Aris Christofellis

Aris Christofellis is a Greek male soprano born in Athens on 5 February 1960. He is particularly significant for his dedication to Baroque repertoire and early eighteenth-century opera, with a vocal range that allows him to take on roles written for castratos.

He studied piano and singing at the Athens Conservatoire and at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. He refined his voice with Fofi Sarandopoulo, under whom he developed a range of more than three octaves. He made his debut as a recitalist in Bordeaux in 1984 and as an opera singer in Frankfurt in 1986, in Vivaldi's L'Olimpiade.

He has since performed numerous eighteenth-century operas, among them Handel's Il pastor fido and Arminio, Jommelli's Armida abbandonata and Paisiello's L'idolo cinese. On disc he has recorded Vivaldi's Ottone in villa and L'Olimpiade, as well as anthologies of arias for castrato soprano.

He has studied in depth the vocal techniques and ornamentation of eighteenth-century castratos, and has revived several forgotten works. His bright, penetrating timbre, combined with great agility and a secure command of style, places him among the leading interpreters of this repertoire.