Nikos Athineos

Nikos Athineos was born in Khartum, Sudan, and grew up in Athens. He studied piano at the Athens Conservatoire (with Zoe Agelastou and Maria Cherogiorgou-Sigara), as well as harmony,counterpoint and composition (with Gunther Becker and Giannis A. Papaioannou). After his piano diploma,awarded the grade "excellent" and first prize unanimously (1968), he collaborated as a soloist with all major Greek orchestras; he then left, with a German scholarship for Köln, in order to complete his musical studies at the ?? [German title, please], where he studied piano, composition, and conducting, his exclusive occupation since 1978. He started his career as assistant conductor at the Mannheim National Theatre (Opera). After several intermediate posts as opera conductor (Pfortsheim,Ulm, Darmstadt), in 1990 he was appointed General Musical Director in Frankfurt a.d. O. and sole conductor of the Philarmonic Orchestra of the city. In a very short while, he transformed this orchestra from a mediocre local ensemble to the main symphonic orchestra of the federal state of Brademburg, as testified by ist being renamed State Orchestra of Frankfurt a. d. O. Under his direction, the Orchestra has gone on numerous tours both in Germany, performing in Berlin,Köln, Bonn, Bremen etc, and abroad (Spain,Russian, Israel, Franc, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Holland), appearing in major European cities such as Moscow, Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, The Hague, Brussels,Tel Aviv etc. Furthermore, G. Ath. Has recorded a considerable number of CDs, obtaining international prizes and acclaim. As invited conductor, he has collaborated with various German and European orchestras. In 1989,he conducted the London Philarmonia in two concerts at the Athens Festrival, and he has repeatedly collaborated with the Athens State Orchestra and the Thessaloniki State Orchestra. Since May 2000, he is the Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.