Gala El Hadidi

Mezzo-soprano Gala El Hadidi joined the Cairo Opera Company in 2001 at the age of 18. She started studying with Tenor Sobhi Bidair and attended several master classes with international artists such as Mezzo-Sopranos Marilyn Horne in USA and Teresa Berganza, Baritone Tom Krause in Finland, Bass-Baritone Alan Held, as well as, Alto Ingeborg Danz in Germany. She recently finished her second Master's Degree at Yale University in USA, studying Opera performance with Soprano Doris Yarick-Cross.

She graduated from the American University in Cairo with a B.A. in Philosophy in 2005 and a M.A. in English and Comparative Literature in June 2007. Her Thesis is titled: “Carmen: Debating the Femme Fatale.” She has won several prizes in French and German competitions such as “Jugend musiziert.” El Hadidi received a scholarship to attend the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart/Germany in September 2005.

Her operatic repertoire includes many of the major mezzo-soprano roles such as: Carmen, Suzuki, Baba, Cherubino, Prince Orlofsky, Madame Popova, Zweite Dame, Lola, Jenny and Hänsel (Nov. & Dec.2010). In addition she has considerable concert and oratorio experience, including Bach's B-Minor Mass, Beethoven 9th Symphony, Dvorak's Stabat Mater, Mozart's Requiem, Thomas- and Kroenungsmesse, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus and Rutter's Magnificat.

Throughout the last 7 years, she gave several concerts in Connecticut, New York State & Washington D.C. (USA), Rome, Venice & Ischia (Italy); Stuttgart & Leipzig (Germany); Helsinki & Savonlinna (Finland); Istanbul (Turkey); Algiers & Constantine (Algeria); Rabat, Casablanca & Essaouira (Morocco). She participated in many International festivals such as Stuttgart’s International Summer Festival 2004; Festival de Tres Culturas in Morocco in 2005; Festival des Alizes in Morocco in 2005; Europäische Musik Festival in Stuttgart in 2005; Der Internationale Musik Sommer in Stuttgart in 2006 and the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland in 2007 & 2008 (at the Rising Stars Concert Series).

In May 2009, Ms. El Hadidi made her debut at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage as a participant of the Conservatory Project, in Washington D.C. (USA), as well as became the New England Finalist at The Metropolitan Opera.

2011-2012 Please do not use older versions of this biography. For any modifications, please contact  a r t e s y s t e m.