Dora Bakopoulos, a celebrated pianist and dedicated educator, has graced major concert venues across the globe, including London, Moscow, Paris, New York, Warsaw, and Bucharest. She has performed for the United Nations and has represented Greece in numerous cultural events abroad, earning international recognition for her artistry. In 2021, her remarkable contributions to music were honored with the Gold Cross of the Order of Beneficence, awarded by the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic.
Her extensive discography reflects her versatility and deep musical insight, encompassing classical masterpieces by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Ravel, Scriabin, and Rachmaninov, as well as works by renowned Greek composers. She is particularly noted for her interpretations of compositions by Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis, whose music she has brought to audiences worldwide with profound sensitivity and passion.
APPEARS IN:
29 December 2024 18:30
Biography
Dora Bakopoulos began her piano studies at the age of 9, encouraged by the renowned conductor Dimitris Mitropoulos, who had heard her play in New York.
She graduated from the Athens Conservatory at 17 (first prize), under the guidance of M. Papaioannou. She continued her musical education at the Geneva Conservatory with Louis Hiltbrand (first prize in virtuosity with distinction) and furthered her studies with F. Gulda in Salzburg, P. Bandura-Skoda and A. Brendel in Vienna (where she won awards), and N. Magaloff in Geneva. She also received prizes in international competitions in Munich (Germany) and Vercelli (Italy).
Ms. Bakopoulos has performed recitals in Greece and abroad, including in London, Warsaw, Bucharest, Belgium, Sofia, Granada, Nicosia, Limassol, Paris, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York, and Lugano. She has toured in Germany and performed for the United Nations. She has represented Greece at cultural events abroad and collaborated with celebrated musicians such as Menuhin, Hadjidakis, Chourafa, Kolasis, Theodorakis, Demertzis, Kontogeorgiou, Christogiannopoulos, Farantouri, Pasmpala, Arleta, Savina Yannatou, Korkolis, Patra, Miroshnikov, and Martha Argerich. She has also performed as a soloist with prominent orchestras in Greece and internationally.
Her discography includes works from the classical repertoire (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Ravel, Scriabin, Rachmaninov) as well as compositions by Greek composers, particularly Hadjidakis and Theodorakis.
For her significant contribution to music, the Academy of Athens awarded her the Motzenigo Prize, and in 2021, she received the Gold Cross of the Order of Beneficence from the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic.
Ms. Bakopoulos served as the Head of the Piano Department at the Athens Conservatory and has made music education a key part of her career. She has also worked as a radio producer for the Third Programme of Greek Radio.
A passionate advocate for chamber music and Lied accompaniment, she is the founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival of Aegina, a position she has held for 15 consecutive years.