Camerata – Friends of Music Orchestra

The Camerata – Friends of Music Orchestra, also known as Armonia Atenea, was a distinguished Greek chamber orchestra regarded as one of the most noteworthy European ensembles with a significant presence on the international music scene. Founded in 1991 by the “Friends of Music” Society, the initiative was led by Christos Lambrakis in collaboration with violinist Dimitris Semsis, under the artistic direction of Alexandros Myrat (1990-2000).

The orchestra quickly established itself as a high-caliber musical ensemble, with a repertoire spanning from early Baroque to 21st-century compositions, including opera. Sir Nevill Marriner served as the Artistic Director for the 2000-2001 season and as Honorary President from 2001 to 2007. Alexandros Myrat was the Principal Conductor from 2000 to 2011, a position also held by English Maestro Christopher Warren-Green from 2004 to 2009.

Camerata performed in prestigious concert halls such as Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, and participated in major music festivals, including the Innsbruck Summer Festival (Austria), Bath International Music Festival (England), Naantali Festival (Finland), Haydn Festival (Austria), Warsaw Autumn Festival, Angers “Spring of Arts” Festival (France), and the Froville Baroque and Ecclesiastical Music Festival (France). In 2006, under Sir Nevill Marriner, they toured Austria, culminating in a concert at Vienna’s renowned Musikverein.

The orchestra collaborated with famous conductors and soloists like Salvatore Accardo, Thomas Allen, Philippe Entremont, Matthias Goerne, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Leonidas Kavakos, Georgios-Emmanouil Lazaridis, Radu Lupu, Yehudi Menuhin, Joshua Bell, Fabio Biondi, John Williams, Helmut Rilling, Mstislav Rostropovich, Arturo Sandoval, Dimitris Sgouros, Heinrich Schiff, Thomas Hengelbroch, and Christopher Hogwood.

Education was a core focus of Camerata, involving participatory concerts in Attica’s secondary schools, diverse educational programs for elementary schools, open rehearsals, and concerts throughout Greece. The orchestra’s contribution to contemporary music was notable, premiering and recording works by Greek and international composers.

Their rich discography includes recordings released by BMG, EMI Classics, Blue Note Records, Universal Records, ECM Records, Agora, Artion Records, Legend Records, Altara, and MDG. In 2006, their recording of Handel’s “Alessandro Severo” with period instruments under Georgios Petrou for MDG received the “diapason 5” distinction. Recently, they participated in the world premiere recording of Gluck’s “Il Trionfo di Clelia” and Handel’s “Alessandro” for DECCA, both under Georgios Petrou’s musical direction, set to release internationally in 2012-2013.

Since the autumn of 2009, Camerata collaborated with the Echo Classic awarded Principal Conductor Georgios Petrou, focusing on period instrument concerts and innovative productions of works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel. This special chapter of the orchestra’s activity was titled “Armonia Atenea.”

During the 2011-2012 artistic period, besides regular activities (concerts, opera participation, recordings, etc.) at its home base, the Athens Concert Hall, Camerata continued to perform period-instrument concerts at the Onassis Foundation’s “Stegi” under the general title “Encounters,” artistically curated by Georgios Petrou.

Camerata was recognized for its artistic and educational achievements with the 1996 Music Award from the “Union of Greek Critics.” The orchestra was subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and actively supported by the Athens Concert Hall. The “DIMERGON, Foundation for Culture and Development” of D. Daskalopoulos was a sponsor of the “Metatropies” Concert Series, in collaboration with the Athens Concert Hall. For the period 2011-2013, the orchestra’s major sponsor was the “Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation.”

Source: Thessaloniki Concert Hall & Wikipedia