Zoi Maria

Mezzo-soprano Maria Zoi was born in Athens and raised in Trikala, where she had her first music lessons. She studied piano with Professor Christos Lenoutsos in the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa as well as Music Theory.
 
In 1997, she won the First Prize in the 3rd Panhellenic Children's Singing Competition and in 1999 the First Prize in the Panhellenic Singing Competition of the Ministry of Culture.
 
When she was only 15 years old, she was discovered by the great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis who motivated her to record his songs on her first album titled "Dromoi palioi" (Legend).
 
A year later, Maria Farantouri, Miltos Logiadis and Giorgos Kouroupos, chose her means an audition to participate in the concert "A century of Greek Song", with the Orchestra of Colours in the Herodium Ancient Theatre of Athens, next to the distinguished singer Maria Farantouri.
 
In 2005, Greek television (Mega Channel) awarded her with the "Arion Prize-Best Traditional Album of the year", for her participation in an album-tribute to the music of Dodecanese (Lyra), next to the most significant Greek singers.