Leading soloists, large orchestras, important names of the Greek and foreign music and theater scene, operatic masterpieces as well as immersive projections and orchestrations will be hosted this summer by the Herodeion, as part of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, in an extremely strong program with a particularly enhanced his jazz side.

Opening with Olivier Pi and curtain with Philip Ken

With the “Madama Butterfly” by Giacomo Puccini from the National Opera opens the curtain of this year’s Athens and Epidaurus Festival at Herodeion. After the huge success of “Vocek” (2020), the leading French director Olivier Pi, artistic director of the Parisian Théâtre du Châtelet, director of the Avignon Festival (2014-22), returns to the ELLS to direct, this time on stage of Herod, one of Puccini’s most popular masterpieces, under the musical direction of Vassilis Christopoulos (1, 4, 7, 10/6).

At the end, the Athens Festival has a big international surprise in store. The idiosyncratic creator Philip Ken, known for his iconoclastic and iconoclastic performances, after his dystopian but also tenderly caustic “Fatal Farm”, which captivated the audience of Piraeus 260 last year, occupies the orchestra of the Roman conservatory this year (4/8) with a renaissance-inspired spectacular show co-produced with leading international festivals “Garden of pleasures”, the famous painting by Hieronymus Bosch.

Ken creates an allegorical spectacle, a dreamscape between utopia and dystopia, bliss and lust, enigmatic and grotesque, reminiscent of an amusement park. Adapted especially for the Roman conservatory, the performance of the avant-garde creator will solemnly close the Athenian program of the event, but at the same time begin its journey in Europe.

Classical music

In the classical music concerts we meet the legendary violinist Anne-Zophie Mutter who will play solo in three concertos (on works by Vivaldi, Bach, and Boulogne de Saint-Georges) and in the “Nonetto” dedicated to her (a chamber music work for nine instruments) by Andre Previn, which will be presented for the first time in Greece (12/6). On June 15, podium star Theodoros Kourentzis comes with his new artistic venture, the Utopia Orchestra, an international ensemble made up of the world’s leading soloists who will conduct Mahler’s Third Symphony.

With bigotry “Requiem” by Giuseppe Verdi, one of the most popular symphonic-choral works of all time, the State Orchestra of Athens celebrates this year its 80th anniversary (29/6). Under the baton of chief musician Louka Karytinou, we will enjoy the bassist Alexandros Stavrakakis, the only Greek who has been awarded the First Prize at the world-renowned International Tchaikovsky Competition, the Finnish soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, the imposing mezzo-soprano from Tunisia Rihab Chaieb and the renowned Anglo-American Grammy-nominated tenor Barry Banks; Also, on the occasion of its 80th anniversary, KOA is collaborating with the legendary chief musician Christoph Essenbach and the Chinese piano superstar Lang Lang in an artistic event of historical importance for Greek musical things on July 15.

As every year, this year the ERT National Orchestra and the Athens and Epidaurus Festival are celebrating World Music Day by organizing a big concert, with free entry, on June 21.

In the first part, the orchestra will perform the delightful “Carnival of the Animals” (1886) by Camille Saint-Saëns with references to Mendelssohn, Berlioz and Offenbach. The interpretation of the popular piece in small and large works will be accompanied by the reading of an original text by the author Christos Homenidis, which he wrote especially for the concert.

In the second part, changing the climate, the Frenchman Thierry Pecou talks to the “Zebekiko” by Dionysis Savvopoulos.

In the third and final movement, the orchestra closes euphorically by performing two orchestral suites from “Carmen” of Bizet. Conducted by the Greek-French conductor Dionysios Dervis-Bournias and performed by the top pianist duo, Katia and Mariel Labek.

Opera gal

As part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the birth of the leading treble of the 20th century, the Maria Kallas Hellenic Association organizes a concert with the internationally renowned tenor Roberto Alania and the famous soprano Alexandra Cusack (6/17).

Popular artists will join their voices in a program of arias and duets from popular operas captured by the voice of Maria Callas, conducted by conductor Naiden Todorov, director of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. All the proceeds of the event will be allocated to the creation of the “Maria Callas” Museum under construction, which will be dedicated to the iconic diva. The Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra will cooperate with the artists.

Greek music

Among the leaders of Greek music, O Stavros Xarchakos enlists the power of songs, which, as he writes, “show us the way, are allies in the fight for a better life and dispel fear”, led by favorite performers: Maria Farandouri, Yiannis Kotsira and Iro Saia (6/18).

On a journey through the American musical tradition, through songs by legendary creators (such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein), but also by contemporary songwriters who shaped the aesthetics of entire generations (such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Prince et al.), invites us to Elli Paspala on June 25.

She is accompanied by a small orchestra consisting of a wind quartet and a string quartet as well as a group of musicians that includes some of our most important soloists, led on saxophones by David Lynch.

The favorite of the Greek audience will participate in the show Vassilikos.

Always restless and always in search, o Giannis Angelakas returns to Herodion, three years after the mystical musical performance “Wolves in Wonderland” with the cellist Nikos Veliotis in 2020, to present songs from throughout his career as well as soundtracks he has written for films, with a different approach adapted or not adapted to the space of the Roman conservatory (3/7).

Contemporary music

THE John Cale, the Welsh musician who made history with the Velvet Underground, comes to Herodion for a musical retrospective of a career spanning more than six decades, with plenty of classic material as well as songs from his critically acclaimed new record ‘Mercy’ by the world music press (19/6). He is joined on stage by the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra and of course his band. The show is specially designed for the monument with immersive projections and orchestrations in an exclusive world premiere.

On 22/6, the Waterboys who have a special relationship with the Greek audience bring their melodiousness and lyricism for the first time to Herodion, while the next day (6/23) the Berlin pianist, composer and producer Nils Fram, who moves in the intermediate space between classical and electronic music , promises the domestic audience an unforgettable, mystifying evening. On June 27th, one of the most popular post-rock bands on the planet, Iceland’s Sigur Rós, come to captivate the festival audience with their atmospheric soundscapes.

THE July begins with the world-renowned multi-award winning composer Alexandre Desplaiss, who will conduct the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT in a concert that will include his most important compositions for the cinema (1/7). On July 10, the beloved James with the unforgettable appearances in Greece, come to celebrate with us 40 years of their musical career in a magical evening as part of the “James Lasted Orchestral Tour – 40th Anniversary”. For the first time in their history, James teams up with a 22-piece symphony orchestra and a gospel choir to take us on a journey through all the stops on their musical journey.

As part of the tour “That Abraço Tour” for the 60 years of his career, o Gilberto Gilles whose voice and songs have been uniquely identified with the Brazilian soul, returns to Herodio (17/7) for a farewell concert. He is joined on stage by a host of musicians from his extended family, to present us with songs from his entire illustrious musical career.

Jazz circle

One of the most important performers of his generation, the two-time Grammy winner, Gregory Porter, who brought modern jazz to the ears of thousands of people with his warm, baritone voice, comes to Greece for the first time, just before his three scheduled concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 24. José James will make his first appearance in our country on July 8. The “jazz singer of the hip-hop generation”, guided by his classical influences (John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye and Billie Holiday), who moves effortlessly between soul, funk, hip-hop and house, always honoring the gospel and blues roots of jazz, comes to Herodio with songs from his three albums dedicated to Billie Holiday, Bill Withers and Erykah Badu.

On July 5th, the leading master of the oud, Anwar Brahem, after the immersive experience he offered to the Herodion audience in 2021, makes a triumphant return to the Festival with his quartet that has secured a prominent position on the jazz music scene. On July 11, the Herodei stage will host the iconic jazz pianist Herbie Hancock who has an impressive career and has been honored with countless awards, including 14 Grammys and an Oscar, while the following day on 12/7 the important jazz singer Melody Gardot is coming to take the festival audience on a journey with her velvety voice and her wonderful blues, folk and Latin interpretations.

Electronica Circle

In their first appearance at Herodion (16/7), the Kraftwerk– the iconic group from Dusseldorf who literally created electronic music in the 1970s, and with each new record redefined the direction the genre would follow in the following years, will present their new audiovisual show, which has received rave reviews in Worldwide. Radical and pioneering like few creators, Kraftwerk in their live performances always use the latest developments in sound and image technology, creating multi-dimensional audiovisual spectacles. The band’s greatest hits will be presented live in a special way designed especially for the stage of the Roman conservatory.

Opera-Revival

His successful production “Nabucco” of 2018 is being revived at Herodion this July for four performances (26, 27, 29, 30/7). Leo Muscato, who signs the direction, is one of the dynamically rising Italian opera directors, who has distinguished himself in works by Verdi and Puccini and has presented great successes in leading Italian opera houses. The production is directed, in his first collaboration with ELLS, by one of the world’s most important opera chief musicians, the Italian Paolo Carignani.