George Petrou
George Petrou is a Greek conductor, pianist and stage director. He was born in Greece and studied at the Athens Conservatoire, the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He began as a concert pianist, then turned to conducting and developed an interest in historical keyboard instruments and their practices.
Since 2012 he has been the artistic director of Armonia Atenea (based in Athens and formerly known as the Athens Camerata), leading concerts and recordings on both period and modern instruments.
From the 2021-2022 season, Petrou has served as artistic director of the Göttingen International Handel Festival. In addition to conducting, he stage-directs, including operas and musical theatre such as Handel's Alcina, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd and Company, and The Godson by Theophrastos Sakellaridis.
He partnered with Laurence Dale to create Sarrasine, a new opera pastiche that blends Handel’s music with Balzac’s novella. It premiered on May 10, 2024 at the Göttingen International Handel Festival.
Petrou has been a guest at major opera houses around the world and has worked with a wide range of orchestras. He has appeared at festivals including the Salzburg Festival, the BBC Proms, and the Valle d’Itria festival, among others.
His recordings have been released by Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and MDG and have received critical acclaim. He has earned nominations and awards such as a Grammy nomination for Handel’s Ottone and a Porin nomination for Handel’s Alessandro, with other honors including Diapason d’Or and Gramophone Editor’s Choice recognition.
Petrou is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM). He has been awarded the title Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government and the Greek Critics’ Grand Prize for Music and Drama in 2018.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:03 (CET).