From the Notre Dame to the Athens State Orchestra
The organ's world has its own stars- and one of them indisputably is the French virtuoso, Vincent Dubois. Nowadays also known as the famous Paris Notre- Dame titular organist, Dubois, after receiving his first awards in 2002 in the demanding international organ competitions of Calgary and Toulouse, he has evolved into a world- range rare phenomenon. As a worthy successor of the great French tradition in organ, Dubois promises a dynamic performance of Jongen's glorious Symphonie concertante, which is for many people the most impressive and plethoric symphonic organ-led work of the first half of the 20th century!
Beethoven's Triple Concerto: Vengerov, Isserlis, Dokou
No matter to which artist a listener may focus their expectations, this concert is a guarantee to their satisfaction: its repertoire includes one classical masterpiece (Beethoven's Triple Concert) and two equally brilliant (but completely different in terms of aesthetics) symphonic works of the beginning of the 20th century, of the Czech Leoš Janáček and the French Maurice Ravel, correspondingly. However, if interest is focused on a concert's performers, nothing could be more impressive than the great names of Maxim Vegerov and Steven Isserlis, next to whom feature those of younger but promising and dynamic peers, such as Theodosia Dokou and the talented conductor Finnegan Downie Dear.
Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 - Ivo Pogorelich
Ivo Pogorelich belongs to the artists who create extreme feelings among the audience. There are auditors who are passionate with his daring artistic choices, while others are more reserved towards them; yet nobody can remain indifferent about his performances, way more when he interprets a great concerto such as Rachmnaninoff's second. Vasilis Christopoulos is one of the few conductors that are able to decode Sergei Rachmnaninoff's music's essence and to reveal all dimensions of its narrative and emotional richness without falling into superficial, passionate explosions. The concert programme complements a jewel of the literary Greek production, the Eight Miniatures by Yorgos Sicilianos, a composer who followed the imperatives of music modernism, always with a highly eclectic spirit.
100 Years from Mikis Theodorakis’s birth
Carnaval is a ballet suite for orchestra that Theodorakis began composing while exiled to the island of Ikaria. According to his own words, this was the occasion for him to acquaint with Greece’s folk music tradition. The album Odyssey is a music journey through Theodorakis’ life, since he composed its first song at the age of 12 and its last at 81. Through this album, Mikis Theodorakis reflects on love, solitude, and the dead-ends of modern man in search of his own Ithaca—like a contemporary Ulisses. Sung by the principal performer of Theodorakis's works, Maria Farantouri. Conducted by the Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of Heraklion, Myron Michailidis.
100 Years from Mikis Theodorakis’s birth
Carnaval is a ballet suite for orchestra that Theodorakis began composing while exiled to the island of Ikaria. According to his own words, this was the occasion for him to acquaint with Greece’s folk music tradition. The album Odyssey is a music journey through Theodorakis’ life, since he composed its first song at the age of 12 and its last at 81. Through this album, Mikis Theodorakis reflects on love, solitude, and the dead-ends of modern man in search of his own Ithaca—like a contemporary Ulisses. Sung by the principal performer of Theodorakis's works, Maria Farantouri. Conducted by the Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of Heraklion, Myron Michailidis.
Classic Rock IX
After last year's unprecedented success, 9th Classic Rock returns to the Herodeion for one more meeting of SepticFlesh with the Athens State Orchestra. The Piraeus Vocal Ensemble LIBRO CORO will complement the unique spectacle. SepticFlesh symphonic/metal live was presented for one and only time in 2019 at the "Metropolitan Theater of Mexico City" with the Mexico Symphony Orchestra, featuring 140 musicians and a 40-member choir. It was a top-tier sold-out concert attended by more than 3500 spectators. Five years later, this project comes to Greece, promising a unique music experience at the world’s most emblematic concert hall, the Herodeion, under the Athens Acropolis and the Attica starry night. The world famous Dutch lead musician, Koen Schoots shall conduct the Athens State Orchestra.
Municipal Theatre of Piraeus - a 130 year old story
The Athens State Orchestra continues its events within the framework of the Greek Ministry of Culture Year Dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis on the 100-year anniversary of his birth, honoring the great Greek composer's work. At the invitation of the- always hospitable- Prefecture of Crete, two concerts-tribute will be held at our great composer's hometown, Chania, as well as in Heraklion. In addition, the Athens State Orchestra participates to the celebrations for the 130 years of the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.
The concert programme includes two of Mikis Theodorakis's most important works: the Mauthausen song cycle, based on Iakovos Kambanellis's poetry and the emblematic suite from Zorba the Greek, orchestrated by Dimitris Michas. Mauthausen is an emotional tribute to the Holocaust victims and one of the most harrowing combinations of Greek literature and music of the 20th century. Zorba, a literature figure representing the Greek spirit, freedom and power of life, shall be a counter-weight full of rhythm and passion.
Year dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis
The Athens State Orchestra continues its events within the framework of the Greek Ministry of Culture Year Dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis on the 100-year anniversary of his birth, honoring the great Greek composer's work. At the invitation of the- always hospitable- Prefecture of Crete, two concerts-tribute will be held at our great composer's hometown, Chania, as well as in Heraklion. In addition, the Athens State Orchestra participates to the celebrations for the 130 years of the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.
The concert programme includes two of Mikis Theodorakis's most important works: the Mauthausen song cycle, based on Iakovos Kambanellis's poetry and the emblematic suite from Zorba the Greek, orchestrated by Dimitris Michas. Mauthausen is an emotional tribute to the Holocaust victims and one of the most harrowing combinations of Greek literature and music of the 20th century. Zorba, a literature figure representing the Greek spirit, freedom and power of life, shall be a counter-weight full of rhythm and passion.
Year dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis
The Athens State Orchestra continues its events within the framework of the Greek Ministry of Culture Year Dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis on the 100-year anniversary of his birth, honoring the great Greek composer's work. At the invitation of the- always hospitable- Prefecture of Crete, two concerts-tribute will be held at our great composer's hometown, Chania, as well as in Heraklion. In addition, the Athens State Orchestra participates to the celebrations for the 130 years of the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.
The concert programme includes two of Mikis Theodorakis's most important works: the Mauthausen song cycle, based on Iakovos Kambanellis's poetry and the emblematic suite from Zorba the Greek, orchestrated by Dimitris Michas. Mauthausen is an emotional tribute to the Holocaust victims and one of the most harrowing combinations of Greek literature and music of the 20th century. Zorba, a literature figure representing the Greek spirit, freedom and power of life, shall be a counter-weight full of rhythm and passion.
Giorgos Kouroupos: Elytis's Monogram
There may be millions of poems inspired by love all over the world, but for many of us, Odysseas Elytis's Monogram is the absolute praise to Love, a work of unrepeatable strength, essence and beauty. It is extremely difficult -if not impossible- to set such a great, therefore aesthetically and conceptually self- sufficient poetry to Music, as its ideal complement. If one Greek composer could possibly attempt and achieve such an "unfeasible" thing, this would indisputably be Giorgos Kouroupos, the composer capable of listening to and expressing with a unique sincerity all aspects of Elytis's complex poetic language through a music balancing smoothly between lyrical and modern. Without exaggeration, the "Monogram" is a monument of modern literary Greek production, worth to enjoy, especially when performed by select lyric singers and our music life's respectful father, Byron Fidetzis.