repertoire includes Pique Dame, Die Zauberflöte, The Turn of the Screw, The Mikado, The Telephone, and The Songstress, among others.
Highly regarded as both a performer and pedagogue, Dr. Markou has presented masterclasses across North and South America, Europe, and China. She currently serves as Professor of Music, Director of Opera, and Voice Area Coordinator at the University of Kansas. Previous appointments include the University of Missouri–St. Louis, the Festival of International Opera (FIO), and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Artist-in-Training Program.
An accomplished opera and musical theater director, her productions have earned top honors from the National Opera Association’s Opera Production Competition and The American Prize, including First Place in multiple Opera Productions. Dr. Markou holds a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona. Her discography appears on the Naxos, MSR, and SEAMUS labels.