A tribute to Maurice Emmanuel
This concert is a tribute to the exceptional maitre of French music, Maurice Emmanuel, one of the early 20th century’s most important students of ancient Greek music. Hand-picked Greek artists perform his refined music for the Amphitryon in a dialogue with Petros Petridis’ masterful Concerto grosso and the forgotten but marvellous melodies of Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Beethoven cycle (II)
Beethoven’s Second and Fourth Symphonies have always suffered from their proximity to his Third and Fifth, which enjoy especial prominence and a unique space in audiences’ affections. In truth, however, neither work lacks anything is majesty, inspiration or beauty, and Vassilis Christopoulos’ interpretations will give audiences an opportunity to ascertain this for themselves in the concert hall.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Journeys to the Divine
Athens audiences are given a rare opportunity to enjoy Franz Liszt’s monumental Dante Symphony, which was inspired by the metaphysical work of the Italian poet. Next, the Viola Concerto, the final work by the great 20th-century Hungarian composer, Bela Bartok, is played by Mikhail Smirnov of the Athens State Orchestra. The concert ends with the Greek premiere of the Second Symphony by the important Greek composer, Christos Samaras.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Young Creators and Recreators cycle (I)
Remaining true to its commitment to providing talented young musicians with a stage, the Athens State Orchestra is carrying its “Young Creators and Recreators” cycle over into a second season. The composer Apostolos Darlas and the clarinettist Grigoris Vasileiadis present samples of their noteworthy work, while after the intermission, Nikos Haliasas conducts Gustav Holst’s masterly symphonic work, The Planets.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
A farewell concert in honour of Dimitris Agrafiotis on his 80th birthday
A concert in honour of Dimitris Agrafiotis, celebrating a lifetime dedicated to music in Greece and beyond on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. The leading Greek conductor will bring his knowledge and experience to bear on Schumann’s Second Symphony and conduct the much younger but equally dynamic soloist, Apostolos Palios, in Chopin’s lyrical Second Piano Concerto.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Beethoven cycle (I)
Beethoven’s symphonies are a milestone in world culture. A triumph of the human spirit, they penetrate to the very essence of being, nature and life in search of hope and truth. Vassilis Christopoulos and the Athens State Orchestra promise a dynamic rendering of all nine masterpieces, beginning with the youthful First and colossal Third (Eroica) symphonies.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
«¡Espana!» Cycle (I)
This season’s “¡España!” cycle will provide Athenian concertgoers with a unique opportunity to rediscover both celebrated works by Spanish composers and music directly inspired by the Iberian peninsula. In this first concert in the series, Ravel, Ibert and Richard Strauss provide a vibrant portrait of the emblematic figure of Don Quixote in the most vivid of musical colours.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Opening concert
The Athens State Orchestra kicks off its 2012-2013 season with two truly titanic works: the Violin Concerto by the great Nikos Skalkottas with the celebrated Greek virtuoso Giorgos Demertzis playing the solo part, and Mahler’s First Symphony, a work which combines the freshness of youth with fathomless metaphysical depth. The concert will be conducted by the A.S.O’s chief conductor and artistic director, Vassilis Christopoulos.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders