History of Calliope Interpreters
In the late 1990s a number of interpreters in different countries with a solid customer base came up with the idea of pooling their resources worldwide in the Calliope network to enhance the level of service to their clients.
Launched in 2000, the network grew by 2002 to count some twenty current members in the main conference interpreting markets. All members know each other personally and work in close cooperation when their clients meet abroad or if called upon to manage complex recruitment specifications.
Calliope admits as members only those consultant interpreters who identify with its approach to the profession and who recruit harmonious teams that rise to the occasion at each conference.
We are constantly striving to improve our service to clients thanks to our online tools (info sheets, the film Smart Speaking, the Briefcase), by constant updating of our interpreter database, by ever closer cooperation between our members and by systematic quality assessment of our teams at work.
Calliope's consultant interpreters
Rosaura Bartumeu – ANDORRA
A graduate of the University of Barcelona and a sworn translator and interpreter, Rosaura organizes most of the conferences in tiny Andorra. She also works regularly in Spain, most particularly for the Catalan Committee of UNESCO that has been her client for 20 years.
Martine Bonadona – PARIS
A graduate of France's top business school (HEC), PR manager in Belgium, university lecturer in the UK, Martine devotes herself to all aspects of marketing and PR in the profession. She regularly organizes interpreting for advertising agencies, the financial sector and the European Economic and Social Committee, and is a founder member of Calliope.
Pablo Chang-Castillo – SAN FRANCISCO
Born in Nicaragua, raised in Central America and the USA, Pablo is a graduate of Monterey. He has several regular clients on the west coast of the United States, particularly in the medical and software sectors. He also works for the American and Canadian governments and within the United Nations family.
Irina Christodoulou-Pipis – NICOSIA
Irina is half Greek and half Romanian and studied in France and the United Kingdom. Since returning to her native Cyprus, she has regularly organized conferences for international organizations that visit the island. She is currently learning Turkish.
Hazel Cole – TORONTO
A graduate of the ESIT interpreting school in Paris, Hazel has huge experience in the buoyant Canadian interpreting market. She is a matchless organizer of interpreting services throughout Canada and into the USA. She has gained considerable experience in interpreting for webcasts.
Laurence Corréard – LISBON
Laurence was born in Paris. A Sorbonne graduate, she undertook postgraduate studies in Britain and subsequently in Portugal which has been her home for over ten years. She is an interpreter and a translator and her client portfolio includes ministries, pharmaceutical companies and winegrowers. Laurence has boundless energy and in 2007 was entrusted with provision of the interpreting services for most of the conferences held as part of the Portuguese EU presidency.
Cristina del Castillo – MEXICO
Cristina trained as an interpreter at the Polytechnic of Central London and at the University of Mexico. She works chiefly for international clients, including the Canadian government. She has been a council member of AIIC.
Andrew Dawrant 杜蕴德 – CHINA
A native of Canada, Andrew trained as a Chinese-language conference interpreter at Fu Jen University (MA & ProfDip, 1996) and joined AIIC in 1999. Andrew has extensive experience working for international organizations, governments, and the private sector. He directed one of China's top conference interpreter training programs for eight years. Based in Shanghai, Andrew is now a full-time consultant interpreter and conference interpreter active across Greater China.
Patrick Delhaye – NOUMEA
Patrick played an important role in developing interpreting services in New Zealand and has entrusted his clients to Bertold Schmitt whilst under contract to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Noumea.
Haris Ghinos – ATHENS
From a science background, Haris trained as an interpreter at the European Commission where he worked as a staff interpreter for several years. After returning to Athens he has worked regularly for the Greek government and ministries. He is also a council member of AIIC.
Danielle Grée – BARCELONA
A graduate of ESIT, Danielle has an impressive track record as an organizer, with events such as the Olympic Games (Barcelona 1992) and the Universal Forum of Cultures (2004). A founder member of Calliope and tireless advocate for the profession, she has been a member of the AIIC Council.
Alexandra Hambling – DUBLIN
Based in Dublin, Alexandra works at the highest level and was a member of the G8 Summit team for two years. She provides interpreting teams to a wide range of clients, business and governmental, Irish and international. She is the President of Calliope.
Linda Hoffmeyer – COPENHAGEN
Based in Copenhagen, Linda has a sizable portfolio of Scandinavian clients and works on a regular basis for Danish ministries and government agencies. She has also been a member of the AIIC Council.
Victor Imboua-Niava – ACCRA
A graduate of the Polytechnic of Central London, Victor began his career in his country's diplomatic service, Côte d'Ivoire. He became a freelance in 1985 when he joined AIIC. He currently lives in Ghana and works mostly at meetings of the UN system, the World Health Organization and the Bretton Woods institutions in West, Central and East Africa.
Héloïse Martins-Costa – RIO DE JANEIRO
A graduate of ESIT, Héloïse is sought after by Brazilian ministries and government agencies for her skills in French. She also organizes many meetings for companies. She has been a council member of AIIC.
Maria-Cecilia Navas – BOGOTA
Maria-Cecilia works regularly for the Colombian government and specializes in medical conferences. She is a founder member of Fundación Fiambre, a charitable organization that supports poor children in Bogota. She has been a council member of AIIC.
Nathalie Pijollet – BERLIN
Nathalie is half French and half German and completely bilingual. She joined Calliope to replace Henri Samama, one of Calliope's founder members, in this major market. She works regularly for German ministries and the German government.
Christoph Renfer – ZURICH
Christoph is one of the leading consultant interpreters in German-speaking Switzerland, and has clients in the banking, finance and insurance sectors as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. He is also a literary translator with several published works.
Claudia Ricci – RIMINI
After obtaining her University degrees from SSIT of Bologna, IULM of Milan and University of Westminster (former PCL), Claudia went on to free-lance both for the EU Institutions and for private clients. An all-round linguist with organising skills, she works hard to cater to all her clients’ needs, ranging from culinary magazines to highly technical medical conferences and top-level meetings. In all languages.
Bertold Schmitt – SYDNEY
Bertold is half French and half German and based in Sydney. He covers the length and breadth of South East Asia and has APEC and several Codex Alimentarius committees amongst his clients. He is a founder member of Calliope and its assiduous treasurer.
Phil Smith – GENEVA
Trained by the European Union in the late 1970s, Phil is one of Calliope's main copywriters. He has been a member of the AIIC council. He also works regularly pro bono at Amnesty International conferences.
Martyn Swain – CAPE TOWN
Martyn has travelled the world on a motorbike, climbed Kilimanjaro and worked in theatre. He worked for years as a staff interpreter at NATO before moving to Cape Town where he is working to develop the conference business. He is the author of our short animation "Smart Speaking".
