Athens State Orchestra

Leo Brouwer (1939–)
Concerto de Corinto, for guitar and orchestra (commissioned by the Athens State Orchestra and the Municipality of Corinth)
Dimitris Soukaras, guitar

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, B. 178, “From the New World”

Nikos Haliassas, conductor

The Athens State Orchestra, the oldest Greek orchestral ensemble, was founded at the end of the 19th century as the Symphony Orchestra of the Athens Conservatory and gave its first concert under its current name on February 28, 1943. With over 50 annual appearances in Greece and abroad, the ASO presents an international and domestic repertoire, while performing significant educational and social work. Leading conductors have collaborated with the Orchestra, including Richard Strauss, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Hans Knappertsbusch, Lorin Maazel, and Vladimir Ashkenazy, alongside internationally renowned soloists such as Rubinstein, Rostropovich, Barenboim, Kavakos, and others. Its past directors include Manos Hatzidakis and Byron Fidetzis, while Loukas Karytinos has held this position since October 2020.

Nikos Haliassas is a principal violinist of the Athens State Orchestra. In 2000, he founded the INTRARTI orchestra. Born in Athens in 1968, he studied violin and advanced music theory at the Athens Conservatory. In London, he pursued postgraduate studies in violin at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, as well as orchestral conducting at Trinity College. He has conducted numerous symphony orchestras in Greece, Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Kazakhstan. He has served or currently serves as artistic director for the “Sinfonia” Festival of Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf, the “MousiKos” Festival, the Halki Festival, and the Camerata Junior orchestra at Megaron-The Athens Concert Hall.