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 her appear as Nerone in Hampstead Garden Opera’s production of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Mistress Slender in Salieri’s Falstaff with Baroquestock, alto evangelist in Arvo Pärt’s Passio with the Facade Ensemble, chorus in Avner Dorman’s Wahnfried with Longborough Festival Opera, and the mezzo roles in Lully’s Psyche at the Wermland Early Music Festival in 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’s Daylighting, Will Harmer’s Show Home and David Saulesco’s 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, Sloane Square.

 

Hera is represented by SEArtists.