George Petrou

George Petrou (Γιώργος Πέτρου) is a Greek conductor and pianist. He is the artistic director of Armonia Atenea, which employs both period and modern instruments and plays a broad repertoire of music from the Baroque period to the modern era. He has also performed with the Munich Radio Orchestra, Concerto Köln, the Bern Symphony Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra, the Bratislava Philharmonic, and Musica Viva. He has recorded for Decca, Oehms Classics, and Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm.

Born in Athens, Petrou studied piano at the Conservatory of Athens, then at the Royal Academy in London, with the support of the Onassis Foundation. As a pianist he performed in a duo with the pianist Christos Papageorgiu, winning the Redding-Piette competition in 1995. His recordings of Handel have tended to final versions, unknown works such as pasticcios. His recordings of Greek composers include the Don Crepuscolo of Nikolaos Mantzaros, performed by bass Christophoros Stamboglis (MDG, LC06768, 2011)

Discography

• Handel: Giulio Cesare Orchestra of Patras MDG
• Handel: Tamerlano MDG
• Handel: Arianna in Creta HWV 32 MDG
• Christoph Willibald Gluck: Il Trionfo di Clelia, 3 CDs Armonia Atenea, Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm
• Handel: Alessandro Severo HWV A13 (pasticcio) with Niccolo Manzaro Don Crepuscolo, 3 CDs MDG
• Handel: Alessandro (opera) HWV 21 Max Emanuel Cencic Armonia Atenea, George Petrou Decca
• Gluck: Arias Daniel Behle, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou, Decca 2014
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus op.43, Armonia Atenea, George Petrou Decca
• Hasse: Opera Arias Rokoko Max Emanuel Cencic Armonia Atenea, George Petrou Decca