In 1820, the publishing house Ricordi issued Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices for solo violin, works by a legendary composer who left an indelible mark on his era, transforming the violin into not merely a musical instrument but also an instrument of virtuosity and endurance — almost an “athletic” instrument — both in his own time and in the years that followed.
Ever since, many composers have measured themselves against Paganini, writing works for violin or other instruments inspired by his Caprices: Franz Liszt with his Études d’exécution transcendante d’après Paganini for piano; Robert Schumann with his works for violin and piano; and Sergei Rachmaninov with his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra, based on the 24th Caprice.
Two hundred years later, a Greek composer, Theodoros Antoniou, engages in a creative dialogue with this legacy by composing his own 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, commissioned by Megaron the Athens Concert Hall. Drawing on the rich resources of Greek folk tradition, Antoniou approaches the genre with a contemporary perspective, challenging the violinist to keep tradition alive in the present and into the future. The work is presented in its world premiere.
Born in Athens in 2003, Giorgos Daskalakis began studying the violin at the age of six at the Agios Dimitrios Municipal Conservatory. He continued his studies at the Alimos Music School under Gerasimos Nasos, and in 2021 became a student of the distinguished violinist Giorgos Demertzis. Since 2022, he has been studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in Germany, in the class of Ariadne Daskalakis.
He has extensive orchestral experience, having performed in numerous concerts with ensembles such as the Kölner Symphoniker, with whom he toured China, appearing in major venues including the Shanghai Symphony Hall, as well as with the Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO), performing in prestigious halls such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw, where he also served as concertmaster.
He is deeply engaged in chamber music as a member of the New Cretan Quartet, which has received distinctions in the pan-European MERITA competition as well as in MERITACubed by Le Dimore del Quartetto, with multiple international appearances. He has also taken part in important music festivals and composer tributes, including those dedicated to Xenakis and Theodorakis, whose string quartets he recorded with EMI Records.
