Festival Orchestra Göttingen

At home in the world, united at the Festival

They hail from the world’s most renowned baroque orchestras: the musicians of the FestspielOrchester Göttingen. Every year in May, they gather together from over ten countries to form the exclusive orchestra of the Göttingen International Handel Festival. First assembled by Nicholas McGegan in 2006, the orchestra has been praised by audiences and press alike for its rich colour and light, bouncy, sensual sound, and quickly became the Festival’s flagship ensemble. A Festival Opera without the FOG, as it is affectionately known, is unthinkable.

Many of the original members continue to support “their” FestspielOrchester today and, together with promising young talents of baroque music, are forging the musical future of the Göttingen Handel Festival. With numerous guest performances and CD productions, since 2013 in co-operation with NDR Kultur and the Accent label, the FestspielOrchester has not only left the musical fingerprint of the Handel Festival in Göttingen, but all over the world.

George Petrou initially embarked on a career as a concert pianist before making an international name for himself as a conductor. Today, the Greek-born conductor appears on major stages throughout Europe and is particularly celebrated for his interpretations of Baroque works.

George Petrou has been Artistic Director of the Göttingen International Handel Festival since 2022 and conducts the FestspielOrchester Göttingen, whose brilliance, vibrancy and infectious enthusiasm make it a congenial musical partner.

George Petrou - Artistic Director

With the 2022 Festival, we welcome George Petrou as the new Artistic Director at the Göttingen International Handel Festival. Already at the 2021 Gala Concert, his passion was unmistakable, his energy always palpable on stage.

As a Handel specialist, he has been a guest in opera houses all over Europe, delighting audiences there both as a conductor and as a director. In his work, he focuses on historically informed performance practice, which, in addition to his work as a Baroque specialist, also includes the repertoire of later periods. Already in his first Festival season, he will present himself to the Göttingen audience as a conductor and as a stage director: For the first time in the history of the Festival, the artistic director will also stage an opera in Göttingen at the same time.

Numerous awards and award-winning recordings attest to his extraordinary qualities. For example, he won an Echo Klassik and was nominated for a Grammy for his Handel recordings. We are looking forward to George Petrou in Göttingen!