Hailed as having a “massive, sinfully rich voice” (New York Observer), Greek mezzo-soprano Karolina Pilou is quickly establishing her self as an exciting young dramatic mezzo-soprano to look out for . She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2016-17 season as Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Since her debut she has returned to The Metropolitan Opera for several seasons as The voice from Above in Parsifal (2017/18) conducted by Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin , Albine (cover) in Thais and Mistress Quickly (cover) in Verdi's Falstaff . In spring of 2020 she was scheduled to cover the role of Anna in their production of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda . She has sung the roles of Azucena in Verdi’s Il Trovatore in London with the English Opera Singers, Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi in Tel Aviv with the International Vocal Arts Institute, Older Woman in J.Dove’s Flight with the British Youth Opera, and Mistress Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff with Aspen Music Festival and Mannes Opera . Other recent performances include Morna in Malvina di Scozia with Vertical Player Repertory, and Marquise de Berkenfield in La Fille du Régiment with the Martina Arroyo Foundation and The Wendy Taucher Dance Opera Theater in 2018. Most recently she performed the role of Marta in (excerpts from) Boito's Mefistofele with the Teatro Grattacielo in New York that was streamed world wide, as well as being the Alto soloist in the company’s filmed version of Handel’s Messiah.Inthe 2021-2022 season she will be making her company and role debut as Katisha in Intermountain Opera Bozeman's production of Mikado
As a soloist in opera concerts,oratorio and symphonic works, she has performed as the mezzo-soprano soloist in LoftOpera’s Summer Sessions Verdi concert, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Empire State Sinfonia and MidAtlantic Opera Orchestra at NJPAC, Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium, Verdi’s Requiem and Villa-Lobos' Magnificat-Alleluia with the Little Orchestra Society of New York. In 2018 she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing the mezzo-soprano soloist in Haydn's Mariazeller Messe and the alto soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria .
She has been the recipient of several prizes and awards from the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Vocal Competition, the New York Lyric Opera Competition, the Olga Forrai Foundation, and the Career Bridges Foundation and she was selected as a semifinalist at the Dallas Opera Guild Competition.Most recently in 2021 she was awarded a grant from The Wagner Society of New York