The renowned violinist and conductor André Rieu recently presented the Greek Christmas carols during his annual holiday concert in Maastricht, the Netherlands, where the festive spirit was unmistakable.
One of the highlights of the evening was the performance of the traditional Greek carols by Rieu’s orchestra, interpreted by Greek soprano Christina Petrou. The piece stood out for its warmth and simplicity, drawing a strong response from the audience.
In his introduction, Rieu explained the Greek tradition behind the carols, describing how children go from door to door singing and receiving sweets in return. He compared the custom to Halloween in the United States and to Germany’s St. Martin’s Day.
“Fortunately, I have a Greek singer in my choir who really loves sweets,” Rieu joked, adding: “It’s a lovely, simple song. If you hear it often enough, you’ll be able to sing along with us—and you might even earn a few treats.”
The performance in Maastricht featured Petrou singing alongside 400 wind musicians, as well as Greek musicians Haris Laurisen and Panos Dimakis, who accompanied her on bouzouki, adding a distinctly Greek sound to the orchestral arrangement.
A video of the performance has attracted thousands of views on social media in recent days.
As a member of André Rieu’s Johann Strauss Orchestra, Christina Petrou also performs the song “Never on Sunday,” which is consistently met with enthusiastic applause from international audiences.
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