HERA PROTOPAPAS

Praised for her flexible voice and stage presence, Greek-Swedish mezzo soprano Hera Protopapas has a passion for storytelling and a particular love for early and new music. Based in London, she sings everything from opera to choral music, and has performed with ensembles such as Baroquestock, the Oxford Bach Soloists, Longborough Festival Opera, Facade Ensemble and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Vocal Ensemble.

The 2025-2026 season has seen Hera appear as Nerone Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea (Hampstead Garden Opera), Mistress Slender Salieri Falstaff (Baroquestock), alto evangelist Arvo Pärt Passio (Facade Ensemble), chorus Avner Dorman Wahnfried (Longborough Festival Opera), and Mezzo Soprano Lully Psyche  (Wermland Early Music Festival, Sweden). Hera trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Giles Underwood and James Cheung, and while there developed a love for Bach’s music through her frequent involvement in the Academy’s long-running Bach cantata concert series. She thoroughly enjoys collaborating with composers, and has premiered operas such as Louise Drewett Daylighting, Will Harmer Show Home and David Saulesco Prins Pompom, as well as a number of new choral and ensemble works.

Always interested in creative programming and new approaches to classical repertoire, Hera performs biannual recitals at Bottna Kulturkyrka on the stunningly beautiful west coast of Sweden, and together with her friend and colleague Sally Svensson she runs the experimental singing duo Hesa Nova, which combines radical interpretations of existing works with new commissions from composers in thought-provoking and often multimedial performances. Hera is a previous choral scholar with the Thames Philharmonic Choir, the Oxford Bach Soloists, and the choir of Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square. When not singing, she is frequently found reading or writing speculative fiction.