MCO Returns to Greece
Two weeks, 12 Concerts, and 2,000 Pounds of Instruments
by Dr. Daniel Mattix, Associate Professor and MCO Conductor
Curious people continued drifting in from the street. Some paused just outside in the quaint alleys, listening. Others quietly joined the standing-room-only crowd around the edges of the audience. In a beautiful coastal city in Greece, nearly 400 people gathered to hear the Moody Campus Orchestra. What they found wasn’t just a concert; it was also an act of worship offered by enthusiastic believers. And, at least for that evening, it changed the atmosphere of the town.
During spring break 2025, the Moody Campus Orchestra had the privilege of serving on a two-week music ministry tour throughout Greece. We partnered with the Greek organization LogosMusic and performed twelve concerts in ten cities, reaching nearly 4,000 audience members. Fifty musicians transported 2,000 pounds of instruments, as we faithfully blended our passion for music with our heart for service and building community.
What makes our music group unique is our diverse instrumentation, including an innovative rhythm section, which lets us span various genres with ease. We played film scores, jazz standards, classical music, original student compositions, and full-scale worship music—pivoting between general concerts for a wide audience, and specialized worship nights for specific communities.
Every concert was thoughtfully crafted with our local hosts and customized for their specific venue—some focused on outreach, others meant to encourage the local believers. In Drama, a local pastor told us:
“We are so grateful for your service. You spread Christ’s aroma in our town. Brothers and sisters of the local church feel so encouraged. Three hundred fifty people attended your concert… and only 70 normally attend our church.”
Beyond our concerts, we had the chance to serve refugee families in Athens and Giannitsa, visit historic biblical sites like Corinth, Thessaloniki, and Philippi, and reconnect with Moody alumni now living and ministering across Greece. One especially moving moment happened when a student stood on Mars Hill—just steps from where Paul once preached—and read from Acts 17 in Greek, with the Acropolis behind him. At every concert, another student amazed the audience by introducing the orchestra fluently in modern Greek—a language he’s studied for years with dedication and joy.
Five faculty—mostly from Moody’s Music and Media Arts division—joined us as chaperones, sharing their professional expertise, mentoring students, and walking with them through this unforgettable journey. Our students stepped up: leading devotionals, sharing testimonies, praying with boldness, and growing as a tight-knit, unified community.
As we think back through our concerts and venues, what lingers most isn’t applause—it’s connection. We witnessed how music can open hearts and pave the way for deeper conversations about faith and hope. The Moody Campus Orchestra didn’t just tour Greece; we listened, we served, and we worshiped alongside new friends and longtime ministry partners. Most of all, we left inspired, by both the beauty of the country and the growing faith of its people.
As one student shared, “I thought we were coming to bless others, but I’ve never felt so moved and stretched in my own faith. I’ll never forget what God did on this tour.”
To learn more or support future ministry tours like this, join us on Instagram! @moodycampusorchestra
