Athens State Orchestra & Kornilios Michailidis
Biography Athens State Orchestra & Kornilios Michailidis
Athens State Orchestra
Founded in the late 19th century as the Athens Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra is the oldest symphonic ensemble in Greece. Since its official founding in 1943, it has played a leading role in the country’s musical life, performing masterpieces of the global repertoire while promoting Greek composers.
In addition to more than fifty annual concerts in Greece and abroad, the orchestra also engages in equally important educational and public relations work. Renowned conductors and soloists—including Strauss, Mitropoulos, Rostropovich, Argerich, and Kavakos—have graced its stage.
Since October 2020, Lukas Karytinos has been the musical director.
Kornilios Michailidis
Greek conductor and pianist Kornilios Michailidis is acclaimed for his refined interpretations of both the symphonic and the operatic repertoire. In 2024, he won the Tokyo International Conducting Competition.
He has led orchestras like the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Real Madrid, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and has collaborated with renowned soloists such as Lise Davidsen and Benjamin Grosvenor. A graduate of the Sibelius Academy, he is also a laureate pianist and founder of the Koufonisia Classical Music Festival.
