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Christos Marantos is a truly exceptional artist.
A thinker and a contemplator, enthusiastic and consumed with issues which are important to him, he can take himself to idealistic heights yet always brings himself back down to earth, which gives his approach a realistic framework: only in this way can Christos Marantos fulfil the demand which he sets himself: of actually putting his thoughts into practice.
This is how he is in everyday life and also as a pianist. As he once said to me, he sees involvement with a musical piece of art as a dialogue with the composer, with whom one is on the same level, whose thoughts one must feel comfortable with to be able to identify with the music and its internalisation (one of Marantos’ favourite words). All this requires pianistic ability of the highest level, which Christos Marantos can quite obviously produce; behind this however stands a constant search for and great joy in expertise (“desire for expertise” is another concept which Marantos likes to use): highly trained, he also possesses the intellectual artistic means to actually achieve this “expertise” for music in all its forms. When Christos Marantos plays, one can always be certain that the interpretation of the respective work is of personal concern for the artist, a message –in every respect being just a moment for the listener and yet full of possibilities for being further developed in the future.
In this sense Christos Marantos is a committed musician; these are very seldom found in this pragmatic era where people are occupied solely with what is current. However, as our society desperately needs people who are bold enough and above all competent enough to represent points of view unconcerned by fashion and the spirit of the time, Christos Marantos is not simply a professionally brilliant pianist but is also important in a societal sense.
University Professor, Harald Ossberger
University for Music and Performing Arts, Vienna
I have come to know the pianist Christos Marantos as an extraordinarily gifted pianist and chamber musician and am also extremely impressed with his pedagogic skills.
He is one of the few aspiring young musicians who can fully win you over with technical quality coupled with sensitive musicality.
Prof. Erich Schagerl
Member of the Vienna Philharmonic
Christos Marantos began his Viennese studies with private tuition with me and then joined Professor Ossberger’s class at the University for Music and Performing Arts.
He is a pianist whose interpretations simultaneously have a subjective and persuasive effect. I hear from Prof. Ossberger that he was also very successful in his teaching. This does not surprise me for the combination of well-founded pianistic ability with an extremely engaging personality when dealing with people makes him pre-destined for teaching work. His didactic final examination was said by the judges to be formidable in the most positive sense.
Alexander Jenner
University Professor, retired
In 2008 I heard Christos at some chamber concerts and was inspired by his sensitive and poetic interpretation. Since then I have linked up with the pianist in a successful collaboration.
In my stage production “Scenes of a love” – George Sand & Frédéric Chopin, Mr Marantos played 9 pieces by Chopin, which received enthusiastic media and public reactions. We were able to repeat our performance at the Erich – Kästner – Festival Week in Germany, thanks to its success in the summer and immediately received another invitation for the festival weeks in 2009, 2010. On the 200th anniversary of the death of Frédéric Chopin “Scenes of love” was performed again. We will also perform this production at music schools, in order to communicate a perfect symbiosis of text and music to a large number of music students.
In 2009 we are bringing “Love and suffering with Haydn!” to Austria and Germany on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn. At this concert Mr Marantos will play 10 pieces and accompany 6 songs. With “Love and suffering with Haydn!” we already have internationally bookings from the various Austrian culture forums.
The main focus of our collaboration in the year 2009 is our performances at Austrian music schools and for groups of music students. From my ten years of experience with song accompaniments and choir recitals, I would like to emphasise that Christos Marantos possesses an extraordinary pedagogic skill in communicating works and songs. His calm and concentrated working manner enriches every working hour.
On account of his high artistic and personal standards I hope that Mr Marantos receives the opportunity to work as a music teacher, because he would be a benefit to any university.
Prof. Topsy Küppers
Actress & Author
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