Keynote speaker

Niki Lada

Niki Lada is a Greek Falcon soprano and performer widely recognized for her magnetic stage presence and vocal excellence. Her artistic practice spans from the nineteenth-century operatic repertoire to contemporary music, blending refined technical control with compelling dramatic versatility.

After initial training in Greece across theatre, classical singing, and English literature, she relocated to Italy to pursue advanced specializations. There, she earned her degree in Classical Singing at the Conservatory of Perugia, specialized in twentieth- and twenty-first-century music at the Conservatory of Ravenna, and further honed her skills in contemporary repertoire at the International Divertimento Ensemble Academy in Milan.

A dedicated champion of new music, she has premiered and performed numerous works written specifically for her voice. Her career features collaborations with prominent composers such as Nicolas Tzortzis, Nikos Galenianos, Vito Palumbo, Franck Bedrossian, Rosalba Quindici, Marco Momi, and Zesses Segglias. She has performed with leading contemporary ensembles—including Divertimento Ensemble, Suono Giallo Ensemble, Opificio Sonoro, Tettix, Ergon Ensemble, and Icarus VS Muzak—appearing at major festivals and cultural institutions throughout Italy and Greece like the CYFEST 17 International Media Art Festival, the Taras Festival, the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, the Teatro Alighieri in Ravenna, the Fabbrica del Vapore and Teatro Litta in Milan, the DAMSLab in Bologna, the Imola International Music Festival, Rondò in Monferrato, the Tempo Reale Festival (Unlocked Sound), Il Suono Contemporary Music Week.

Alongside her performing career, she is actively involved in promoting contemporary vocal literature through educational projects and mentorship. She has coached young composers at the Greek National Opera and co-developed Woven Voices alongside Zesses Segglias and the Greek Composers Union, a project specifically dedicated to Morton Feldman’s vocal techniques. Driven by a passion for multidisciplinary experimentation, improvisation, and collaborative creation, she co-founded the [tis ixu's] ensemble. She combines her artistic career with teaching positions at Italian music conservatories and is currently based in Perugia, Italy.