Celebrations after music and dance: Concerts, recitals, galas in festive Athens

More than other, “normal” days, the holiday season is intertwined with the need for a different outlet, for a different kind of entertainment, with the decision of each and every one to give himself and herself a little more time filled quality. The appeal to music, to serious music, is one of the most beautiful proposals for this. Below, we present some of the most important classical music concerts that one could choose to attend, giving himself/herself and his/her loved ones a present.

Christmas at the Concert Hall

The Athens Concert Hall is a primary destination for every music lover all year round, let alone during the festive season. So again this year, it offers music lovers a program that covers all periods of spoken music, from the Baroque era to the present day.

The festive concerts begin on December 23, with the traditional Christmas recital given by the organist Ourania Gassiou, presenting the audience with an imaginative program of pre-classical, classical and contemporary pieces, well-known holiday tunes, as well as film music. A special place in the evening’s program is occupied by the “Interstellar Suite” by the German composer Hans Zimmer, excerpts of which will be presented in a transcription for church organ by Anna Lapwood.

The Camerata in Versailles… and in Vienna

With two different concerts, the Friends of Music Chamber Orchestra and its conductor Giorgos Petrou say goodbye to the year and welcome 2025. On December 27, in the last concert of the year, entitled “Christmas in the Versailles of the Sun-King”, they perform on period instruments two of the most representative religious works of the French Baroque, the “Te Deum” by Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marc -Antoine Charpentier. The solo parts are performed by the tenor Myrsini Margariti, the mezzo-soprano Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli, the tenors Juan Sancho and Yiannis Filias, and the baritone Tassis Christogiannopoulos, while the ERT Choir also participates.

The music ensemble of the Athens Concert Hall and its distinguished chief musician will welcome 2025 on January 4 for a “Vienna-flavoured New Year”. In the spirit of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s concert tradition, the festive evening will include melodious waltzes, explosive polkas and sparkling mazurkas by Johann Strauss Jr. and Joseph Strauss.

Music in the Foyer of the Muses

In addition to the Christmas events in its halls, the Megaro will host in the “Foyer of the Muses” concerts with holiday tunes, which will be presented by ensembles from conservatories and music schools of Attica. Entry for the public is free.

In particular, they will perform: On Saturday 21.12 (18.15) the ensemble “Streets of the sea” of the Music School of Piraeus. On Sunday 22.12 (16.15) the ensemble “Jazz Sharp 9” of the Alimos Music School. On Friday 27.12 (18.15) the Choir of the Youth Center of the Parish of Agia Paraskevi and on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29.12 (18.15) jazz bands of the Athens Conservatory.

Ballet and… Karagiozis

In addition to the purely concert performances, the Concert Hall once again hosts the Ballet of the National Opera of Odessa, which will present a new international classical dance production, “The Snow Queen” (December 20-30), inspired by the eponymous Andersen’s fairy tale, as well as “Don Quixote” (December 16-19) by Ludwig Minkus, in the choreography of Marius Petipas, adapted by Harry Sevoyan and Yanina Xeliova. Furthermore, the karagiozo player Ilias Karellas presents the new production “The Christmas of Karagiozis in Egypt” (20-30.12.2024 and 4-5.1.2025), with live music on stage, with Jerome Kalouta and Varvara Biza, together with the musician KoGiaMan shape and Konstantina Christou on the harp.

Christmas with the State Orchestra of Athens

The festive season for the Athens State Orchestra begins on Tuesday, December 17, with a chamber music concert at the Parnassos Philological Association, where the Baroque interacts with 20th century music, through Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and “Four Seasons” of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla.

On December 20 and 21, with a total of three concerts at the Athens Concert Hall, KOA, in collaboration with the Chorus of ERT and the Municipality of Athens, under the direction of Nikos Haliasas, will accompany the screening of the film “Polar Express” (2004) , directed by Robert Zemeckis, performing live music and songs by Alan Silvestri and Glenn Ballard.

New Year’s gala – a tribute to Puccini

Also, on Monday, December 23, at the Municipal Theater of Piraeus, the KOA Brass and Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Nikos Haliasas, will present a program dominated by jazz, performing musical pieces by Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Camp Calloway , Dizzy Gillespie et al. with free admission for the public.

The year for the State Orchestra of Athens will close on December 30, with the established New Year’s gala, which this time could only be dedicated to Giacomo Puccini, on the occasion of the centenary of his death.

On the stage of the Megaros Musikis, the KOA is joined by three exceptional performers: the soprano Valeria Sepe, the tenor Angelo Villari and the conductor Valerio Galli. At the heart of the program will be the three great love scenes for soprano and tenor from the informal opera trilogy “Bohème”, “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly”, while it will be complemented by works such as the Symphonic Prelude, the Symphonic Capriccio (1883) and orchestral excerpts from the early operas “Le Ville” and “Edgar.”

Opera, ballet and “Mataroa on the horizon” from the National Opera

With the revival of two successful shows, the ballet “Don Quixote” and the opera “Boheme”, as well as a brand new production from its Alternative Stage, entitled “Mataroa on the horizon”, the National Opera welcomes the festive season.

The Alternative Stage, in co-production with the National Theater, presents for 21 performances, from December 14, 2024 to January 12, 2025, the new musical theater show “Mataroa on the horizon”, conceived and directed by Thodoris Ambazis and music by him and Nikos Kypourgos . A source of inspiration was the true story of the ship “Mataroa”, which during the Civil War transported the flower of young Greek intellectuals to France. Musical theater fiction is inspired by historical events and examines their relationship to today.

The National Opera Ballet, in its first appearance for the 2024/25 season, presents the revival of Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote, in a production choreographed by Thiago Bordin (based on the original version by Marius Petipa), musically conducted Stathis Soulis, on December 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28, in Hall Stavros Niarchos of the Greek National Assembly at the SNFCC.

Also, Giacomo Puccini’s popular “Bohème”, directed by Graham Wick, which created a landmark performance for Greek lyric theater, with the orchestra shared by Jacques Lacombe and Konstantinos Terzakis, is presented on the 21st, 27th, 29th , December 31 and January 2, 5, 2025, with tickets are already sold out – that’s why four additional performances are planned, on 14, 16, 19 and 23 March 2025.

Strauss’s “Bat” at the Olympia Theatre

With the characteristically festive “Bat”, the operetta of Johann Strauss the Younger, the Christmas season begins in Olympia, the Municipal Music Theater “Maria Callas”, for 10 performances, from December 19 to January 4 (19-23, 25 -27.12, 3-4.1). The operetta, written at the end of the 19th century, is presented through the modern and at the same time subversive directorial vision of Yannis Skourletis, while Strauss’s music is performed by the distinguished conductor Miltos Logiadis, conducting the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens, highlighting both the comedic and the lyrical elements of the work.

Also, during the same period, on December 23 (12.00) the Music Foundation of the Archdiocese of Athens presents Christmas carols and songs, under the musical direction of Konstantinos Angelidis and Fr. Zafeiriou Koutelieris, with free entry for the public.

On December 29-30 (6:00 p.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively), the Children, Adolescent and Youth Departments of the Rosarte Choir present the concert “Rosarte of Musicals”, with texts – directorial editing by Marianna Papadopoulou and artistic editing – direction by Rozis Mastrosavva. Finally, on December 30, the Big Band of the Municipality of Athens welcomes Veronica Mortensen and Niels Hp in a concert under the artistic direction of Sami Amiris.

Festive shows at the Athens Conservatory

With another Symphonic Evening by the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra, this time in festive tones, which led its listeners on “Romantic paths”, the beginning was made at the Athens Conservatory, which during the festive period will also host a piano recital by Manos Kitsikopoulos (18.12), Christmas concert of contemporary vocals, musically edited by Larisa Iasonidou (19.12), a Christmas concert of musical ensembles with the Children’s Choir and the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Athens Conservatory (20.12), a concert in memory of Vassilis Boukouvalas by Trio Eclipsis (21.12), while the students of the Drama School present on 20 and 21.12 the musical cabaret “Last minute.” Entry to all events from 19-21.12 is free for the public.

In churches of Athens with the De Profundis Ensemble

The early music ensemble De Profundis Ensemble (Ilias Gyftonikolos, Zoe Prokopiou, Konstantina Balla, Chrysi Tzavla, Eleni Fourlanou, Myrto Xirouhakis, Giorgos Danis) will give three concerts in public spaces in Athens and Attica, on December 20 (7:30 p.m.) inside the I .N. Agios Dimitrios Psyrris, with some of the Christmas works of the greatest composers of Christianity; on December 21, the longest night of the year, in the square of Agios Panteleimon (7 p.m.), with music from Vivaldi’s “Winter” to his “Nutcracker” Tchaikovsky and Christmas carols from around the world; finally, on December 22 (19.00), at I.N. Agia Paraskevi in ​​Nea Penteli will perform a program from Arcangelos Corelli’s “Christmas Concert” to “Holy Night”. Entry to all events is free for the public.