Cinema for the ears
"Maria Makraki conducted the melancholy and austere beginning to Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony in F minor with an appropriate sense of the epical breath of the composition. She demonstrated her sure sense for the lesser stories contained in the greater one, not strung one behind the other, but spread cohesively, as in a mosaic. With gracefully impeccable sounds she ensured justice was done to the surge of feelings in the 2nd movement, her body movements bearing witness to the sincerity of her involvement. She was demanding, and the orchestra responded eagerly. This altogether wonderful performance was brought to a close with a 4th movement based mainly on melancholy and literally everything that symphonic music has to offer, going immediately to the absolute limit and beyond, consistently colourful, full of unexpected twists, not afraid of bold sounds but absolutely convincingly and deftly toned..."
(Lars Siegen, in: Siegener Zeitung, 20.05.2002)