A Voice Carved in Truth: Margarita Petridou’s Celebrated Viola Interpretation and Artistic Journey

WOMCO
2 days ago
7 min read

Greek young violist Margarita Petridou has been honored with the Gold Prize and the Outstanding Interpretation Special Award in the Young Artist (Age 14–17) category for her performance of K. Penderecki’s Cadenza for Viola at the Schubert International Music Competition 2025 Season 3, which ran from June 23 to September 23, with results released on October 10. With this achievement, we invited Margarita to reflect on her musical path — the moments that shaped her artistry, the preparation behind her award-winning performance, and the principles that continue to guide her voice as a violist.

How many years have you been studying the viola, and what are your future goals?

Margarita Petridou:

"I am currently seventeen years old, and my musical journey began unusually early—at just six months old—through a specialized early childhood music education program. Music became my first language long before I could speak. At the age of four, I began directly with the viola, an instrument whose sound immediately felt natural and deeply familiar to me.

At home, I was surrounded by music all day, as I have two older siblings who are also musicians. My sister plays the cello, and my brother plays the violin. I am very proud of them, as both are pursuing Bachelor’s degrees with scholarships at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. Growing up in such an environment, I absorbed music naturally and learned to appreciate the dialogue between different instruments and voices.

At some point, I realized that the viola was not only an instrument for me, but a place where I could express thoughts and emotions I could not put into words. I see music as a lifelong journey. The more I study, the more I realize how much there is still to learn—and that excites me.

My goals are to broaden my artistic horizons as much as possible: to collaborate with inspiring musicians, to travel the world through music, and to perform in settings that challenge and shape me. One of my greatest dreams is to play the Walton Viola Concerto with an orchestra, an experience I imagine as both thrilling and deeply fulfilling. What I love most is communicating with audiences—conveying emotion, color, and meaning through the voice of each composer. My dream is not only to perform, but to inspire future young violists the same way great musicians have inspired me.

Above all, I want to keep discovering the endless expressive possibilities of the viola. Each year brings new insights and new perspectives, and this continuous sense of exploration is what motivates me the most."

Could you describe how you prepared and interpreted the video that received the award?

Margarita Petridou:

"I performed Penderecki’s Cadenza. I devoted countless hours to exploring the depth of this work—both interpretively and technically. My focus was on achieving clarity and excellence in every element: sound, phrasing, bow control, and expressiveness. Every detail needed to serve a unified artistic intention."

Which artistic or technical factors shaped the final result?

Margarita Petridou:

"I worked intensively on sound quality and phrasing, because in this piece the sound functions almost like a voice—it speaks, reacts, and breathes. Technically, it demands great bow stability and precision in articulation. Artistically, what guided me was the effort to express the inner message of the piece without exaggeration, but with honesty, structure, and focus.

To me, music is a form of truth. When you play honestly, the audience feels it immediately."

Do you have any advice for musicians submitting interpretation videos?

Margarita Petridou:

"Create a personal image or story inspired by the piece—something that helps you enter its meaning on a deeper level. When you have an inner narrative, the interpretation becomes natural; you are not pretending, you are expressing. And always aim for sincerity: the camera sees more than we think, and it captures honesty in a unique way.

Above all, you must have respect for the composer. Your role is to interpret their composition faithfully, not to impose what you imagine it should be. The music itself has its own voice and intentions—honoring that is what makes an interpretation truly compelling.

I always carry a small notebook where I write musical ideas, colors, and phrases that come to my mind while practicing—it helps me clarify my artistic intentions before recording."

Receiving the Outstanding Interpretation Special Award highlights the uniqueness of your artistic voice. How do you approach discovering and shaping that voice through the viola?

Margarita Petridou:

"I shape my artistic voice through many hours of study and a constant search for what lies beneath the surface of each piece. The viola reveals its secrets only when you truly dedicate yourself to it, both technically and emotionally. What expresses me most is the love I have for music and for this instrument—this love is the foundation of my artistic identity.

Major sources of inspiration for me are Antoine Tamestit and Tabea Zimmermann. Tamestit’s sound has a depth, warmth, and nobility that I find extraordinary, and the way he shapes a musical line—with sincerity, imagination, and natural elegance—has influenced how I think about phrasing and color. Zimmermann inspires me through her musical intensity, clarity, and profound expressiveness, teaching me that each note can carry both emotional depth and intellectual insight. Listening to them reminds me that the viola can speak with both intimacy and brilliance. It would be a dream for me to meet them one day, to learn from them in person, and to experience their artistry up close.

My artistic voice is still evolving, and I hope it always will. What guides me is the desire to express something true—something honest—through every note I play."

Would you like to thank those who supported you?

Margarita Petridou:

"Above all, I want to thank God, who has given me the strength and courage to reach this point and to continue growing.

I am deeply grateful to my family, who has stood by me through every easy and difficult moment. My mother, especially, has played a decisive role in my journey. She helped me cultivate love and passion for music, but also discipline, structure, dedication, goals, and vision. Thanks to her, I learned what it means to work with purpose and to dive deeply into the voice of each composer. Her guidance has been one of the greatest gifts in my musical life.

I have also studied with many teachers over the years, and from each one I received something unique—an idea, a technique, a different way of listening or imagining sound. These experiences shaped me, broadened my understanding, and helped me see the viola and music from many perspectives."

Biography

MARGARITA PETRIDOU - VIOLA

Margarita Petridou was born in Thessaloniki-Greece, in 2008. She took her first viola lessons at the age of four. At the age of 15, as an exceptional talent and the youngest graduate of the State Conservatory, she received her Diploma with a grade of ΄΄Excellent΄΄ with honors from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, class of Ms. Alexandra Voltsi, June 2024.

GRAND PRIZE

1. PLATINUM PRIZE in the Age 15–17 category of the ΄΄Global Genius Music

Competition 2025΄΄.

2. PLATINUM PRIZE with the highest score at the ΄΄European Summer Music

Competition΄΄, 2024.

3. GRAND PRIZE WINNER at the International Competition "Youth Music Competition

– IYMC 2022 (Atlanta, USA)" in the Junior II category, 2022.

SPECIAL AWARDS

1. ΄΄SPECIAL PRIZE: Technical Mastery Musical Genius΄΄, in the Age 15–17 category of

the ΄΄Global Genius Music Competition 2025΄΄.

2. For wining Schubert ΄΄Outstanding Interpretation – Special Award 2025΄΄.

3. HONORARY DISTINCTION for achieving the highest score of 100/100 at the

"International Youth Music Competition – IYMC 2022" (Atlanta, USA).

4.΄΄SPECIAL DISTINCTION OF A RISING ARTIST΄΄ in the "6th Panhellenic Music

Competition of Maria Hairogiorgou - Sigara", Athens-Greece 2016.

She has successfully taken part in

COMPETITIONS and CONCERTS mentioned below:

1. GOLD PRIZE WINNER at the Schubert International Music Competition UK-Season 3,

(Young Artist 2025).

2. FIRST PRIZE at the ‘’VIENNA CLASSICAL MUSIC COMPETITION’’, 2024.

3. GOLD PRIZE WINNER at the International Competition "London Young Musician

Awards 2023" in the Young Artist category (age 15 & under), 2023.

4. Four times FIRST PRIZE at the "New Talents of Classical Music Competition" by the

Association of Friends of Music. Thessaloniki-Greece, January 2019, November

2019, July 2022, November 2023.

5. GOLD PRIZE at the International Competition "WORLD CLASSICAL MUSIC

AWARDS 2022" in the Junior 12-13 category, 2022.

6. FIRST PRIZE at the "3rd Panhellenic Music Competition Tasos Pappas," B Category,

Thessaloniki - Greece, 2021.

7. FIRST PRIZE at the "Gina Bachauer Region Competition – Junior" 2016,

Thessaloniki-Greece.

8. FIRST PRIZE at the "6th Panhellenic Music Competition Maria Chairogiorgou-

Sigara," 2016, Athens-Greece.

9. SECOND PRIZE at the "North International Music Competition" 2021.

10. SECOND PRIZE at the "5^th String Competition" November 2023.

11. SECOND PRIZE and cash award as the youngest contestant in Category II at the

"1st Balkan Viola Competition," 2019.

RECITAL

In June 2024, she gave her Diploma Viola Recital at the concert hall of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki.

She has participated as a SOLOIST in the following CONCERTS

1. At the Thessaloniki Concert Hall foyer, she performed the Hoffmeister Viola

Concerto in D major. Friends of Music Society of Thessaloniki, "New Talents of

Classical Music",2023.

2. "13th Festival in Lesvos." Gala of Music Stars from the Gina Bachauer International

Music Association, 2021.

3. At the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, she performed "Märchenbilder

(Fairy Tale Pictures), Op. 113 - 1st movement" by R. Schumann in an online recital

of selected students from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. European Music

Day, 2020.

4. "12th Festival in Lesvos." Award for Young Soloists from the Gina Bachauer

International Association, 2020.

5. At the Thessaloniki Concert Hall foyer, she performed the Vanhal Viola Concerto in

C major. Friends of Music Society of Thessaloniki, "New Talents of Classical Music",

2019.

6. At the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, she performed G.F. Handel's Concerto for Viola in

B minor. Friends of Music Society of Thessaloniki, "New Talents of Classical Music",

2019.

She has collaborated with the conductors: Ilarion Ionescu-Galati, Vladimiros Symeonidis, Safira Antzus Ramos, Aristea Tsichli.

She has collaborated with MOUSA - the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall in November 2022, and she is a member of the Symphony Orchestra of the Hellenic College.

SEMINARS

She participated as a selected student in the "Viola Festival", with the State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Thessaloniki-Greece 2017.

She participated in the "International Music Festival Vlasti GR" under the direction of Mr. Mikis Michaelides and attended viola lessons with Mr. M. Michaelides, 2014.

She is attending the last year of high school on a scholarship and is a member of the symphonic orchestra of the Hellenic College of Thessaloniki.

#OnlineMusicCompetition #AwardWinningMusician #YoungMusicians

WOMCO

World Online Music Competitions Organization

A Voice Carved in Truth: Margarita Petridou’s Celebrated Viola Interpretation and Artistic Journey

Recent Posts