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About GeorgiaDescribed by her colleagues as a musician who will energize an ensemble like no other conductor, Georgia brings excitement and love for music from the podium that is truly amazing. The results of her work can be seen in the students she teaches; she encourages them not only to become better musicians, but better people as well.
Mrs. Ekonomou has been a String Educator/Conductor for 40 years. She is the former Director of Orchestras at The Paideia School (Atlanta, Georgia), where she conducted The Paideia Chamber Orchestra and The Paideia Junior Chamber Orchestra. In January 2017, Ekonomou was awarded the "Georgia American String Teachers Association" Lifetime Achievement Award, in honor of her contribution to Musical Excellence in the State of Georgia. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Music Education from Northwestern University. At Northwestern, she studied Violin with Samuel Magad, and performed in the Northwestern Chorus with Margaret Hillis. Following Northwestern she received a Master of Music Education from Georgia State University. Additionally, she spent 3 summers studying conducting at the Conductor’s Institute in South Carolina under Harold Farberman, Donald Portnoy, Dan Lewis, and John Giordano. Her teaching career began in the Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, Georgia. After teaching in the public schools, she became the Director of Orchestras at the Lovett School in Atlanta. While at Lovett, the Lovett Chamber Orchestra performed at the 1990 MENC National Conference in Washington DC. Her Lovett Orchestras also performed at the 1997 GMEA (Georgia Music Educators Association) Conference in Savannah, and at the 1997 IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educator’s) Conference in Atlanta. In 1991, she was awarded Lovett’s Woodward Award for excellence in teaching. From 1990-2003, Ekonomou served as assistant conductor of the “Georgia Tech Orchestra”, “Emory Symphony Orchestra” and the “Georgia University Orchestra”. |
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In 2000, Ekonomou began teaching at the Paideia School. Under her leadership, The Paideia Chamber Orchestra performed at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center in 2005, at Jordan Hall in Boston in 2007, and the Ryman Theater in Nashville. Her groups consistently received Superior ratings at Local and National competitions.
A violinist, she performed with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, and with the Woman’s Jazz Orchestra of Los Angeles, the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, the Emory Chamber Players and other ensembles in the Atlanta area. Additionally, Georgia is a violinist with the Greek Islanders and The Aegeans. In 2006, Ekonomou founded the Atlanta Junior Chamber Orchestra, the preparatory orchestra of the Emory Symphony Youth Orchestra. Under her leadership, AJCO became the premier orchestra in the Atlanta Area for students grades 7-9. In 2014 and 2016, she conducted the Intermediate Symphony Orchestra at the Interlochen Summer Arts Festival. Mrs. Ekonomou is a member of GMEA, ASTA, and Nafme and has served on the advisory committee for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and on the national Membership committee for ASTA. She is active throughout the United States as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator. |