George Petrou
turned to conducting after following a successful career as a concert pianist. His conducting activities encompass a very wide repertoire, with emphasis at the historically informed interpretations and the opera.

Highlights of his coming engagements include a tour of Handel's "Alessandro" in venues such as the Conzertgebouw Amsterdam, Theater an der Wien, Salle Pleyel, Athens Megaron, a new production of Rossini's "Cenerentola" at the Greek National Opera, a new production of Handel's "Semele" in Opera Nice, a co-production of La Monnaie and B' Rock orchestra of Purcell's "King Arthur", Mayr's "Ginevra" with the Muenchner Runfunkorchester in Ingolstadt and theatro Donizetti (Bergamo), a concert tour with Max Emanuel Cencic and Armonia Atenea in venues including Arsenal (Metz), Theatre Monte-Carlo, Theatre Aix-en-provence, Tonhalle Zurich, opera National Bordeaux and various concert appearences with Armonia Atenea, Muenchner Runfunkorchester, Symphonie Orchester Bern, Athens State Orchestra.

Recent highlights include a new production of Vivaldi’s Farnace at the Opera National du Rhin, Verdi's Nabucco with the Athens State Orchestra, Handel's "Alessandro" in Staatstheater Wiesbaden, opera Royal Versailles and Opera Vichy, Gluck's Alceste at Oper Leipzig, Lully’s Phaeton and A. Scarlatti’s Il Tigrane at the Saarlaendisches Staatstheater, the first world revival of Gluck’s Il trionfo di Clelia at the Megaron of Athens, first world revival of Mayr’s La Lodoiska with the Muenchner Runfunkorchester, Rossini’s Barbiere Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" and Gluck's "Orphee" at the Greek National opera, Handel’s Semele at Staatstheater Bern, Gluck’s Iphigenie en Aulide at the new hall of the Onassis foundation in Athens, Gluck’s Alceste with Anna Caterina Antonacci in the title role and Handel’s Theodora in a staged production of the Megaron of Athens, Handel’s Giulio Cesare at the Megaron of Thessaloniki as well as many concert appearances in venues including Tchaikowski Hall in Moscow, Opera Royal Versailles, Athens Megaron.

He has conducted works such as Handel’s Oreste, Arianna in Creta, Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, Haydn’s Isola Disabitata and Handel’s Tamerlano, Vivaldi’s Giustino and Juditha Triumphans, Monteverdi’s Ulisse and Poppea, Paisielo’s L’Olimpiade (in his own critical edition from the manuscript).

In concert he is equally at home with romantic and modern repertoire working successfully either with period instrument ensembles, or symphony orchestras. He is the Artistic Director of the Athens based Armonia Atenea orchestra, an interntionally acclaimed group with a very wide scope of activities, both on period and modern instruments and a strong international touring and recording presence (DECCA, SONY Classical MDG).

He has collaborated as soloist with renowned orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestre National du Capitolle de Toulouse, the Tchaikovsky Orchestra of the Moscow Radio, collaborating with famous conductors such as Michelle Plasson and Vladimir Fedoseyef.

His recent recording of Handel's "Alessandro" for Decca was honored with some of the world's most prestigious awards including "Opera recording of the year 2012" from the International Opera Awards (London), Diapason d'Or, Choc (Classica), BBC-Recording of the month, IRR-Outstanding.

His recordings of the operas Oreste, Arianna in Creta, Alessandro Severo, Tamerlano and Giulio Cesare by Handel, with the German label MDG, were received with the highest critical acclaim from the international press (Choc-Monde de la Musique, Gramophone-Editor’s Choice, Diapason 5, CD of the week-Sunday Times, Recording of the month in Musicweb, Crescendo Bestenliste Platz 1, etc.). Tamerlano received the prestigious ECHO KLASSIC 2008 as opera recording of the year. His live recording Mayr’s Lodoiska with the Muenchner Runfunkorchester was released by OEHMS CLASSICS in June 2011.

Future recording projects include the release of Beethoven's "The creatures of Prometheus", "Rococo" with M. E. Cencic and "Gluck tenor arias" with Daniel Behle, all with DECCA.

George Petrou studied piano at the Athens Conservatoire from where he graduated with First Prize Distinction. He continued his studies at the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music in London under scholarships from the RAM and the Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, graduating with the ARCM and MMus.

He has been prizewinner in international competitions in England, Italy, the Czech Republic and Japan. He has received the Artist of the Year 1998 award and also the Best recording of the Year 2006 award for Arianna in Creta by the Union of the Greek Critics of Music and Drama and the Sebetia Ter prize (2006) in Napoli.

Armonia Atenea
is the new international name of the Athens Camerata. The orchestra was founded in 1991 by the Friends of Music Society of Athens with the inauguration of the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall. Since then it has been the resident orchestra of the Megaron. From 2011 the orchestra has spread its main activities between the Megaron and the Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens.

Armonia Atenea presents a multifaceted identity, equally at home on period and modern instruments. It encompasses a wide concert repertoire from early baroque to 21st century, as well as opera and ballet productions.

The Echo Klassik winning conductor George Petrou holds the post of artistic director. Former artistic directors have included Sir Neville Marriner, Christopher Warren-Green and Alexander Myrat.

The orchestra maintains a busy concert schedule in Athens and also appears in many of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals such as the Musikverein (Vienna), the Théâtre des Champs – Elysées (Paris), the Opera Royal Versailles, the Concertgebouw, the Salle Pleyel the Innsbruck Summer festival of Early Music, the Versailles Festival and the Bucharest Enescu Festival. Future highlights include appearances at the Palais de Bozar (Brussels), the Arsenal (Metz), the Opera de Monte Carlo, the Grand Theatre (Aix-en-Provence), the Tonhalle (Zurich) and the National Opera of Bordeaux.

The orchestra has a long list of cd releases for companies such as DECCA, SONY CLASSICAL, EMI Classics, MDG, ECM Records etc. always receiving the highest praise from the international press («Diapason 5», BBC music-«Recording of the month» and Opéra-«Découverte»). Recent releases include the world premiere recordings of Handel's Alessandro Severo and Gluck's Il Trionfo di Clelia (MDG). The latest recording of Armonia Atenea, Handel’ s opera Alessandro, with a star cast including Max Emanuel Cencic, Karina Gauvin, Julia Lezhneva and Xavier Sabata, released by DECCA (sponsored by The Friends of Music Society of Athens), received the highest distinctions and critical acclaim from the international music press: Diapason d’ Or, Choc Classica December/January and Choc of the year 2012, Recording of the month December – BBC music magazine, IRR outstanding (January 2013), the “Best Recording of the Year” award in the International Opera Awards 2013 and the Stanley Sadie Award of 2013.

For the artistic season 2013-2014, five new recordings will be released: the Baroque Divas (Sony Classical), a selection of rare arias from operas of the baroque era interpreted by Sonia Prina, Romina Basso, Vivica Genaux and Mary-Ellen Nesi; the Rokoko, a solo album of the famous croatian tenor Max Emanuel Cencic with beautiful arias of the Rococo period (DECCA); the Gluck - opera arias a personal album of the tenor Daniel Behle, a Tribute to the 300th anniversary of Gluck's birthday (2014), with the finest arias for tenor (DECCA); the Counter-tenor Gala, an album dedicated to the rare voices of counter tenors with the participation of six of the most profound tenors (Sony Classical) and the Creatures of Prometheus of L.v. Beethoven (DECCA).

The orchestra has collaborated with famous conductors such as Fabio Biondi, Thomas Hengelbrock, Philippe Entremont, Christopher Hogwood, Helmut Rilling, Heinrich Schiff, Stephen Kovacevich, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yehudi Menuhin and soloists such as Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Joshua Bell, Max Emanuel Cencic, Karina Gauvin, Vivica Genaux, Leonidas Kavakos, Julia Lezhneva, Radu Lupu and also Mischa Maisky.

Contemporary music is another important aspect of the orchestra’s life. The orchestra often commissions, premiers and records works by many contemporary composers. It also shows great commitment to educational programmes, performing special concerts at schools and all over Greece.

In 1996 the orchestra was awarded the Music Prize of the Greek Critics Union for its artistic and educational work.