Chance of conductor no disadvantage
SVZ GÜSTROWER ANZEIGER 18 February 2002
Güstrow. The conductor of the Neubrandenburger Philharmonic at the 6th Philharmonic Concert on Friday evening was Lisa Xanthopoulou. Standing on the rostrum was a courageous young artist, who knew exactly how to mould the orchestra to her own will. Various symphonic forms raised a challenge to interpretative powers, which motivated Lisa Xanthopoulou right from the start to highlight the character of the Rumanian Rhapsody no. 2 by Georg Enescu.... In a sound texture of myriad facets, the orchestra produced moments of stunning beauty, confirming the fascination of a music which is constantly seeking self-renewal from its own essence. The 1st Symphony by Georges Bizet proved to be a revelation of brimming temperament and youthful charm. The Neubrandenburger Philharmonic seemed not at all disadvantaged through the constant change of conductors. They followed their conductor attentively, worked precisely and demonstrated the substance of this work. Its aura is based on many special features. The transparency of the separate orchestral parts did not prevent their blending together into an integrated whole. It was part of the concept, brought to fulfilment through the mature realisation of the score by Lisa Xanthopoulou. Showing individuality and respect for the work, the conductor radiated self-confidence and a fresh and natural approach.
YVETTE KULLING
Smash hits and good spirits
LAUSITZER RUNDSCHAU 26, 27 May 2001
Philharmonic concert today with young generation conductors
...At the end of the first rehearsal the orchestra musicians tapped their music stands longer than usual. This means great acknowledgement for a young musician, who is only now showing the first signs of exhaustion. "Her beat is light and easy to follow; she carries the orchestra with her," said the first violinist Birgit Wiethaus, and Nicola Götzinger (cello) praised "the very intensive work, which does us good." This seems to bear out what Lisa Xanthopoulou expects of a conductor: "He simply has to arouse the enthusiasm of the musicians to achieve a good result."
ULRIKE ELSNER
Youthful, fresh, and full of the joys of performing
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG-St. Wendel local section, 8 May 2001
In no way inferior to professionals: the 70-strong Saarland Youth Symphony Orchestra
...And they were professionally conducted by Lisa Xanthopoulou, a young and charming Greek conductor, who demonstrated a close rapport with "her" youngsters, accompanied with great enjoyment and humour (a positive and detailed review of the concert follows)....The young artists altogether fascinated and inspired through their superb performance, full of verve and temperament. The audience applauded and drummed their feet, and were rewarded with two encores. The last gag of the evening was Lisa Xanthopoulou's vanishing trick at the second encore.
Concert in cowboy boots
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG, 7 May 2001
Remarkable standard: Saarland Youth Symphony Orchestra
...Here it was not only the pleasure in playing that was so enjoyable, but also the impressive technical skill...no wonder, for the strong, current membership of the orchestra has an excellent conductor in Lisa Xanthopoulou-the young Greek woman, who lives in Berlin, has a vein for the romantic idiom... Xanthopoulou also keeps the tonal effect transparent throughout in the upper dynamic range. .... Through their relaxed and fluent performance, Xanthopoulou and her team endowed the pulsating "minimal music" with much organic warmth...
Melancholy of the cosmopolitan night
MARLER Zeitung 5 March 2001
Marler Debut: inspiring young generation
...the evening turned out to be a real experience, with the support of musicians of the Philharmonica Hungarica under the remarkable conducting of Lisa Xanthopoulou. ...utter enjoyment of the highest quality from A to Z, thanks to the equally young Lisa Xanthopoulou, with members of the Philharmonica Hungarica, who showed the utmost sensitivity for the unspectacular-never overcharged-quality which was necessary in extended passages.
Young stars captivate with virtuoso mastery
WAZ, 5 March 2001
Exhilarating concert with much poetic artistry of sound
....A successful premiere on the rostrum as well: the Greek conductor Lisa Xanthopoulou was the first woman to conduct a Marler Debut concert. She is at present being promoted in the second sponsorship grade for talented young conductors of the German Conductors' Forum. .... she was fully in command in her handling of the orchestra. She was able to inspire the Philharmonica Hungarica to thrilling tempi and transparent sound. Around 40 musicians demonstrated that, despite all their worries, they had not lost the pleasure in making music, through their obvious and exhilarating pleasure in performing on Saturday.
MARTINA MÖLLER
German music council interpretation course gave final concert
DIE WELT, 2001 - www.nmz.de, 12 February 2001
....The greatest success with the public was had by Lisa Xanthopoulou with Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess".
Facing the orchestra
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, Berlin section, 10 February 2001
(Kitayenko' conducting workshop)
....the complete opposite was true of Lisa Xanthopoulou. In Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" suite, an exhilarating temperament exploded out of someone who had been a stickler at rehearsal ...
MARTIN WILKENING
The Greek woman and total body involvement
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 16 October 2000
The young Greek woman walks onto the stage of the Mainz Phoenixhalle, steps onto the rostrum, stands in suspenseful stillness a moment, lifts the baton, and gives the signal to start. A common sight for concert-goers, one would think; the beginning of a composition for a large orchestra. But actually an unusual sight, for the conductor from Thessalonica is still so young, and, what is more, a woman.... After only a few bars, her conducting revealed not only a natural and completely uninhibited and fluent use of her whole body, but also an intensive contact with the musicians, striking in its tautness of interpretation and concentration. And that in music which is full of pitfalls for baton technique alone....., which demands .......the greatest concentration from the instrumentalists, conceived as it is in an anti-emotional vein. .... Lisa Xanthopoulou - the music world will surely be hearing more of her- led the performance to jubilant ovations in a work which is otherwise received with rather more reserve,. The bravos were pre-eminently hers, a few, however, also for the Mainz State Orchestra with a performance one does not hear every day.
HARALD BUDWEG
With verve and strong contrasts
MAINZER RHEIN ZEITUNG, 16 October 2000
.... The most impressive demonstration was given by the young Greek woman conductor Lisa Xanthopoulou in Igor Stravinsky's "Symphony in Three Movements". She led the orchestra with dynamic verve in Stravinsky's multicoloured montage of the most diverse elements. She mastered the complicated rhythmic concept with a concise baton technique of such power that the force was felt even in the back rows. At the end, all musicians basked in the sunny side of the life of an artist, and revelled in the applause of an obviously enthralled public.
THOMAS KLIMA
Twelve-tone technique, alienated and tonal
ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, 14 October 2000
... Angular and temperamental-thus the effect achieved by the conducting of Lisa Xanthopoulou, a native of Thessalonica in Greece. One would have to know the difficulties of a Stravinsky score to be able to make an adequate assessment of the conductor's achievement this evening; the bar changes, tempo changes, permanent rhythmical surprises and strata overlying each other. Lisa Xanthopoulou, demonstrating masterly technical skill in her differentiated tempo changes, led the orchestra with the greatest conviction. It is a pity, therefore, that we could not have heard this conductor on this evening with a different Stravinsky work, one which has more musical depth than the "Symphony in Three Movements" (1946).
STEFAN FLOTOW
The difference-Debussy and Ravel
(Märkische Oderzeitung Frankfurt) Das Orchester Sept. 2000
(Frankfurt State Orchestra performing at a university concert)
.... The State Orchestra under Lisa Xanthopoulou succeeded in making these differences audible. The young Greek woman's expressive gestures spurred the musicians on to emotionally focused and precise playing. From the very start, she captured the audience's attention with Ravel's elegant, extended elegy "Pavane pour une infante morte". A dance-like grace characterised the ballet suite "Ma mere l'oye , also by Ravel, as interpreted by the young Greek conductor, who is on a three-years' sponsorship by the German Music Council. Yet she struck a thoroughly natural, narrative note for the folk-tales. No less sensuous and sculptural for the ear were the sounds she evoked of the mysterious glow of Debussy's tonal painting for the piano ......
PETER BUSKE
The ravishing sound and ardour of a musical greeting from Greece
Prenzlau, March 1998
(Chamber Orchestra guest appearance in the Schauspielhaus)
... (Lisa Xanthopoulou)'s energy and drive spurred the "Prussians" on to a most gratifying performance.... Greek mentality, which made one sit up and listen. Till now, the "Prussians" have not very often produced such expressive, voluminous, and dynamically differentiated music-making
Peter Buske