«¡Espana!» Cycle (III)
An evening of very different but equally popular works by distinguished 20th-century Spanish composers, all of them positively overflowing with energy, dance rhythms, pure passion, delicate humour and nostalgic tenderness. The Athens State Orchestra under Vassilis Christopoulos and the guitarist Elena Papandreou promise an evening of glorious Spanish colour and irresistible musical appeal.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
A tribute to Polish music
The celebrated Polish conductor, Jacek Kaspszyk, returns to the podium of the Athens State Orchestra to conduct works by Szymanowski and Lutoslawski, two leading representatives of the Polish avant garde. Lutoslawski’s Piano Concerto is played by the distinguished soloist Thodoris Tzovanakis. The concert closes with Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony, which many consider the most perfect and intellectually satisfying symphonic work produced by Czech Romanticism.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Beethoven cycle (III)
The Athens State Orchestra joins forces with some superb singers and one of Germany’s finest choirs to bid 2012 farewell and send forth its wishes for a bright and hopeful New Year with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the work which all of us associate in our hearts, more than any other, with the quest for Joy, both personal and universal, and with its achievement.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Christmas concert, dedicated to the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol, as we all knew it as children from Charles Dickens’ timeless masterpiece, springs back to life to touch our hearts again in this lively and vividly programmatic music by the German composer, Henrik Albrecht. This year’s musical celebration of Christmas also features the timeless melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite conducted by Andreas Tselikas.
19:45
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
«¡Espana!» Cycle (II)
Moments great and everyday, fleeting images, strolls down narrow streets and through Spanish landscapes as beautiful as a dream are transformed into music by two Spanish and two French composers of the last century. The concert lilts between the intoxicating aromas of the sensuous night and the dawn of a new day which is sometimes a joyous celebration and sometimes a clarion call summoning warriors to battle.
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
Honouring Byron Fidetzis
Byron Fidetzis gives his farewell concert as the principal conductor of the Athens State Orchestra after many years at its helm. An artist whose career has been tightly bound up with the Greek repertoire, he presents important works by Manolis Kalomiris and Spyridon Samaras alongside marvellous songs by Dvorak. The orchestration of all the works in the programme is his own work.
19:15
Pre-concert talk, free for ticket holders
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