Greek Soprano Dimitra Theodossiou Survives Ship Fire

The soprano at a concert in China last May.

Dimitra Theodossiou was a first-class passenger on the Norman Atlantic ferry when she awoke to smoke in her cabin. The opera soprano describes in detail throwing on a sweater, grabbing money, and gathering identification, before making her way to the upper decks of the ship. She was shocked to see men pushing women out of the way to make it to the helicopters rescuing passengers. A fellow passenger also slapped her face to keep her awake waiting for her chance for rescue declaring, "You must not sleep. If you sleep, you die." She was particularly distressed by the lack of no fire alarm on the ship and the fact that not all of the life boats were put in the water. The full account of the tragic event can be found after the jump. Read the full interview with the soprano by clicking here. For videos of the fire and rescue, click here. Read the soprano's complete biography here. Listen to a telephone interview, and watch a video tribute to the Greek opera star, below.

Contemporary Interpretations of Leonora in "Il Trovatore"

Listen to some of the sopranos from the last decade to take on the challenging role of Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore. Following are samples of the difficult aria "D'amor sull'ali rosee" by a few well-known artists, as well as some new contenders:







BONUS: Renée Fleming singing "Tacea la notte" after the jump.