Ever since the beginning of the eighties, she has been very active as a conductor, leading choirs on a regular basis as well as “ad hoc” projects throughout Norway.
In 1997, she took the initiative to form CORO MISTO, a mixed choir of about 20 members, aspiring to present classical as well as seldom performed works of the highest quality.
They have premiered in Norway, E. de Cavalieri’s “Rappresentazione di Anima e di Corpo”,Claudio Monteverdi’s complete “Lamento d’Arianna”, Hildegard von Bingen’s “Ordo Virtutum“, as well as presented world premieres like E. Østergaard’s “From the ninth Duino Elegy” and mostly classical works like J.S. Bach’s “Jesu meine Freude”, kantate nr. 150, Handel’s “The Messiah”, “Dixit Dominus”,“ Coronation Anthem”, “Foundling Hospital Anthem”,A. Vivaldi’s “Gloria”,“Magnificat”, H. Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas”,“The Fairy Queen”, W. A. Mozart’s “Messe in B”, “Requiem” and other pieces, Rossinis “Petite Messe Solenelle” , Brahms “Liebesliederwalzer” og “Neue Liebeslieder”, Franz Liszt’s “Via Crucis”, ” Missa Choralis“, B. Britten’s “Rejoice In The Lamb”,“A Ceremony of Carols”, to mention some, alongside other works by A. Bruckner, Fr. Poulenc, Knut Nystedt, Opera choir movements, musical potpourris and many more.
Since 1988 she has been the conductor of ARKADIAKORET (Oslo), a choir specializing in Greek music. They have been performing full scale works like “To axion Esti” by M. Theodorakis, movements and songs by M. Hadjidakis, M. Adamis, J. Markopoulos and other Greek composers, as well as folk-songs from all over Greece, Byzantine music and fragments of Ancient Greek music. They have appeared on radio and TV in Norway and have toured extensively in Greece. In 1999 they launched a CD with “Greek choir Music from ancient to our own times”. Very often, the choir sings Marilena Zlatanou’s own choral arrangements and on occasions some of her compositions as well.
Since 95 she has conducted youth- and chamber-choir at STEINERSKOLEN I MOSS (a Waldorf school), presenting among other things full scale works like Benjamin Britten’s “Noye’s Fludde”, Ch. W. Gluck’s opera “Orpheus”, excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah”, J. S. Bach’s Kantata nr. 61, Orff’s “Carmina Burana“, contemporary works especially written for the school, and many other works.
Since the same year, she has been teaching singing as well as conducting childrens- and girlschoir at NESODDEN KULTURSKOLE (a council music- and culture-school). During the last mentioned period she has also conducted other choirs and performed, among other works, G.Rossini’s “Petite Messe Solenelle”.
She has also often conducted choir-seminars all over Norway.
EDITIONS Three of her cappella (mixed choir) choral arrangements have been published by NORSK MUSIKFORLAG, also internationally. 1. QUODLIBET: A combination of a greek and a norwegian folk-song 2. KALANDASUITE: A suite comprising of 9 christmas songs (duration: ca 10 min.) 3. GREEK SUITE: A suite comprising of 7 songs, all from Macedonia, northern Greece, her place of origin. Duration: ca 25 min.
GREEK CHOIR ARRANGEMENTS BYZANTINE MUSIC For a cappella SATB choir PAP.OXY. 1786
Thrinos tis Aloseos (Lament)
St. Dimitrios Apolytikion
ROMANOS O MELODOS:
I Parthenos simeron (The Virgin Today) FOLK-SONGS For a cappella SATB choir / choir and piano
Greek Suite (7 Songs from Macedonia, N. Greece) Suite of Kalanda (9 Christmas Songs)
Greek-Norwegian Quodlibet
Arhondes agrikisate (Gentry, Listen!)
Djivaeri mou (My Jewel)
Ehe gia (Farewell)
Gialo, gialo (Along The Shore)
Gianni mou to mandili sou… (Dear Gianni…)
Kalamatianos (from Kalamata)
Karagouna (Karagouna)
Kato stou Valtou (Down by Valtos)
Lianohortaroudia (Small Grass)
Pedia san thelte (If You Want…)
sto pa ke sto xananleo (I Told You Again and Again)
Thalasaki mou (My Sweet Little Sea)
O Digenis (O Digenis) M I K I S T H E O D O R A K I S For a cappella SATB choir Antonis
O Ilios ke o hronos (the Sun and Time)
Ta kelia (The Cells)
Tania
To sfagio (The Slaughter House)
from LITTLE SONGS OF THE BITTER HOMELAND
Anavaftisi (Re-baptizing)
Kouvenda me ena louloudi (Chat With A Flower)
Karterema (Expectation)
Laos (the People)
Mnimosino (Memorial)
Avgi (Dawn)
Ti Romiosini min tin kles (Weep Not for Greek-ness) For SATB choir and piano Apagogi ( The Kidnapping)
Myrtia (Myrt) M A N O S H A T Z I D A K I S
For a cappella SATB choir Kapo iparhi I agapi mou (My Love Exists Somewhere)
Pame mi avolta sto fengari (Let’s Go for A Walk On The Moon)
Tora pou pas stin xenitia (Now That You Are Leaving…) For SATB choir and piano Manoula mou (My Sweet Mother)
To fengari ine kokono (The Moon is Red)
Hartino to fengaraki (Paper Moon) For SATB choir and Strings Ime aitos horis ftera (I Am an Without Wings)
Thalasa pltia (Wide Sea)
Oniro pedion tis gitonias (Childrens Dream)
Ta pedia tou Pirea (Pireus’ Children)
To pelago ine vathi (The Sea is Deep) For Strings To hamogelo tis Giokondas (Giokondas Smile) A P O S T O L O S K A L D A R A S (Mikra Asia – Asia Minor) For SATB choir, Strings and Piano Mes tou Vosporou ta stena (I Vosporos’ Straits)
Dio palikaria ap t’Aivali (Two Lads from Aivali)
Prosfijia (Immigration)
I Smirni (Smyrna)
Giorti Zeibekidon (Zeibeker Fiest)
Petra Petra htisame (Stone Upon Stone We Built)
Ti na thimitho (What Shall I Remember…)
O Marmaromenos Vasilias (The Petrified King) For Solo Voice and Strings I kambanes tils Agia Sofias (The Bells of Agia Sofia) To spiti mou to patriko (My father’s House) M A N O S L O I Z O S For SATB choir, Strings and Piano Kalimera ilie (Good Morning, Sun) For a cappella SATB choir O Dromos (The Street) F R A N C O C O R L I A N O Andra mo pai (My Husband Is Gone)
MISC. CHOIR ARRANGEMENTS
For SATB choir a cappella
JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU: Tambourin MARC ANTOINE CHARPENTIER: Intro Te Deum
JOHANN PACHELBEL: Vocal Canon in in G (original D)
CHRISTMAS SONGS God Rest You Merry Gentlemen (SATB choir a cappella, also for strings and piano) Le triste ètat de cette pauvre ètable (SATB choir, strings/orgel) Å skjønnest rose på vår jord (SATB choir, childrens choir, strings)
Mitt hjerte alltid vanker (SATB choir a cappella) Angels from the Realms of Glory, (SATB choir a cappella, also with strings) Amazing grace (SA /SATB for strings and piano) SECULAR SONGS JEAN PAUL MARTINI: Plaisir d’amour (SATB choir, strings)
ANON.: Bread and Roses (SATB choir a cappella)
EARL ROBINSON: Joe Hill (SATB choir a cappella)
GUNNAR NYBORG JENSEN: Se min kjole(SSAA choir/ vocal ensemble, a cappella)NORWEGIAN SONGS
For SATB choir a cappella HALVTAN SIVERTSEN: Frihet
PAULINE HALL: Jag är ett träd, Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveler AGATHE BACKER GRØNDAL: Fangens aftensang
FOR CHILDREN’S CHOIR /SA /SSA Gje meg handa di, venn (w. strings /piano)
MOZART: Kom mai, du skjønne milde (w. strings/Winds/piano)
Morning has broken (w. piano)
Slipp mine fløyter fri (w. 3 flutes and guitar)
Uti vår hage (w. piano / guitar)
Et knippe Norske folkesanger (suite of 10 Norwegian folk-songs to piano acc.)
Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho (a cap.) CHRISTMAS SONGS Det lyser i stille grender (w. piano /guitar)
When You Wish Upon A Star (w. piano /guitar) Mary’s Boy Child (for SSA, 3 flutes and guitar)
