North Aegean Περιφέρεια Βορείου Αιγαίου
—  Region of Greece  —
Logo
Coordinates: 38°42′N 26°00′E / 38.7°N 26.0°E / 38.7; 26.0Coordinates: 38°42′N 26°00′E / 38.7°N 26.0°E / 38.7; 26.0
Country	Greece
Capital	Mytilene
Regional units	List Chios Ikaria Lemnos Lesbos Samos
Government
• Regional governor	Athanasios Giakalis (PASOK)
Area
• Total	3,836 km2 (1,481 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	208,151
• Density	54/km2 (140/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	GR-K
Website	www.pvaigaiou.gov.gr

The North Aegean (Greek: Περιφέρεια Βορείου Αιγαίου) is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It comprises the islands of the north-eastern Aegean Sea, except for Samothrace, which belongs to the region of East Macedonia and Thrace, and Imbros and Tenedos which belong to Turkey.

Administration[link]

The North Aegean region was established in the 1987 administrative reform. With the 2010 Kallikratis plan, its powers and authority were redefined and extended. Along with the South Aegean, it is supervised by the Decentralized Administration of the Aegean based at Piraeus. The capital of the region is situated in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos.

Until the Kallikratis reform, the region consisted of the three prefectures of Samos, Chios and Lesbos. Since 1 January 2011 it is divided into 5 regional units, formed around major islands:^[1] Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, Lesbos and Samos.

The region's governor is, since 1 January 2011, Athanasios (Nasos) Giakalis, who was elected in the November 2010 local administration elections for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement.

Major communities[link]

• Chíos (Χίος)
• Kalloní (Καλλονή)
• Karlóvasi (Καρλόβασι)
• Mýrina (Μύρινα)
• Mytilíni (Μυτιλήνη)
• Omiroúpoli (Ομηρούπολη)
• Pythagóreio (Πυθαγόρειο)
• Vathý (Βαθύ)

References[link]

v t e Administrative division of the North Aegean Region Area: 3,836km² • Population: 206,121 (2001) • Capital: Mytilini Regional unit of Chios Chios • Oinousses • Psara Regional unit of Ikaria Fournoi Korseon • Ikaria Regional unit of Lemnos Agios Efstratios • Lemnos Regional unit of Lesbos Lesbos Regional unit of Samos Samos Regional governor: Athanasios Giakalis • Website: www.pvaigaiou.gov.gr

v t e Administrative regions of Greece Attica • Central Greece • Central Macedonia • Crete • East Macedonia and Thrace • Epirus • Ionian Islands • North Aegean • Peloponnese • South Aegean • Thessaly • West Greece • West Macedonia

v t e Articles on the Aegean Sea General Countries  Greece  Turkey Other Aegean civilization Aegean Islands Aegean dispute Aegean islands Cyclades Amorgos Anafi Andros Antimilos Antiparos Delos Despotiko Donoussa Folegandros Gyaros Ios Irakleia Kardiotissa Kea Keros Kimolos Koufonisia Kythnos Milos Mykonos Nata Naxos Paros Polyaigos Rineia Santorini Schoinoussa Serifopoula Serifos Sifnos Sikinos Syros Therasia Tinos Vous Dodecanese Agathonisi Arkoi Armathia Alimia Astakida Astypalaia Çatalada Chalki Chamili Farmakonisi Gaidaros Gyali Imia/Kardak Kalolimnos Kalymnos Kandelioussa Kara Ada Karpathos Kasos Kinaros Kos Küçük Tavşan Adası Leros Lipsi Lebynthos Nimos Nisyros Patmos Pacheia Platy Pserimos Rhodes Saria Salih Ada Symi Syrna Telendos Tilos Zafora North Aegean Agios Efstratios Ammouliani Ayvalık Islands Büyük Ada Chios Chryse Cunda Foça Islands Fournoi Korseon Icaria Imbros Koukonesi Lemnos Lesbos Metalik Ada Nisiopi Oinousses Psara Samiopoula Samos Samothrace Tenedos Thasos Thymaina Saronic Aegina Agios Georgios Angistri Dokos Hydra Poros Psyttaleia Salamis Spetses Sporades Adelfoi Islets Agios Georgios Skopelou Alonnisos Argos Skiathou Dasia Erinia Gioura Grammeza Kyra Panagia Lekhoussa Peristera Piperi Psathoura Repi Sarakino Skandili Skantzoura Skiathos Skopelos Skyropoula Skyros Tsougria Valaxa Cretan Afentis Christos Agia Varvara Agioi Apostoloi Agioi Pantes Agioi Theodoroi Agios Nikolaos Anavatis Arnaouti Aspros Volakas Avgo Crete Daskaleia Dia Diapori Dionysades Elasa Ftena Trachylia Glaronisi Gramvousa Grandes Kalydon (Spinalonga) Karavi Karga Katergo Kavallos Kefali Kolokythas Koursaroi Kyriamadi Lazaretta Leon Mavros Mavros Volakas Megatzedes Mochlos Nikolos Palaiosouda Peristeri Peristerovrachoi Petalida Petalouda Pontikaki Pontikonisi Praso Kissamou Prosfora Pseira Sideros Souda Valenti Vryonisi Other Antikythera Euboea Cythera Makronisos

Cheryl Studer (born October 24, 1955) is a Grammy Award winning American dramatic soprano who has sung at many of the world's major opera houses.^[1] A singer with unusual versatility, Studer has performed more than eighty roles ranging from the dramatic repertoire to roles more commonly associated with lyric sopranos and coloratura sopranos. Because of her ability to sing many different kinds of roles, some critics have compared Studer's voice to that of Lilli Lehmann.^[2] She is most admired for her interpretations of the works of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner.^[3]

Early childhood and education[link]

Studer was born in Midland, Michigan to parents Carl W. Studer and Elizabeth S. Studer (formerly Smith, later Peterson), in a family of three children.^[4] She began studying the piano at age five and a few years later the viola. She became interested in becoming an opera singer after listening to the album "Callas à Paris" at the age of 12. Her mother and stepfather, Carl A. Peterson, Jr., responded by giving her voice lessons with Gwendolyn Pike, a local opera singer and voice teacher. Studer attended Herbert Henry Dow High School,^[5] then transferred to the Interlochen Arts Academy for her junior and senior years and graduated from there in 1974. Following high school, Studer studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music but left the program after only one year, deciding to move with her family to Tennessee. She continued her studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance in 1979.^[6] Studer won several awards and competitions during this time, including the High Fidelity/Musical America Award in 1977 and the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 1978.^[7]

While in college, Studer attracted the attention of Leonard Bernstein, who offered her full scholarships to study for three consecutive summers at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood (1975 to 1977), where she studied with Phyllis Curtin. She debuted at Tanglewood in 1976 in J. S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. Ozawa was so impressed with Studer's performance that he invited her for a series of concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall during the 1978/1979 season.^[3]

In the summer of 1979, Studer attended a course for foreign students on the art of the German Lied at the Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, Austria. In this program, Studer's teachers included Irmgard Seefried, Brigitte Fassbaender, and Hans Hotter. Hotter convinced Studer to remain in Europe to study further with him at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Vienna. Studer studied with Hotter for one year before launching out on her professional career.^[8] In 1979, she won the Franz-Schubert-Institut-Preis for excellence in Lied interpretation.^[6]

Career[link]

1980s[link]

In 1981, Studer was hired as a permanent member of the Bavarian State Opera by Wolfgang Sawallisch. She remained with the company for two consecutive seasons, singing mostly minor roles in their productions. Her lead roles at the Bavarian State Opera included the title role in Carl Maria von Weber's Euryanthe and Mařenka The Bartered Bride.^[9] It was while working with the Bavarian State Opera that Studer was first encouraged to study the works of Richard Wagner and the dramatic soprano repertoire. Up to this point she had focused mostly on the bel canto repertoire, with her only foray into German repertoire up to that point being through lieder. She made her professional opera debut with the company as Helmwige in Wagner's Die Walküre.^[2] At the end of the 1981/82 season, she left the Munich ensemble to join the Staatstheater Darmstadt for two seasons. In the spring of 1983, Studer's big breakthrough came when she was cast as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata with the Staatstheater Braunschweig. This was followed by two more important roles the following summer: Irene in Wagner's Rienzi and Drola in Wagner's Die Feen, under the direction of Wolfgang Sawallisch at the Bavarian State Opera's Summer Music Festival. In 1984, Studer left the Staatstheater Darmstadt to become a permanent member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble. She stayed with the company for two full seasons. Also in 1984, Studer made her US opera debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen.^[3]

In 1985, Studer garnered international attention with her performance of Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhäuser under the baton of Giuseppe Sinopoli at the Bayreuth Festival. Positive reviews of this performance quickly led Studer to leading roles in the world's most prestigious opera houses.^[10] In 1986, Studer made her debut at the Liceu as Freia in Wagner's Das Rheingold and her debut at Opéra de Paris as Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. That same year, she also made her debut with the San Francisco Opera as Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger. In 1987, Studer made her debut with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhäuser and her debut at La Scala as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni. In 1988, Studer made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen. That same year she returned to La Scala to perform the role of Mathilde in Rossini's William Tell.^[11] She also sang the role of Agathe in Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz at the Théâtre Musical de Paris.^[12] In 1989, Studer made her Vienna State Opera and Salzburg Festival debuts playing the same role, Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss' Elektra. That same year, Studer received the Grand Prix du Disque – Prix Maria Callas. Also in 1989, Studer returned to La Scala to perform the role of La Duchesse Hélène in Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani and made her debut with the Opera Company of Philadelphia in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.^[13]

1990s[link]

In 1990, Studer returned to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the role of Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni. That same year, Studer sang the role of Elsa in Richard Wagner's Lohengrin at the Vienna State Opera. In 1991, Studer performed two more roles at the Met, Elettra in Mozart's Idomeneo and Violetta in Verdi's La traviata.^[14] That same year, Studer sang the role of Odabella in Verdi's Attila at La Scala and Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. Also in 1991, Studer shared the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording with fellow artists for a recording of Wagner's Götterdämmerung. In 1992, Studer returned to the Salzburg Festival to perform the role of the Empress in Die Frau ohne Schatten.^[11] That same year, Studer embarked upon her first big European tour, giving acclaimed recitals of mostly German Lieder. With the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus she sang the title role in Rossini's Semiramide and recorded it, also in 1992.