A journey of discovery in the concert hall - "Rhythm & Strings" with the Camerata Europaea on November 30, 2008 in the Berlin Concert Hall
"The artistic director of the Camerata Europaea Maria Makraki, created and directed an innovative, rhythmically accentuated programme of "Rhythm & Strings" filled with discoveries: the lively, dotted, duple meter-based presentation of a Cypriotic folk dance Drepani for marimba and strings by the composer Savvas Savva; wonderful Tango arrangements by the Greek composer Periklis Koukos; an impressive performance of the Concertinos for bassoon and strings op. 27 b by Bertold Hummel (1925-2002); and an arrangement of metallic, spherical sounds in the debut performance of Georgios Kyriakakis' Clotho for piano with string orchestra and percussion. The tonal skills of the ensemble were equally as compelling: subtly playful in the Drepani, almost eerily exact the dots in the tangos, with just the right amount of melodiousness, brilliantly prepared for the bassoonist in the demanding Concertino, open for the unexpected in the interpretation of Clotho, the myth of Clotho (the 'spinner') the Greek goddess of destiny who spun the threads of life. Maria Makraki led the ensemble lightly and naturally through rhythmically challenging passages. She gripped the ensemble with her strong charisma, infusing it with her attentiveness and energy. Communication between the conductor and the musicians appeared amiable, as if they were sharing the common pleasures derived from this novel and varied journey of discovery through Europe."
(Meike Mieke, in: Exantas Newsletter February 2009)