Music - Poetry I
The Athens State Orchestra is delighted to honour the tireless conductor and composer Alkis Baltas with this concert in which he conducts the première performances of two of his symphonic works, one of is also an Athens State Orchestra commision. We will also be listening to the exquisite and in many ways ground-breaking incidental music which Dmitri Shostakovich wrote for Nikolay Akimov's 1932 production of Hamlet. The programme ends with the clarinet concerto by the Argentine composer, pianist and arranger Daniel Freiberg, in which the improvisational mood of jazz is combined with the sensuality of Latin music and the plenitude of the symphonic sound. The soloist is the famous Greek clarinettist, and principal clarinettist of the Athens State Orchestra, Spyros Mourikis.
Two...
Our second concert of symphonic music features two works: Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto and Elgar's Second Symphony - so it's clear to say the number two has left its imprint on this concert programme, both in and between the lines! The (extremely) youthful conductor Finnegan Downie Dear became the centre of attention when he won the 2020 International Mahler Competition organised by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has been making one successful debut after another around the world. He is joined by the internationally renowned pianist Kirill Gerstein, who is sought after for the unique combination of brilliant virtuosity and heartfelt emotion he brings to performances across a truly wide-ranging repertoire.
Season Opening Concert
For the opening of its 2023-2024 artistic season, the Athens State Orchestra welcomes an old friend to the podium: the outstanding Matthias Foremny, the German conductor who has been a leading light on the classical music scene for many years and regularly conducts top European orchestras. Two symphonic suites, one from Kurt Weill's famous Mahagonny, the other from Maurice Ravel's exciting impressionist ballet Daphnis and Chloe, reveal the unmatched musical riches of the first half of the 20th century. The two demanding piano concertos to be performed by Andrei Gavrilov, one of the most eminent representatives of the Russian piano school, belong to precisely the same period.
Andrea Bocelli with the Athens State Orchestra
The world's favourite tenor, the legendary artist who breathed new life into opera, Andrea Bocelli is to perform at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, giving Greek audiences a first rare opportunity to enjoy and be enchanted by his voice, his courage, and his on-stage persona. The singer with the evocative voice who has broken every record with his sold-out concerts around the world, the most famous tenor of his generation and one of the most important artists of all time, is coming to Athens for his biggest ever concert in Greece.
Music day - 2023
With Neapolitan canzonetti, introductions from famous Italian operas, iconic Beatles hits and original jazz compositions and arrangements, this year the Garden welcomes the Music Day. The soprano Despina Skarlatou takes us on a journey to the charming melodies of the Italian South, accompanied by the Athens State Orchestra, which reminds us of two delightful introductions by Gioachino Rossini from the operas “The Barber of Seville” and “William Tell”. Yannis Poulakis conducts the orchestra.
Honouring Maria Callas – The Athens State Orchestra with the Cretan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Heraklion's Municipality, concert in Chania
The Athens State Orchestra returns to Crete to participate in the Festival of Crete for the second year running. The Festival is organised by the Region of Crete. This is the Year of Maria Callas, and the Athens State Orchestra will be joining forces with its young colleagues from the Municipality of Heraklion's Cretan Youth Symphony Orchestra to perform an opera gala under the baton of Miltos Logiadis to mark the centenary of the birth of La Divina, Greece's gift to the world. The soprano Vassiliki Karayanni and tenor Dimitris Paksoglou will perform arias and duetti from some of the most famous operas in the international repertoire.
Honouring Maria Callas – The Athens State Orchestra with the Cretan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Heraklion's Municipality, concert in Rethymnon
The Athens State Orchestra returns to Crete to participate in the Festival of Crete for the second year running. The Festival is organised by the Region of Crete. This is the Year of Maria Callas, and the Athens State Orchestra will be joining forces with its young colleagues from the Municipality of Heraklion's Cretan Youth Symphony Orchestra to perform an opera gala under the baton of Miltos Logiadis to mark the centenary of the birth of La Divina, Greece's gift to the world. The soprano Vassiliki Karayanni and tenor Dimitris Paksoglou will perform arias and duetti from some of the most famous operas in the international repertoire.
Honouring Maria Callas – The Athens State Orchestra with the Cretan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Heraklion's Municipality, concert in Heraklion
The Athens State Orchestra returns to Crete to participate in the Festival of Crete for the second year running. The Festival is organised by the Region of Crete. This is the Year of Maria Callas, and the Athens State Orchestra will be joining forces with its young colleagues from the Municipality of Heraklion's Cretan Youth Symphony Orchestra to perform an opera gala under the baton of Miltos Logiadis to mark the centenary of the birth of La Divina, Greece's gift to the world. The soprano Vassiliki Karayanni and tenor Dimitris Paksoglou will perform arias and duetti from some of the most famous operas in the international repertoire.
Eleusis European Capital of Culture 2023
The words of Aeschylus combine archaic grandeur, ritual robustness, and Dionysian ecstasy. Iannis Xenakis – a foundational figure of the international avant-garde music scene during the second half of the 20th century – was directly inspired by these elements when composing his Oresteïa (1965-1966), a work that distils the plot and very essence of the Aeschylean trilogy, teetering on the cusp between opera, oratorio, and ritualistic dance theatre. Without any intention of employing traditional “embellishments,” the music places an emphasis on primal rhythms (hence the extensive use of percussion instruments), and on the expressive power of speech, which is constantly hewn and remoulded by means of imaginative and contemporary compositional techniques. This centenary year of the great composer’s birth presents a fantastic opportunity for the revival of his thrilling, evocative, and altogether immensely demanding piece of music at the hands of the Athens State Orchestra and its top-tier artistic associates.