
Nikos Athinaeos
Conductor, Composer
He was born in Khartoum, Sudan on 19/08/1946. He settled in Athens in 1957 and graduated from the German School of Athens in 1964. Initially, he studied piano (Z. Agelastou, M. Herogiorgou-Sigara), theory and composition (G. A. Papaioannou) at the Athens Conservatory obtaining the corresponding diplomas (1957-1968). Simultaneously he studied composition under Günter Becker in Athens. Having been awarded a German scholarship, he continued studying piano and orchestral conducting at the Supreme Music School of the Rhine in Cologne (1971-1975). He reiterated his composition lessons under Becker in the “Robert Schumann” Institute in Düsseldorf (1975-1978). He studied under Sergiu Celibidache. He began his career as assistant conductor at the Opera of Mannheim, and then he directed operas at major opera houses of Germany: Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Ulm, et al. In 1990 was proclaimed General Music Director of Frankfurt an der Oder, he turned the orchestra of the city into the prime symphonic ensemble of Brandenburg and he toured with it around Europe (1990/2000). With this orchestra he recorded a series of records with works of German composers mainly, winning International Awards. As a guest conductor he conducted leading European orchestras: Philharmonia Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, English Chamber Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, et al. He has repeatedly conducted all Greek orchestras: Athens State Orchestra, Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Orchestra of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), Athens Camerata, Symphonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Orchestra of Patras. He conducted the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of ERT at the partly directed presentation of the opera Rea by Sp. Samaras (2004, Herodeon). He was artistic director of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (2000/10). Since 2013 he is the director of the Athens Conservatory. As a composer he mainly used atonal idiom. In GNO he directed the productions Don Pasquale (2003/04) and La bohème (2004/05). // Last update of the biography: December 2015 - The list of productions below is updated.