He was a great Greek, who honoured our country with his voice all over the world and in the lyrical music world. His great talent was evident early on in his high school years. He participated in many choirs, of Piraeus as well as in church choirs as a cantor , Holy Trinity of Piraeus and St. George of Karitsis. At the same time he began to attend classes at the National Conservatory, theory and singing. He studied in the class of Manolis Kalomiris from where he will receive the diploma of Monodou, with an unanimous distinction and an honorary distinction.

In 1943 he was hired by the Greek National Opera as a chorus singer, but soon gained the role of soloist in many operas. Since 1950 he is now used in leading roles in operatic and operetta works. She appears in lyric theatres(1953) during local festivals, Ancient Theatre of Patras and Odeon of Herodes Atticus. In the same year, he will serve at the School of Lyric Theatre of the Scala of Milan. There his exceptional vocal abilities (timbre, range, musicality and stage presence) were recognised, and he was offered the opportunity to participate as a soloist in G. Verdi’s opera Rigoleto (16.12.1953). The flattering reviews he would receive would lift him up and he would receive numerous invitations from the opera houses of Europe and America.

He is now established as a great star of opera, (known by his stage name Nicola Zaccaria). His path would cross with the other great artistic ambassador of Greece, Maria Callas, and the two would become deep friends and collaborate in many operas , for many years, in the 1950s and 60s. She recorded many albums (more than forty) with the world’s major record companies, collaborating in great performances with other great names of the lyric theatre, such as : L. Pavarotti, G. di Stefano, Fr. Corelli, L. Nucci, Monserat Caballe, El. Souliotis, Anna Molfo, etc. under the direction of great conductors such as : T. Serafin, L. Bernstein, Bruno Walter, H. von Karajan, etc.

N. Zachariou was honoured by the Italian state in 1996 and was anointed as a “Knight of the Italian Republic” for his thirty-year collaboration and contribution to the Lyric Theatre of the Scala of Milan. Years earlier he was awarded by the Academy of Athens. He was also awarded the Golden Cross of the Order of Honour by the President of the Hellenic Republic in 2002.