Biography
Ioanna Forti was born in Athens in 1974. She studied piano, music theory and monody under Kostas Paskalis, Maria Koromantzou, Irini Tsirakidou and Despina Kalafati. She began singing professionally in 1993, as a member of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) Choir; she debuted as soloist at the Carnegie Hall in New York (2000). As one of the most versatile Greek soloists, she has excelled in an unusually extensive repertoire: opera, operetta, baroque music, refined and popular Greek music, musicals and rock music. She has been a chorister of the Choir of ERT (1993-1999) and the GNO Choir (1999-2000), and a soloist with the Athens Chamber Opera. She has performed roles in Mikis Theodorakis' operas and many other works. She works on a regular basis with composers Christos Leontis and Elias Andriopoulos. She has worked with many respected Greek cultural organizations and institutions, such as: GNO, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) Musical Ensembles, Athens and Thessaloniki Concert Halls, Athens Festival, Demetria Festival, Onassis Foundation, Orchestra of Colors, Mikis Theodorakis Orchestra, Latinitas Nostra early music ensemble, Vasistas group, BIOS etc. She has appeared at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Epidaurus Ancient Theater, Athens Concert Hall, as well as in theaters in New York, London and Germany. She has been working as soloist with the GNO since 2007, appearing mainly in productions by the Children's Stage (Cinderella, The Tale of Tsar Saltan, etc.) and the Operetta Stage (Remember those years [Thymisou ekeina ta chronia], The love germ [To mikrovio tou erota]. She collaborates regularly in productions of The Beggars' Operas company. She worked with the Latinitas Nostra ensemble in the contemporary performance of Benedetto Marcello's cantata Cassandra (Festival of Rhodes, and Athens, 2009). She sang in the opera The Coronation of Poppaea [L'incoronazione di Poppea] (Athens Festival, 2011). She has participated in the recording of five LPs.
