Tender Tones
Frankfurter Neue Presse, 16.02.2009 - Michael Jacob ...Conducting continues to be a male domain, and Xanthopoulou is one of the few women in this profession who is making a name for herself with great commitment and thanks to brilliant performances. Clad in a silver tux, she coaxed riveting and passionate playing out of her ensemble...read more
A Balmy Summer’s Night
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, 15.02.2009 - Guido Holze ...This time, she conducted a concert given by the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen at the Kurhaus Theater. Astor Piazzolla’s “Tres Piezas”, with its contemporary, jazzy edge in the style of sophisticated popular music, for solo piano and strings, was performed with classical elegance...read more
Greek discourse, instrumental melody. Lisa Xanthopoulou and the State Orchestra in a stand-out concert.
THESSALONIKI, March 2006 - Review: ANTONIS I. KONSTANTINIDIS ...We paid careful attention to the maestro from Thessaloniki at the podium, and can only convey with great enthusiasm and without any equivocation our most positive impressions. Especially accurate in her conducting, detailed in her reading, and with a proverbial and exemplary plasticity in her movement, Ms Xanthopoulou was absolute in her interpretational aspirations - and she succeeded marvelously...read more
Bravos and Thunderous Applause
Taunus-Zeitung 14.05.2005 - Michael Jacob ...Lisa Xanthopoulou led César Franck's Symphony in d minor brilliantly. She built up great tension during the initial movement, was extremely careful when embarking on dynamics, and led the orchestra in a balanced and comprehensive performance. During the second movement, her conducting defined the undulating theme, and in the last movement she made sure that the recurring motifs from both previous movements flickered discreetly against the brash overall sound.... read more
Sculpted Forms - Lisa Xanthopoulou conducts
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 14.05.2005 - ikt. ...Despite the fact that the sound was at times too compact, due to an overemphasis of the brass section, Xanthopoulou succeeded in giving an impressive rendition, thanks to supple phrasing and sculpted dynamic contours...read more
"Interpretations with sensitivity and style" - Lisa Xanthopoulou at the helm of Thessaloniki State Orchestra
THESSALONIKI, 7 March 2005 - Review: ANTONIS I. KONSTANTINIDES ...At the rostrum at the helm of the orchestra was Lisa Xanthopoulou, one of our home town's own conductors, who lives and works abroad, treating her music-loving compatriots to a special evening. Lisa Xanthopoulou's conducting always leaves an overriding impression. It is a fertile combination of her professional qualifications and experience earned within the German world of music with the special disposition, the light and warmth of Mediterranean idiosyncrasy, as well as a feminine essence...read more
Guitars set the beat at the Villa Hügel
WAZ Essen, 27.Jan. 2004 - ...No wonder one could feel her energy and precision... and that there was so much applause....read more
A convincing "Maestra of Tomorrow"
NRZ Essen, January 24th, 2004 - Klaus Albrecht ...Lisa Xanthopoulou developed an almost symphonically expansive sound for Joaquin Rodrigo's "Fantasia para un Gentilhombre", creating an profusely splendid Southern European atmosphere with a light brass timbre...read more
Powerful and Agile
Frankfurter Allgemeine, 19.11.2003 - Joachim Wormsbaecher ...powerful and agile, with expansive cantilenas and studies articulation, this was a performance which showed that Lisa Xanthopoulou and the Württemberger Philharmonic had mastered the composition...read more
Performances with a positive perspective - Lisa Xanthopoulou conducts the Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki
THESSALONIKI, 13 October 2003 - Review: ANTONIS I. KONSTANDINIDES ...Of the conductor, Lisa Xanthopoulou, it is safe to say that she represents the great musical tradition of the German-speaking world. However, she does much more than merely imitate her role models. Under her clear and all-encompassing guidance, the Orchestra revealed a well-structured reading of the works which could not easily be called into question. Plastic and masterly in her movements, without excessive dramatics, but with strength, quality and sensitivity, she reminded us of something which can, on occasion, be easily forgotten...read more
Lisa Xanthopoulou Live and on a New CD
Taunus Zeitung, October 6th, 2003 - Michael Jacob ...Lisa Xanthopoulou emphasized the lyrical aspects with just as much care as those passages that pulse with energy in this remarkable work...read more
A concert that will go down in history: the inspired return of a gifted female conductor
Frankfurter Neue Presse/Taunuszeitung, 17.11.2003 - MICHAEL JACOB ...Watching their conductor carefully, they rendered the many changes in tempo and dynamic nuances with exceptional precision and discipline. Lisa Xanthopoulou left not a single nuance to chance, leading the orchestra through its exemplary performance...read more
Musical presentations with meaning and style
THESSALONIKI, 9 June 2003 - Review: ANTONIS I. KONSTANTINIDIS ...Conductor Lisa Xanthopoulou is a prime example of an artist who, with a solid and sound educational foundation, seeks persistently and successfully to prove herself in a predominately the male-dominated endeavor which is orchestral conducting. At the same time, she is one of many young Greek artists who follow the lonely but dignified path of a European career, far from the traditional local intrigues typical of our country, be they fair or unfair, but always relatively damaging psychologically, as well as humiliating...read more
A feeling for the extraordinary
Frankfurter Allgemeine, 19 February 2003 - BENEDIKT STEGEMANN ...Lisa Xanthopoulou, last year's winner of the Bad Homburg Conducting Competition, was able to consolidate her excellent reputation in situ even more, and was no doubt exhilarated at the sustained final applause for her and the orchestra, irrespective of the sophisticated programme concept...read more
Small gestures, great results
Frankfurter Neue Presse/Taunuszeitung, regional, 10 February 2003 - MICHAEL JACOB ...Lisa Xanthopoulou, the prizewinner of the Bad Homburg Conduction Competition last year remained true to her objective manifested in the last concert of conducting classical works only with the utmost discreetness of gesture...read more
Conductor Lisa Xanthopoulou in a successful debut
Bad Homburger Woche, 28 November 2002 ...With a conducting style of discreet gestures, she accentuated the triple groupings inherent in Bach's concerto, left the musician groups free to unfold in the solo passages, and packed the polyphonically structured work into a rendering densely charged with an enthralling, breathtaking dynamism.....A full and rounded evening of chamber music with a very remarkable conductor, arousing great expectations for her concert on 7 February ....read more
Great powers of suggestion
Frankfurter Allgemeine, 21 March 2003 ...Xanthopoulou's style of conducting impressed with great powers of suggestion...read more
A brilliant performance by the prizewinner
Frankfurter Neue Presse/Taunnuszeitung, 17 March 2003 - MICHAEL JACOB ...Lisa Xanthopoulou gave masterly performances in Bad Homburg, and proved in the final concert, too, that she was more than worthy of winning the conducting competition...read more
Three women made the concert a unique experience
Hochtaunus Verlag, 13 February 2003 ...Lisa Xanthopoulou succeeded in presenting superlative performances of both works, and the public rewarded her with sustained applause...read more
Woman as Lord of the Revels - Greek conductor Lisa Xanthopoulou conducts New Year's Concert
Freie Presse, Zwickauer Zeitung, 6 January 2003 - KLAUS TIPPMANN ...Lisa Xanthopoulou is adding charm and energy to everything...read more
Sensation
Frankfurter Neue Presse/ Taunuszeitung, 26 November 2002 - MICHAEL JACOB ...Yet Lisa Xanthopoulou managed to bring out the musical features, for instance the groupings of three in the Third Brandenburg Concerto, which is shaped throughout by the holy number of three. Hers was a transparent interpretation, with great nuance in dynamics, manifesting with power and rhetorical intensity the enthralling quality of this work by the Cantor of the Thomaskirche...read more
Prize Award
Frankfurter Rundschau, 25 November 2002 ...On Friday evening, in the sold-out Schlosskirche, Lisa Xanthopoulou was awarded the Bad Homburg Conducting Competition prize endowed with 10,000 euros...read more
Learning Tricks from Expert Maestros
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 22 November 2002 - ELLEN KOHLHAAS ...This is a man's domain and a woman conductor is still an unusual sight for orchestra and public. "Although I do not feel exotic myself as a person, the orchestra puts a sharper focus on a woman on the rostrum that on a man...read more
And the winner is ...Lisa Xanthopoulou
Blitz Tip 29 June 2002 ...Lisa Xanthopoulou, born in Thessalonica, Greece, withstood the phalanx of her male rivals, thus winning the prize of 10,000.- euros. Lisa Xanthopoulou carried all before her with a blend of concentrated work, precise manual technique and great conviction...read more
A pedagogical velvet touch and an air of luxury in the Schlosskirche
Frankfurter Rundschau, 25 June 2002 - KATHRIN SCHWEDLER ...It was half past eleven when the name of the winner, Lisa Xanthopoulou, was finally decided. The 34-year-old young woman, radiating resolution, tackled both Haydn and Grieg with perfect rehearsal timing, precise instructions, decisive will-power in interpretation and a communicative skill placed pointedly between the strictness of a maestro and flashes of private emotion...read more
Chance of conductor no disadvantage
SVZ GÜSTROWER ANZEIGER 18 February 2002 - YVETTE KULLING ...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...read more
Conductor's Baton for Bach's Music - Appearance of Prizewinner Lisa Xanthopoulou
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 24 November 2002 - GUIDO HOLZE ...Lisa Xanthopoulou conducts with very frugal gestures, guiding the orchestra sometimes only with finger signs, yet paradoxically inspiring it through her spirited temperament to impulsive and passionate music-making...read more
The Baden-Baden Philharmonic showed a wonderful rapport with guest conductor Lisa Xanthopoulou - The light hand of complete command even in the inferno
Frankfurter Neue Presse/Taunuszeitung, regional, 10 February 2003 - MICHAEL JACOB ...Lisa Xanthopoulou, the prizewinner of the Bad Homburg Conduction Competition last year remained true to her objective manifested in the last concert of conducting classical works only with the utmost discreetness of gesture...read more
For the first time a woman wins the Conducting Competition
Bad Homburger Wochen 27 June 2002 ...The verbal interpretation of her ideas was concise and to the point, she rehearsed difficult passages with exact targeting of her objectives, and moulded the orchestra in every way into an cogent entity...read more
A woman conducts her way to the top
Frankfurter Neue Presse/ Taunuszeitung, 24 June 2002 - MICHAEL JACOB ...Sure of her objectives, with concentrated verve in method, she communicated her ideas to the orchestra and presented the works with great sensitivity and powers of expression in the short time that was allowed to her....read more
Smash hits and good spirits
LAUSITZER RUNDSCHAU 26, 27 May 2001 - ULRIKE ELSNER ...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...read more
Youthful, fresh, and full of the joys of performing
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG-St. Wendel local section, 8 May 2001 ...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...read more
Concert in cowboy boots
SAARBRÜCKER ZEITUNG, 7 May 2001 ...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...read more
Melancholy of the cosmopolitan night
MARLER Zeitung 5 March 2001 ...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...read more
Young stars captivate with virtuoso mastery
WAZ, 5 March 2001 - MARTINA MÖLLER .... 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...read more
The Greek woman and total body involvement
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 16 October 2000 - HARALD BUDWEG ...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...read more
Facing the orchestra
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, Berlin section, 10 February 2001 - MARTIN WILKENING ...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 ...read more
With verve and strong contrasts
MAINZER RHEIN ZEITUNG, 16 October 2000 - THOMAS KLIMA ...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...read more
The difference-Debussy and Ravel
Das Orchester Sept. 2000 - PETER BUSKE (Märkische Oderzeitung Frankfurt) ...The young Greek woman's expressive gestures spurred the musicians on to emotionally focused and precise playing...read more
The ravishing sound and ardour of a musical greeting from Greece
Prenzlau, March 1998 - Peter Buske ... 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...read more