Concert Programme 2025-2026 Archives - Κρατική Ορχήστρα Αθηνών

Lyricism and Introspection

gpapa_koa — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:02:15 +0000

The Athens State Orchestra returns to the Benaki Museum, continuing their long-standing collaboration.

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Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand”

gpapa_koa — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:40:38 +0000

Even within the monumental symphonic output of Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 8 occupies a singular place. It signals an extreme –indeed, a culmination – not only in the Mahlerian oeuvre, but in the Romantic symphonic lineage in its entirety. The epithet “Symphony of a Thousand” was not the composer’s own, but was coined by the impresario Emil Gutmann as a publicity device ahead of the premiere. It may sound like an exaggeration today, yet it is estimated that no fewer than 858 singers and 171 musicians participated in the performance. And yet, the essence of the work lies neither in its duration (Symphony No. 3 is longer) nor in the sheer scale of its performing forces (Symphony No. 2 demands similarly vast resources). The undisputed grandeur of the “Eighth” resides in its purely affirmative spirit: it is the only one of Mahler’s symphonies entirely devoid of irony, doubt, or inner conflict. Instead, it unfolds with a masterful, unyielding rhetorical force, conveying messages of profound spirituality with unflappable inner conviction and musical certainty. Its premiere on 12 September 1910 in Munich, conducted by the composer himself, was the greatest triumph of Mahler’s lifetime, just seven months before his death. Mahler himself regarded the Eighth as his supreme compositional achievement, while the great German writer Thomas Mann encapsulated the essence of this colossal work when he wrote that it “expresses the art of our time in its profoundest and most sacred form.”
Surely, practical considerations alone render performances of the Eighth a rare artistic event – and therefore one of exceptional significance. On this occasion, the internationally acclaimed Polish conductor Michał Nesterowicz leads the Athens State Orchestra, joined by an outstanding roster of vocal soloists and extensive choral forces, offering the Festival audience one of those rare opportunities to experience this epic masterwork live.

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Athens Festival – Lukas Karytinos

gpapa_koa — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:00:16 +0000

The 1960s find the world in constant flux: legions of young people passionately seeking new visions and meanings in life and in art – culminating in the upheaval of May 1968 – while Greece, in particular, grapples with its own native political and social turbulence, leading to the coup d’état in 1967. Manos Hadjidakis stands at a moment of maturity and recognition. He had already been awarded the Academy Award (1961) for Never on Sunday and, more importantly, has succeeded in speaking directly to the soul of Greek –and not only Greek– audiences, weaving together art music and folk legacy in a manner at once natural, profound, and deeply candid.
At this crossroads, he spreads his wings towards the United States, where he resides for several years, consciously retreating from a dire Greek reality, yet also distancing himself from his very own roots, that is, his leanings towards certain sounds, imagery, and the intimacy of his closest circle.
In America, “dancing with his own shadow,” he experiences the universality of Greek music anew, while uncovering unexpected dimensions of his deeply seated sensibility. It is there that he composes the thrilling Gioconda’s Smile (1965), a work that would come to define the artistic quests of its time and stand as a touchstone of modern Greek music. Three years later, in 1968, he composes the score for the western film Blue by the Canadian director Silvio Narizzano. Despite the film’s failure, Hadjidakis’s music emerges as a singular accomplishment, and by virtue of its intrinsic value has endured independently as one of the finest instances in his orchestral oeuvre. This summer, the Athens State Orchestra, under the direction of its artistic director Loukas Karytinos, revisits these two major works by Hadjidakis, marking the centenary of his birth with a tribute worthy of his enduring legacy.

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Closing Concert of the Athens State Orchestra Brass Workshop

gpapa_koa — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:04:43 +0000

The Athens State Orchestra and the Philippos Nakas Conservatory celebrate the completion of the 13th cycle of the Brass Workshop with the customary large-scale concert marking the official conclusion of this year’s activities.

The workshop’s artistic direction is led by distinguished musicians of the Athens State Orchestra, members of the ensemble METALLON, in close collaboration with and with the valued support of the Philippos Nakas Conservatory. Centred on the joy of collective music-making, hands-on engagement with the orchestral repertoire and meaningful collaboration between young musicians and experienced members of the ASO Brass Section, this year’s workshop once again offered inspiration and creative experiences to all participants.

The closing concert also features the Philippos Nakas Conservatory String Orchestra, conducted by Michalis Papapetrou.

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Student Concert of the Athens State Orchestra Chamber Music Seminar

gpapa_koa — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:57:34 +0000

The final concert of the Athens State Orchestra’s Ongoing Chamber Music Seminar marks the culmination of a creative and meaningful educational journey. Through systematic guidance from the distinguished cellist Angelos Liakakis and intensive artistic work, participants delve deeply into the chamber music repertoire, cultivating attentive listening, dialogue and the delicate balance required in small ensemble collaboration.

The closing concert is not merely a presentation of results; it is a living testament to cooperation, artistic growth and creative exchange. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear young and emerging musicians perform together in a programme that highlights the richness and enduring appeal of chamber music.

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4 Women

gpapa_koa — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:31:00 +0000

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Athens State Orchestra proposes a special concert on March 8, dedicated to women. The concert will feature the Orchestra’s all-female String Quartet and will feature works written by female composers.

The position of women in classical music, whether interpretatively or compositionally, constitutes an important chapter in the path and evolution of the art of music. From the obscurity and obstacles caused by social stereotypes, to the phrase “she plays like a man”, the female musical identity has managed to rise to its feet and be recognized – albeit belatedly – for its great contribution to the world of music.

This concert will highlight the voice, inspiration and power of women through the language of music, reminding us that art is a field of equality, collaboration and shared vision. The program includes works by three female composers from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, which illuminate the romantic sensitivity, the interiority and the contemporary inspiration of female musical creation, capturing the timeless and essential presence of women in chamber music.

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From Europe to America

gpapa_koa — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:08:47 +0000

The Acropolis Museum welcomes spring with a distinctive chamber music event in the Parthenon Gallery on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, as part of the “Music Walks” series organized by the Athens State Orchestra

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Lyric Quartets

gpapa_koa — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:58:00 +0000

Scarcely did the great Italian opera composers, Giuseppe Verdi and Giaccomo Puccini take a “break” from their operetta compositions to create works not involving human voice. Even in such cases, their infallible sensor and their plethoric operetta universe was transmitted unchanged to the scores of their musical instruments, full of lyricism, emotions and, of course, “vocal” scale melodicity.

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Musical Gala of Hope and Love

gpapa_koa — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:55:43 +0000

“ELPIDA-Association of Friends of Children with Cancer”, in collaboration with Megaron The Athens Concert Hall and Athens State Orchestra, are organizing the unique Musical Gala, “Hope and Love”, with the participation of the internationally renowned maestro Alvise Casellati, on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 8:30 p.m., in the Christos Lambrakis Hall.
The leading conductor and Artistic Director of Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, Alvise Casellati, in his first appearance in Greece, joins forces with the Athens State Orchestra to create an inspiring, refined program, hymn to love, with famous arias from beloved operas by Verdi, Puccini, Gounod, Wagner and Rossini. The internationally renowned Greek tenor Christina Poulitsi and the distinguished Italian tenor Giorgio Berrugi will accompany this unique musical journey in classical music with their voices. An evening where the power of music turns into an act of love for the children who are fighting childhood cancer. All the proceeds of the show will support the goals of ELPIDA-Association of Friends of Children with Cancer.

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200 years of Johann Strauss

gpapa_koa — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:59:14 +0000

Certainly, Johann Strauss (son) is one of the main responsible for the immense popularity that the waltz dance acquired in the 19th century and for this he rightfully earned the designation “king of the waltz”; yet even more impressive is the fact that his vast oeuvre remains fascinating to this day, capable of touching the heart of a wide audience around the world, always pleasant, welcomed and, of course, very harmonious with the smile of optimism for the advent of a New Year… It is with such a “smile” that the Athens State Orchestra honours the great Austrian composer and welcomes the New Year with his music, under the baton of the multi-award-winning and rising Georgian conductor, Mirian Khuhunaishvili.

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