A French scented partnership with the Onassis Cultural Centre (II)
French composers have always written works of great finesse and sensitivity while flirting with all that is new and innovative. Inevitably, countless works by non-French composers who have lived in France exude the same delicate aroma of avant-garde exploration. Thus, alongside works by Debussy, Tanguy and Mantovani, the distinguished maestro Pierre-André Valade conducts charming compositions by Stravinsky and the young Cypriot composer, Christina Athinodorou.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Brahms Cycle (III)
One of the most significant musicians of his generation, German conductor Marcus Bosch leaves his mark on three mature works which Brahms wrote at the very height of his powers. Enjoying pride of place among them, the ethereal Second Symphony, which has rightly been described as “Brahms’ Pastoral”. The evening’s soloist is the up-and-coming Greek violinist, Dimitris Karakantas.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Brahms Cycle (II)
Brahms’ longest work is also one of his most esoteric and evocative. The choice of German rather than Latin is symbolic of the composer’s intentions to express his innermost feelings on the tragedy of human existence in the most heartfelt way possible. This solemn musical rite sets a singular tone for Holy Week.
(Chorus Master: Benedikt Haag)
19:45
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Brahms Cycle (I)
Even though it took Johannes Brahms two decades to complete his First Symphony, so heavy did he feel Beethoven’s shadow weighing down upon him, this stirring work would firmly establish the composer as a preeminent exponent of the German symphonic tradition. This year’s Brahms Cycle can thus be considered a natural successor to our recent Mozart and Beethoven cycles. In this first concert, two internationally-celebrated soloists and a distinguished Russian conductor place their talents in the service of Brahms’ music.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Young Composers and Performers (IV)
The Athens State Orchestra audience will have the chance to enjoy two monumental works of an intensely ‘national hue’ by the Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist and educator, Zoltán Kodály, conducted by Byron Fidetzis. These will be preceded by a new work by Savvas Tsiligiridis and the sonic fireworks of Franz Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto performed by the young soloist, Stella Koukou.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Young Composers and Performers (III)
This fascinating concert includes both the première of a work by Orestes Goumenos and sixteen year-old Anastasia Sgara, an up-and-coming violinist, tackling one of the greatest concerti in the violin repertoire. The distinguished maestro Stefanos Tsialis will also be conducting the Athens State Orchestra in Richard Strauss’s tone poem inspired by Nietzsche’s treatise of the same name.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Young Composers and Performers (II)
The clarinet was Mozart’s favourite instrument, which may explain the matchless beauty and perfection of his only concerto for this woodwind instrument. The young clarinettist Zacharias Fotis ‘re-creates’ this classic masterpiece after the première performance of a new symphonic work from Antonis Rouvelas. Finally, the dynamic maestro Myron Michailidis conducts Rachmaninov’s larger-than-life Third Symphony, a genuine orchestral tour de force.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Young Composers and Performers (I)
For the third consecutive year, the Athens State Orchestra showcases talented young composers and performers in its “Young Creators and Re-creators” cycle. This season, the cycle opens with a new symphonic work by Giannis Aggelakis and with Ibert’s delicate Flute Concerto performed by Theodora Iordanidou. Prokofiev’s greatest symphony brings the concert to a close, conducted by Loukas Karytinos.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
A French scented partnership with the Onassis Cultural Centre (I)
The concert, which inaugurates the collaboration between the Athens State Orchestra and the Onassis Cultural Centre, has twin axes: the musical avant-garde in early 20th- and 21st-century France respectively. Two classic masterpieces of Modernism by Stravinsky and Ravel engage in a dialogue with contemporary avant-garde creations by the award-winning Greek composer, Nicolas Tzortzis, and his French colleague, Raphaël Cendo.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Bruckner’s "Romantic"
Inspired by the personal philosophies and incandescent personality of Nikos Kazantzakis, the optimistic work by the celebrated Giorgos Koumentakis is followed by a performance of Mozart’s sensual Piano Concerto No. 17 by the outstanding pianist, Domna Evnouchidou. The distinguished maestro Karolos Trikolidis promises a dynamic interpretation of the imposing but sensitive Romantic Symphony by the great symphonist, Anton Bruckner.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders