Narrations by I Katsikes Xeroun Ton Dromo company (Elli Giannaki, Elsa Kuding, Dimitris Kourtis) will take children, teenagers, and adults on a journey across the magical world of fairy tales through stories from all over the world. The project will be held during the 2024/45 season in Athens and two other cities in Greece, with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

Narrations consists of three different music and storytelling performances with a live music accompaniment aimed at audiences of all ages, including children, teenagers, and adults. The programme promises to sweep us away on a delightful adventure full of amazing and imaginary happenings, lots of magic, goblins, Norwegian countryside trolls, queens, fairies, and weird occurrences. The performances are accompanied by traditional songs and melodies from many different parts of the world. They draw inspiration from the unique characteristics and symbolisms of fall, Christmas, and Carnival, borrowing stories from old storytellers to offer us plenty of laughter and valuable popular wisdom teachings.

The Tales of the Rainy Month

Join us to listen to tales about rain and winds. Legends about tree and flower spirits. Through our stories, the elements and spirits of nature will be revealed to you in all their glory. We will climb on enchanted trees, run among the fallen leaves, and find warmth in houses that appear to be small…. But sometimes appearances can be deceiving! Especially when Nasreddin Hodja arrives riding his donkey backward, always giving the best advice.

A while before the end of “Vrocharis” – the month known for abundant rainfall – or, in other words, “Niastis”, which means the time when people plow the land for the last time, we will listen to autumn tales that will stir up the fertile ground of our imagination and sow it with new seeds. These tales will give us directions from ancient wisdom on how to live kindly and with gratitude, using the land without destroying its vitality. They will teach us how to navigate the natural world when the wind rages, how to fearlessly move through the realm of senses and instinct when it rains, and how to safely wander across the collective unconscious when the cold is unbearable.

Storyteller: Elli Giannaki

Musical accompaniment: Nikos Karydis, Dimitris Kourtis

 Running time: 50 minutes

FOUGARO ARTCENTER – NAFPLIO

Performance date: 23 November 2024

Starts at: 12.00

Free admission

Reservations for seats are necessary; you can contact us by phone at 27520 47370 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

GREEK NATIONAL OPERA – STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION CULTURAL CENTER

Performance date: 30 November 2024

Starts at: 10.30 & 11.30

VIP Lounge of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Ticket price: 5€ / per person

Tickets on sale from 14 October 2024: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Warm Stories about Winter and Christmas

Children and grown-ups, come with us on a journey of stories and music! Three folk tales and one contemporary story will transport us to distant lands where the snow is soft and the cold is piercing. But fear not, as the stories will warm up your soul! On our journey, we will encounter goblins, frozen rivers, and the old woman Befana from Italy, who gives children presents. Seven mothers and six daughters will host us somewhere in Norway, and when we reach Scotland, we will help a queen get rid of the cold that has engulfed her heart and entire kingdom.

A select programme for the whole family featuring stories that will inspire laughter, reflection, and warmth in our hearts! In harmony with the Christmas spirit, we will all gather to listen to three folk tales and one contemporary story, accompanied by musical instruments such as the violoncello, accordion, oud, and Constantinopolitan lyre. The musical pieces we will hear are adapted songs from the traditions of the countries where the fairy tales come from. Through these stories, we will see images from magical lands with the eyes of our imagination. We will learn how important it is to be able to forgive and help each other, seize the opportunities that arise in front of us, be able to view things from many different standpoints, and not forget to seek advice from the older generations.

Storyteller: Elli Giannaki

Musical accompaniment: Nikos Karydis, Dimitris Kourtis

Music and storytelling performance for the whole family

Running time: 50 minutes

FOUGARO ARTCENTER – NAFPLIO

Performance date: 14 December 2024

Starts at: 12.00 & 13.30

Free admission

Reservations for seats are necessary; you can contact us by phone at  27520 47370 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

GREEK NATIONAL OPERA – STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION CULTURAL CENTER

Performance date: 21 December 2024

Starts at: 10.30 & 12.00

VIP Lounge of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Ticket price: 5€ / per person

Tickets on sale from 2 December 2024: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Underneath the Cherry Tree

Come along with us to hear stories about private parts that speak clearly and loudly and talkative behinds that are especially revealing and extroverted! Nature awakens and runs wild, sparking popular imagination. You will encounter knights, peasant men and women in wild situations, with special demands and gifts. Fairies ready to have fun and Norwegian countryside trolls offering accessories inappropriate for minors promise you an evening you will never forget!

Our carnival fairy-tale repertoire includes legends, facetious accounts, and medieval stories, all interspersed with pure, traditional wedding songs! We will hear caustic, wise, deep, comic, and dirty stories that praise fertility and the joy of love with humor. All of them were derived from Greek folklore and the unbridled imagination of European troubadours. This year, during the Carnival season, we will laugh and celebrate without restraint underneath the cherry tree.

Storyteller: Elli Giannaki

Musical accompaniment: Nikos Karydis, Dimitris Kourtis

Music and storytelling performance

Running time: 60 minutes

Age group: adults and teenagers aged over 16

Performance date: 16 February 2025

Starts at: 19.30 & 21.00

VIP Lounge of the Greek National Opera – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Ticket price: 5€ /per person

Tickets on sale from 27 January 2025: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

GNO Learning & Participation Lead Donor &

GNO Outreach Donor

The interactive educational programme Pocket Opera & Ballet, which garnered so much love from children, is back for a second year.  

Six of the opera and ballet repertoire works to be presented by the Greek National Opera this year have been adapted to miniature size, inviting preschoolers and primary school children to join them as both performers and audience members. Participants will take part in theatre, music, and dance workshops and will be encouraged to cultivate their creativity and imagination by generating their own artistic ideas, which they will later integrate into the condensed versions of the works. One of the productions from this educational programme will visit two cities in Greece on dates to be announced soon, as part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) grant to enhance the GNO’s artistic outreach.

Iphigénie en Aulide & Iphigénie en Tauride

Designed & implemented by: Georgios Iatrou (concept, dramaturgy, baritone, performer), Ioanna Piata (concept, dramaturgy, actress, animator), Katerina Konstantourou (musician)

Age group: 8-12 years old

Workshop & interactive performance dates: 2, 3, 9, 10 November 2024

Starts at: Saturdays at 17.00, Sundays at 11.00

Ticket price: €5 / per children

Tickets on sale from 15 October 2024: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Don Quixote

Designed & implemented by: WINGS company (Angeliki Bozou – visual artist, Tatiana Bre – performer, Konstantinos Papathymnios – musician, Dimitra Papastavrou – music educator, Selina Papoutseli – performer)

Age group: 4-7 years old– adult accompaniment required

Workshop and interactive performance dates: 7, 8, 14, 15 December 2024

Starts at: Saturdays στις 17.00, Sundays στις 11.00

Ticket price: €5 / per children

Tickets on sale from 11 November 2024: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Tchaikovsky

Designed & implemented by: Echorroes Team (Phivos-Angelos Kollias – composer, interactive music designer, project coordinator, Christina Stouraiti – applied theatre facilitator, educational project designer, Niki Psychogiou – set designer, Anna Sbokou – light designer)

Age group: 1-3 years old – adult accompaniment required

Workshop and interactive performance dates: 15, 16, 22, 23 February 2025

Starts at: Saturdays στις 16.00 & 17.30, Sundays στις 10.00 & 11.30

Ticket price: €5  / per children

Tickets on sale from 27 January 2025: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Travelling with Turandot

Designed & implemented by: Maya Myriam Papageorgiou (animator), Marietta Sarri (soprano), Thodoris Ziarkas (musician)

Age group: 4-6 years

Workshop and interactive performance dates: 15, 16 March 2025

Starts at: Saturday at 17.00, Sunday at 11.00

Ticket price: €5  / per children

Tickets on sale from 28 February 2025: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Lucia di Lammermoor

Designed & implemented by: Mata Katsouli (conductor, soloist, artist director of Opera Stigmis company, Dimitris Tigkas (double bassist, performer, musicologist), Dimitra Papadopoulou (educator, special educator, soloist), Maria Charalambidou (soloist, psychologist)

Age group: 8-12 years old

Workshop and interactive performance dates: 5, 6, 12, 13 April 2025

Starts at: Saturdays στις 17.00, Sundays στις 11.00

Ticket price: €5 / per children

Tickets on sale from 19 March 2025: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

Rigoletto

Designed & implemented by: WEAVE company (Vasilis Tzavaras – music score and onstage performance, Michalis Nivolianitis, Erato Tzavara – video design and onstage performance, Miranda Vatikioti – dramaturgy supervisor, Maria Pavlopoulou – activities consultant for participants aged up to three years old and their companions, Natalia Moschakou – space design, WEAVE – executive producer)

Age group: 1-3 years old – adult accompaniment required

Workshop and interactive performance dates: 9, 10, 16, 17 May 2025

Starts at: Saturdays στις 16.00 & 17.30, Sundays at 10.00 & 11.30

Ticket price: €5 / per children

Tickets on sale from 30 April 2025: GNO Box Office (daily 9.00-21.00 | 2130885700) and www.ticketservices.gr

GNO Learning & Participation Lead Donor &

Educational Programme Donor

As part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0.” which is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU

Experiential training workshops series for trainers focusing on issues related to individuals aged 65 and over

May 2024 – July 2025

The series of experiential training workshops for trainers focusing on issues related to individuals aged 65 and over has been designed for cultural professionals, art and non-formal education educators, and all those who wish to engage in artistic education. Using music theatre, music, and theatre,  participants will learn how to incorporate the concepts of inclusion and accessibility in designing, organizing, and implementing educational activities for 65+ adults.

Experiential training workshops series for trainers focusing on issues related to disabled individuals

May 2024 – July 2025

The series of experiential training workshops for trainers focusing on issues related to individuals with disabilities has been designed for cultural professionals, art and non-formal education educators, and all those interested in inclusion and accessibility issues. The workshops aim to develop and disseminate the necessary know-how to help participants achieve greater inclusion and accessibility in designing, organizing, and implementing educational activities for groups of disabled individuals or mixed groups, including disabled individuals.

Training the GNO staff on issues concerning individuals aged 65 and over and disabled individuals

October 2024 – June 2025

Committed to truly integrating the concepts of accessibility and inclusion in the Greek National Opera, the theatre’s staff will attend educational seminars to acquire essential skills related to accommodating people with disabilities and those aged 65 and older, with the goal of optimizing audience services and improving the theatre's overall functioning. More specifically, participants will learn how to develop inclusive practices for audience reception and broader artistic programming. They will also receive training and support on mobility and communication issues.

Melisma, the diverse year-long series of artistic and educational workshops for individuals of all ages in Northern Evia, is back in a renewed version.

In the next phase, the programme will center on the local traditions and history of the area through arts and crafts. It will attempt to link traditional practices with modern art and creative expression, with the goal of developing and producing a fresh piece of music theater through a creative process. This new music theatre piece will focus on a contemporary perspective regarding the various local musical traditions, dances, mores and customs, contrasts, and shared elements from the broader region of Northern Evia.

Moreover, the upcoming cycle of the Melisma programme will feature a series of events (concerts, dance performances, projections, etc.) scheduled to take place in various villages across Northern Evia. These events aim to bring local residents closer to opera, dancing, and the repertoire of the Greek National Opera.

Melisma is funded by the Ministry of Culture

GNO Learning & Participation Lead Donor