Last Updated on Monday, 05 March 2012 01:09
Biography Note
Yiorgo Moutsiaras, born in Greece, is the principal conductor and artistic director of the Chamber Symphony Orchestra of Utrecht (Orkest van Utrecht) in The Netherlands for eight years already. In 2010 he became the principal conductor of the string orchestra “De Haagse Beek” in The Hague/The Netherlands. He holds a Master of Music Diploma and has been awarded with “Orchestra Favorite” Award. He has diverted the favourable critics of the famous conductor Kurt Masur, in Germany, during the 1st Detmold Summer Academy. The well-known baroque experts, the German Helmut Rilling and the Japanese Masaaki Suzuki offered their flattering comments for his Bach interpretations during the “6. Stuttgarter Bachwoche” in Stuttgart/Germany. He also had the opportunity to work close with maestro Bernard Haitink in Lucerne/Switzerland.
Yiorgo is also conductor and artistic director of the Laurentius Choir of Oudorp-Alkmaar/The Netherlands and has also served as principal conductor and artistic director at the Philharmonic Orchestra of 's-Hertogenbosch for four years and at the choir “For Him Only” (Rotterdam) in The Netherlands. Back in Greece he used to be the conductor of the “Volos's Choir” (Voliotiki Chorodia), of the “Bankworkers's Union of Magnesia Mixed Choir” and of the “Youth Choir of the Music School of Magnesia”.
Conductor Yiorgo Moutsiaras has given many successful concerts in Belgium, Germany, Greece, France and The Netherlands, conducting his ensembles as well as the Bach Collegium Stuttgart, the Nederlands Promenade Orkest, the Rotterdam Young Philharmonic, the Rotterdam Conservatory Orchestra, the Amsterdams Jong Excelsior and the Ihos ensemble, Utrechts Blazers Ensemble, Kaos ensemble, Anemos wind ensemble and several other music ensembles. He has been assistant conductor in Greece and in The Netherlands for several symphonic and operatic productions. He has conducted during the “1e Rotterdamse Muziek Biennale” and he has participated actively in “Thessaloniki 1997” and “Rotterdam 2001” , cultural capitals of Europe making world premières of contemporary compositions. Yiorgo Moutsiaras was artistic director of the “11th Festival for Sacred Choral Music of Volos” and participated at the “11th Dimitris Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition” in Athens/Greece and the "International competition for orchestral conductors Antonio Pedrotti 2010" in Trento/Italy. As a conductor Yiorgo has recorded four personal CDs and records for the Dutch radio since 2001.
The repertoire Yiorgo Moutsiaras conducts, expands from orchestral to choral, from 16th to 21st century’s compositions in all fields such as symphonic, opera, ballet and oratorio, music for theatre and music for children, sacred and secular. He specializes at classical period's sacred repertoire, which combines choir and orchestra.
Born in Volos/Greece, Yiorgo Moutsiaras graduated from the Music School of Magnesia, the National Conservatory and the Lyceum there, having obtained diplomas for piano, harmony of music, counterpoint and fugue, all with distinction. After serving twenty months as airman for the Greek Air Force, he continued his studies in The Netherlands at the CODARTS University of the Arts in Rotterdam, the Maastricht Academy of Music and for his postgraduate studies at the Lemmens Institute of Leuven/Belgium. He obtained two Bachelor of Music Diplomas and a Master of Music Diploma with specialisation in orchestral conducting. He studied among others with Jan Stulen and Edmond Saveniers. He has also attended several music seminars with B. Haitink, K. Masur, E. de Waart, H. Rilling, M. Suzuki, G. Hadjinikos, J. Panula, J. Stulen, R. Gulikers, L. Buskens, A. Tien, A. Kondogeorgiou, A. Vujic, J.Hempel, E. van Tiel and A. van Beek. He has also studied choir conducting, classical singing, bassoon and cello as side subjects. While a student at the Lemmensinstituut, won the “Orchestra Favourite” Award at the 6th V. Jordania International Conducting Competition in the United States of America.
Yiorgo lives in Delft/The Netherlands, Vermeer’s hometown located between Rotterdam and The Hague. At his free time he is visiting concerts, cooking, photographing, swimming, cycling and dancing Latin dances.
Biography Note