Dr Maria Stratigou

I was born in Athens, where I began my piano studies at the age of seven with Sofia Mouratoglou, later with Christos Papageorgiou, and then at the Conservatory of Athens with Aliki Vatikioti-Farrant. I graduated in June 2007 winning the first prize of the Conservatory. I continued my postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (former RSAMD) with Jonathan Plowright (PGDip in Performance with Distinction) and Fali Pavri (MMus in Performance), being a scholar of the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. In 2010, I finished the PGDip Advanced Accompaniment Course with Distinction under the guidance of Fali Pavri.

In 2021 I was awarded my PhD (Performance) from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) under the supervision of Prof Barbara Kelly, Dr David Jones and Dr Simon Clarke, with scholarships from the NWCDTP and the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. My research was focused on the ‘Performance aspects of Louise Farrenc’s Études for piano’. My thesis included the recording of the entire sets of Farrenc’s Études, as well as a substantial musicological element.

I have given Lecture-Recitals and paper presentations at seven international conferences. In February 2020 I was the organiser of the conference ‘Musical Women in Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century’ at the RNCM, where I also performed a selection of Louise Farrenc’s Études at the opening concert and delivered a post-concert talk presenting my research on Farrenc’s Études for piano. In December 2018 I was awarded the 1st Student Prize for my paper and presentation ‘Performing Louise Farrenc's Études for piano’ at the Conference ‘Into the Unknown’ at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

In 2013 I was honoured by the Academy of Athens with the ‘Eleni Tim. Mykoniou’ Prize for Piano. I was awarded the first prize for my interpretation in Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor at the Jock Holden Memorial Mozart Prize Competition at the RSAMD (November 2008) and was highly commended at the Governors’ Recital Prize in 2010. I have won first prizes in various Panhellenic piano competitions (X.O.N. – 2012, Panhellenic Competition for Young Pianists –Andros 2007, ‘Filon’ – 2004) and many internal prizes at the Athens Conservatory both in piano and chamber music. I have taken part in masterclasses with Bernard Ringeissen, Yonty Solomon, Geoffrey Burleson, Steven Osborne, and Martino Tirimo amongst others.

I was chosen twice among the piano department students of the RSAMD to perform with the RSAMD Symphony Orchestra at the RSAMD Concerto Concert, I have collaborated with Orchestra Filarmonica di Stato ‘Mihail Jora’ di Bacau and maestro Ovidiu Balan, and I have performed in various venues in UK, Italy, Czech Republic, Spain and Greece, giving also world premieres of contemporary piano pieces (G. N. Gianopoulos Op.15 Five pieces for solo piano/Op.17 Nocturne for solo piano, E. Vaios ‘3’, D. Minakakis ‘Metamorphoses’ for solo piano).

I have studied Harmony, I have a Diploma of excellence in Counterpoint and a Diploma of excellence in Fugue, both with Distinction, while studying with the famous Greek Composer and Professor Periklis Koukos at the Athens Conservatory. I also have a Diploma of excellence in Byzantine Music, and I have undertaken singing lessons with the Greek Tenor Stamatis Beris and the soprano Fotini Kostopoulos.

Publications

Chapter in edited Collection: ‘Louise Farrenc’s Études: Dates, Purpose, Reception and Role’, in Women Composers in New Perspectives, 1800–1950: Genres, Contexts and Repertoires, edited by Mariateresa Storino and Susan Wollenberg. Brepols (Turnhout, Belgium), as part of a series ‘Speculum Musicae’(in print)