This Thursday, April 30, the talented violinist George Daskalakis performs Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices and, in a world premiere, Theodoros Antoniou’s 24 Caprices, commissioned by the Athens Concert Hall. Shortly before the recital in the Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall, produced by the Friends of Music Society, the young musician spoke about the challenges and the musical content of the two cycles he will perform.
This isn’t the first time you’ve been introduced on classicalmusic.gr, as we already know you from your collaboration with the New Cretan Quartet. Is this collaboration continuing?
Of course, it continues and is getting better and better! We have various engagements with the quartet, with concerts booked for the entire next academic year in Greece and abroad. I believe that from now on, we are only moving forward.
Now, however, we will get to know you as a soloist, and specifically in a solo recital. Among the different roles a violinist can have (soloist, chamber musician, orchestra member), have you discovered which suits you best?
Even if I say that the orchestra fascinates me slightly less than the others, I believe that each role has its charm, and personally, I wouldn’t want to limit myself to just one. The concept of a musician encompasses everything, I believe, and requires an open mind, which is how I want to see myself.
In your recital, you will perform Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices, one of the most difficult works for the instrument. How big of a challenge is this for a young musician?
The Caprices certainly set a high bar for difficulty, especially due to their technical nature. They require very solid preparation and concentration, which means years of study for the pieces to mature, naturally with long breaks in between. Relaxation is the key word, I believe.
From Michael Rabin to Leonidas Kavakos, the greatest violinists have left their mark on these works. Is there any particular great interpretation that inspires you the most?
From a young age, of course, I listened to the “greats” and was certainly influenced by many. I distinctly remember listening to Kavakos’s recordings. Lately, however, I would say that I have settled on my own ideas, with influences, of course, from my mentor, violinist George Demertzis.
The other cycle, which we will hear in a world premiere, is Theodoros Antoniou’s corresponding 24 Caprices. Tell us some information about them.
These Caprices are, in my opinion, certainly influenced by Paganini, but primarily bear elements of folk song and dance. For example, one of the Caprices makes a direct reference to the well-known song “Pera stous Pera Kampous”. Some are very atmospheric, while others burst with passion and energy. At first, I didn’t understand the meaning of all of them, with some being more difficult to grasp, but now I can certainly say that I find this music very beautiful and moving.
Indeed, this is a posthumous world premiere. Since you don’t have the opportunity to consult the composer, how do you approach his ideas and style, all those things not written in the score?
First of all, I must say that I am saddened that I did not meet the composer during his lifetime. I believe we would have had a lot to discuss, and I would have gladly talked with him about the Caprices. There are some anti-violinistic passages in them, which is why one has to find ways to interpret them. For example, I might remove some notes or even add some, if I judge that this favors harmony. It’s something done for technical reasons. Personally, I believe the composer would have liked them. In any case, I have formed a complete opinion on these as well and will be very happy to present them for the first time.
Such cycles are rarely performed in their entirety in a concert. What is the advantage for both performer and audience to hear them as a whole?
I believe the advantage is to move beyond playing just one caprice and to see them collectively as a single work, for example, like a suite consisting of 24 movements. This way, the listener also gets an overall picture and understands how each piece connects to the others. It’s important to play all the caprices lightly, to make them more digestible for both sides. So, as a performer, you learn through this how to breathe more and be as relaxed as possible. The definite advantage is that such cycles provide motivation, which for me is the most important thing.
What does this concert mean to you at this stage of your career? What are your next steps?
I am happy and eager to play; I know I will have many people who love me in the audience, and that is a very beautiful thing to know. The Caprices were something I had aimed to record and perform for a long time. I recorded them at school a few days ago… now the concert remains. My next goals are definitely Ysaÿe’s Sonatas and Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas. I like to tackle such “cycles,” as you’ve understood; I have them in my mind as pillars that I’m slowly “erecting.” Currently, I am in the final semester of my studies with the Greek-American violinist Ariadne Daskalakis at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. The next step will be participation in international violin competitions.
Biography
Born in Athens in 2003, George Daskalakis began violin at the age of 6 at the Municipal Conservatory of Agios Dimitrios. He continued his studies at the Alimos Music School with Gerasimos Nasos as his teacher, and in 2021 he became a student of the distinguished violinist George Demertzis. Since 2022, he has been studying at the Cologne University of Music and Dance in Germany in Ariadne Daskalakis’s class. He has extensive orchestral experience, with multiple concerts with ensembles such as the Kölner Symphoniker, with whom he toured China in significant venues like the Shanghai Symphony Hall, as well as the ELSON, in venues such as the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Carnegie Hall, and the Concertgebouw, where he participated as concertmaster. He is extensively involved in chamber music, being a member of the New Cretan Quartet, which has been distinguished in the pan-European Merita competition, as well as MERITACubed by Le Dimore del Quartetto, with multiple international appearances. His presence at music festivals and tributes to composers, such as Xenakis and Theodorakis, is also significant; he recorded Theodorakis’s string quartets with EMI Records.
Concert Information:
