FORMER WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH RESIDENT GIVES BACK
THROUGH MUSIC
PHOTO BY KRISTIN HOEBERMANN
Nikoleta Rallis.
Nikoleta Rallis’ first performance at Thalian Hall came when she
was 9 years old, playing an orphan in a production of “Annie.” Her
next performance at the historic venue will come Oct. 21, when she
takes the stage as a featured performer in the opening gala of the
Wilmington Music Festival.
Rallis grew up in Wrightsville Beach, where her parents still own a
home. She went on to perform as a soprano soloist in operas around
the world. She now lives in New York City with her husband of
about five months, concert pianist Aza Sydykov.
“Wilmington and the area is such a special place,” she says. “I feel
lucky to have been brought up in a place with so many cultural influ-ences.
I want to give back to the town that’s given so much to me.”
Rallis and Sydykov founded the Wilmington Music Festival as
a means to promote the arts. The inaugural event features the two
founders, along with Rallis’ father, tenor Michael Rallis, and other
artists performing operatic and Broadway music. There will be more
concerts, but the main focus of the organization will be to promote
the arts to the young, elderly and disadvantaged.
“A big, big part of the festival is not just the performances but
our community and education outreaches,” Rallis says.
— Simon Gonzalez
16
WBM october 2017