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