Helena Matheopoulos
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Helena Matheopoulos is a Greek-born, London-based journalist, author, biographer, public speaker and opera specialist. She has worked for a number of high-profile publications including ''
Tatler ''Tatler'' (stylised in all caps) is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle c ...
'', ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'', and Greek ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
'', as well as writing a number of books mainly on opera, but including a biography of
Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
. She has also worked in an advisory capacity for the Athens Megaron and the
Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI Classics, EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Rich ...
and is often asked to speak publicly on opera and related subjects.


Early life and education

Helena Matheopoulos was born in
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. She went to PIERCE College in Athens, and gained her Bachelor's and master's degrees in Medieval History from
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
. She has mostly lived in London.


Journalism

Mathepoulos became Fashion Editor at ''
Tatler ''Tatler'' (stylised in all caps) is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle c ...
'' and after three years, moved to ''
The Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
'' for two years. Whilst at the ''Express'', she was the fashion journalist selected by the
Fashion Museum, Bath The Fashion Museum (known before 2007 as the Museum of Costume) was housed in the Assembly Rooms in Bath, Somerset, England. The collection was started by Doris Langley Moore, who gave her collection of costumes to the city of Bath in 1963. T ...
to choose the defining looks of 1976 for their Dress of the Year collection. Declaring the mid-1970s as the "age of Jap," she chose two women's ensembles by
Kenzō Takada was a Japanese–French fashion designer living in France. He founded Kenzo (brand), Kenzo, a worldwide clothing brand that also markets skincare and perfumes. Takada was the honorary president of the Asian Couture Federation. Early life Taka ...
for his influential label Jungle Jap, and a man's outfit by
Fiorucci Fiorucci () is an Italian fashion label founded by Elio Fiorucci in 1967. The first Fiorucci shop exposed Milan to the styles of Swinging London and to American classics, such as the T-shirt and jeans. By the late 1970s, the direction of stylis ...
. She then moved on to ''
The Evening News Evening News may refer to: Television news *''CBS Evening News'', an American news broadcast *''ITV Evening News'', a UK news broadcast *'' JNN Evening News'', a Japanese news broadcast *''Sumatera Utara Hari Ini'', a North Sumatra news broadcast ...
'' where she had a regular column for Arts-themed celebrity interviews. Matheopoulos also wrote for ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'', ''
Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...
'' and ''Opera Now'', and between 1992-3, had a Saturday column in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' magazine. She then became International Editor-at-Large for Greek ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
''.


Books

Matheopoulos' first book, ''Maestro: Encounters with Conductors of Today'' was chosen as the Music Book of the Year 1983 by ''
Stereo Review ''Sound & Vision'' was an American magazine, purchased by AVTech Media Ltd. (UK) in March 2018, covering home theater, audio, video and multimedia consumer products. Before 2000, it had been published for most of its history as ''Stereo Review' ...
''. Her second book, ''Bravo: Today's Tenors, Baritones and Basses Discuss their Roles'', was also published in UK and US editions, and translated into various languages. The radio program '' Live from the Metropolitan Opera'' chose ''Bravo'' as a season prize for winners of their weekly interval quiz in 1986. ''British Book News'' reviewed ''Bravo'' as an "agreeable read," despite occasional moments of carelessness. ''Diva: Today's Sopranos and Mezzos Discuss their Art'' (1991) went into three hardback editions and two paperback editions in both the UK and the USA in its year of publication. In 1999, the sequel, ''Diva: The New Generation'' was reviewed by ''Classic CD'' as an example of Matheopoulos' consistently good interview-based writing. In 2011 she published ''Fashion Designers at the Opera'', which ''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...
'' described as "deliriously lovely." A review in the ''New York Journal of Books'' described it as "scholarly yet highly entertaining." Mathepoulos has also written two biographies, including a 1996 life of
Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
in collaboration with the King. Her second biography of the operatic tenor
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
was released across eight countries.


Public speaking and opera advising

Matheopoulos has regularly given public speeches on opera related subjects including
Maria Callas Maria Callas (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropoulos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised ...
; ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
''; and Greek mythology in opera. Between 1991 and 1995 she worked for the Athens Megaron as their first Artistic Advisor. She then joined the
Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI Classics, EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Rich ...
as a Special Advisor for Vocal Projects, before returning to the Athens Megaron as a Resident and Director of the Athens Residency. In 2005, she was made Artistic Administrator of Apollonian Enterprises, a musical event organisers which has set up events such as operatic concerts at the
Teatro Dal Verme The Teatro Dal Verme is a theatre in Milan, Italy located on the Via San Giovanni sul Muro, on the site of the former private theatre the ''Politeama Ciniselli''. It was designed by Giuseppe Pestagalli to a commission from Count Francesco Dal Ve ...
and
Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall is a 950-seat capacity concert hall in Sloane Terrace in Chelsea, London, Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. The resident music ensemble at Cadogan Hall is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matheopoulos, Helena Living people Date of birth missing (living people) Alumni of University College London Greek women journalists British women journalists Greek women writers Women biographers Greek biographers British biographers British women biographers Fashion journalists Greek expatriates in the United Kingdom Year of birth missing (living people)