Music
George Tsontakis

Script
George Tsontakis, Elsa Andrianou

Dramaturgical collaborator
Elsa Andrianou

Research
Nefeli Maistrali

Conductor
George Tsontakis (17/12), Nikolaos Laaris (18/12)

Set & costume supervision
Daphne Aidoni

Lighting designer
Christos Tziogkas

Music director 
Nikolaos Laaris

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

An opera-drama in three scenes

Cycle “Odes to Byron”

Curator Alexandros Mouzas

Starts at 20.30 (Saturday: 21.30)  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

In collaboration with The Messolonghi Byron Society

Metaxata, Cephalonia, December 1823. Lord Byron is enjoying the serene landscape of the Greek island while writing in his journal. He has come to assist the Greek War of Independence, though his thoughts turn to his beloved half-sister Augusta as well as his daughter Ada, both of which he has not seen since leaving England seven years earlier. Soon, we find Byron on his sickbed in Messolonghi in April 1824, attended by his Italian servant, Tita. At his side also is his 15-year-old Greek page, named Loukas, with whom Byron has fallen hopelessly in love. The poet is dismayed at the dissension in the ranks of the Greek rebels, which is weighing the struggle down. He dreams of uniting the Greek factions; they, however, seem to be attracted mainly by his money. Despite his disappointment and a strong convulsive episode which leaves him weakened, Byron’s resolution to help the Greek fight remains unwavering. Inspired by his unrequited passion for Loukas, he narrates to the boy the story of Teresa, the “maid of Athens” he fell in love with during his first journey to Greece, years ago. The poet, exhausted by illness and emotion, falls asleep.

Scene 2

During his uneasy sleep, this superstar poet of the 19th century preemptively dreams of the “afterlife” of his body and the peregrination of his bier. Soon after his last breath, his place of burial becomes an object of dispute: Is the body going to be kept in Messolonghi, taken to Athens or sent to England? Despite his final wishes, Byron’s bier is sent back to his home country, via Zante. The poet is denied burial in the Westminster Abbey, because of his “questionable morality”. He is instead buried in the Byron family vault, close to Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, where the Greek Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, would recite a panegyric speech about the poet in 1931. Only in 1969 would he be given a memorial stone Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Scene 3

Byron awakens from his dream and recites, relieved, one of his old poems. He writes again to Augusta to enquire about Ada. Bloodletting aggravates his health. He becomes delirious, threatens suicide and hallucinates a scene of praise, based on Greek poet’s Andreas Kalvos’ “Ode to the Brittanic Muse”. He then has another dream about a Suliote war dance, and his agitation scares Loukas. Byron becomes calm again; a lock of Augusta’s hair keeps him company. Feverish, he almost confuses the boy with his sister. Enfolded in tender thoughts about Ada, Loukas and especially Augusta, the poet dies. The Greeks offer their gratitude to the great man.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

George Tsontakis Music, script, conductor

Recently called “a giant of the American music scene” by Gramophone magazine, Tsontakis has been the recipient of two of the richest prizes awarded in all of classical music; the International Grawemeyer Award, and the Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He studied with Roger Sessions at Juilliard School, New York, and with Franco Donatoni in Rome. Born in Astoria, into Cretan heritage, he has become a recognised figure in Greece with performances worldwide each season. His music has been recorded by Hyperion, Koch, Innova and Naxos, including fifteen works for orchestra, over five hours of orchestral music, leading to two Grammy Awards Nominations. He was composer-in-residence with the Aspen Music Festival for 40 years, where he was director of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, with the Oxford Philomusica (England), the Albany Symphony and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, among others. He is Distinguished Composer-in-Residence at the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Elsa Andrianou Script, dramaturgical collaborator

Born in Athens, Greece. She is a graduate of the Departments of History and Archaeology and Theatre Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has worked as a theatre researcher and critic. Her theatre reviews have been widely published (Acropolis and I lexi). She has also been writer or editor in several editions. Since 1997, she has taught dramaturgy and theatre history at several drama schools and also served as Deputy Director (2015-2016) and Director of Studies (2016-2019) of the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece. As a dramaturg, she has collaborated with numerous important institutions and theatre organisations (National Theatre of Greece, Onassis Stegi, Athens Concert Hall, Athens Epidaurus Festival, ΟΠΕRA Theatre Group, etc) and stage directors (Stathis Livathinos, Theo Abazis, Vangelis Theodoropoulos, Cezaris Graužinis, Aris Troupakis, etc). She has made several adaptations and translations for the theatre, such as The Merchants of Nations, Erotokritos, The Iliad, The Happy Prince, Demons, The Trojan Women, The Marriage of Figaro, Oedipus Rex, The Maids, Hera, The Man Who Laughs, Woe from Wit, etc.

Nikolaos Laaris Conductor

Stephen Pettit of The Times called him “a fine artist, one incapable of making an ugly sound.” He studied piano at the Royal College of Music in London and conducting at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He was awarded a doctorate by the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he also taught. He has performed in Europe (South Bank Centre, London), the US (Carnegie Hall, New York) and Greece (Onassis Stegi, Athens, Athens Concert Hall). He has collaborated as a soloist with the Athens State Orchestra and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. For his collaboration with the Munich Ballet Theater in the Goldberg Variations, Dance Europe magazine called him “the star of the evening.” He has conducted the Armonia Atenea orchestra in works such as In the Penal Colony by Philip Glass, West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, Kiss me Kate by Cole Porter, The Godson by Theophrastos Sakellaridis. Recently, he performed Philip Glass’ Études for Piano, Book I at the SNF Nostos Festival and, in the near future, he is to appear in the play 33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, based on Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations and postponed due to the pandemic.

Daphne Aidoni Set & costume designer

Born in Athens in 1985. She holds a degree in Architecture from the Polytechnical University of Patras and a MA in Theatre Stage Design from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU). Since 2012, she has collaborated with artists in Spain, the Czech Republic, Argentina and Greece. She has taught seminars on stage and costume design, claiming the active, functional and transformative role of scenography in the performing arts. Since 2015, she lives and works in Athens, forming part of the creative team of APARÄMILLON. Among others, she has collaborated with the Municipal Theatre of Santa Fe (Argentina), the Experimental Stage of the National Theatre of Greece, Choros Theatre, KET, Rabbithole Theatre, Bios, Romantso, Onassis Stegi, the 56th Dimitria Festival, etc.

Christos Tziogkas Lighting designer

He was born in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, where he started working professionally as a photographer and lighting designer in theatre for dance and music performances. He has collaborated with numerous artists.

Robin Beer Lord Byron (Messolonghi)

He is a graduate of the Queen Mary University of London and the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA). As an actor and puppeteer, he has worked with many established companies in the UK such as Complicité, Blind Summit and Theatre Rites. With Complicité he has performed in the operas Die Zauberflöte and A Dog’s Heart at Opéra National de Lyon, Teatro alla Scala, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, English National Opera and five times at the De Nederlandse Opera. He is now based in Athens and makes his own work with his partner in art and life, Katerina Damvoglou, under their company name Fly Theatre. Their most recent shows Angeliki, Frida ki allo and Toku have toured all over Greece and Cyprus as well as further afield; to the Théâtre Marigny in Paris, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, Romania, the Modern Drama Valley Festival in Shanghai and the Göteborg Dance and Theatre Festival.

Christos Kechris Lord Byron (poet)

Greek tenor, born in Athens. His repertoire includes a wide range of roles and works from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, music of the 20th century as well as contemporary experimental musical creation. He collaborates regularly as a soloist with Stavros Niarchos Hall and the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera, Athens State Orchestra, Armonia Atenea, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra, Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, Ergon Ensemble, Latinitas Nostra, Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra, National Theatre of Greece, Greek Art Theatre Karolos Koun, Athens Epidaurus Festival, Athens and Thessaloniki Concert Halls, Onassis Stegi. He has collaborated with orchestras and theatres in Switzerland (Opéra de Lausanne, Opéra de Fribourg), Germany (Passau State Opera, Schlosstheater Celle, Amberg Symphony Orchestra, Stadttheater Landshut), Austria (Orchester Purpur Wien), Italy (Teatro Verdi Gorizia), Malta (Teatru Manoel), Lithuania (Banchetto Musicale Vilnius), Slovenia (Seviqc Brežice Festival), Turkey (Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra), France (Opéra national de Lorraine), Croatia (Festival Kvarner) and the recording company Deutsche Grammophon.

Christine Assimacopoulou Soprano

She has been collaborating with the GNO since 2012. She has collaborated with Armonia Atenea, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation Symphony Orchestra, Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra and Athens Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has also been regularly appearing with internationally renowned pianist Cristina Ortiz (voice – piano) in Bordeaux (France). In the theatre, she has appeared in plays by Frank Wedekind, Tennessee Williams, Tsimaras Tzanatos, Dimitris Dimitriadis and Yannis Ritsos. She has attended ancient drama seminars (ΧIV Meeting of Ancient Drama / European Cultural Centre of Delphi), as well as musical theatre (Guildford School of Acting, UK) and mime seminars (International School of Dramatic Corporeal Mime, Paris). She began and completed her studies in classical voice with soprano Mata Katsouli, obtaining her diploma with first prize magna cum laude and special distinction. She holds a diploma in musicology by the Department of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with a specialisation in historical and systematic musicology.

Diamanti Kritsotaki Mezzo-soprano

Greek mezzo-soprano, she was born in Heraklion, Crete, into a family of musicians. She obtained her singing diploma under Sonia Theodoridou and continued with postgraduate studies at the Leopold Mozart Centre for Music and Music Education at the University of Augsburg, Germany. She attended lessons and seminars with Agnes Habereder Kottler, Rudi Spring, Frieder Bernius, Karl Peter Kammerlander, Graham Johnson, Robert White, Anne Murray, Loh Siew Tuan, Christina Giannakopoulou and Christophoros Stamboglis. She has starred in such productions of the Theater of Augsburg as Mike Svoboda’s Erwin, das Naturtalent, Meeting Dido and Divertimento4amadeus. She has been collaborating with the GNO since 2013 in such productions as Macbeth, Il barbiere di Siviglia (“Interactive Opera for Primary Schools”), Carmen (“The Suitcase Opera”), Carmencitas, Madama Butterfly, The Godson, Carmen, Manon, Ζ, The Bacchae and ORFEAS 2021. During 2019/20 she sang in Oedipus: Sex With Mum Was Blinding (Sfendoni Theatre) and The Shell Game (Apo Michanis Theatre). She has worked with leading directors and conductors. Moreover, she teaches singing in her hometown.

Margarita Syngeniotou Mezzo-soprano

Greek mezzo-soprano, she was born in Athens. She studied piano, advanced music theory (fugue diploma) and voice under Katy Papalexopoulou. She has performed as a soloist with the Greek National Opera in numerous productions of a wide range of repertoire, from the Baroque to the 20th century. She was a permanent member of the Experimental Stage of the Greek National Opera since its founding. She was also a permanent member of the Hellenic Ensemble of Contemporary Music, performing Greek and foreign composers’ works, many of which were presented for the first time or written especially for her. She has collaborated with the Athens Concert Hall, Αrmonia Atenea, Orchestra of Colours, Symphony Orchestra of Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Ergon Ensemble, Cyprus State Orchestra, as well as with Delphi and Aix-en-Provence Festivals. She has performed in many cities in Greece and abroad (USA, Germany, France, Italy, England, Cyprus, etc) in such concert halls as Carnegie Hall, Munich Academy of Arts, etc. She has recorded for the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation.

Nicolas Maraziotis Tenor

He is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Master of Music in Vocal Performance) and of Keele University (Bachelor of Music Dual Hons in Music & Music Technology). He studied classical singing in the Patras Conservatory and has been a member of the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Patras Music Theatre Workshop. He has collaborated with ensembles such as Les Talens Lyriques, Armonia Atenea, Ergon Ensemble, Plucked Strings Orchestra of Patras, Athens Academica Orchestra and The Beggars’ Operas. His repertoire includes roles such as Claudio Monteverdi’s Testo (Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda) and Anfinomo (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria), W. A. Mozart’s Arbace (Idomeneo) and Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Frederick Loewe’s Freddy Eynsford-Hill (My Fair Lady), George Dousis’ Antonis the Teacher (The Magic Pillows), Terence McNally’s Antony Candolino (Master Class), Theophrastos Sakellaridis’ Pamikos (Sataneries), Theo Abazis’ Dimitri (Prince Ivan & the Firebird) and, as part of the vocal ensemble, Minas Borboudakis’ Z.

Dionisios Melogiannidis Tenor

Born in Thessaloniki. He started studying the piano at a very young age. He studied singing at the Athens Conservatory with Hara Savino and graduated with honours in 2017. Moreover, he has studied logistics. He has studied repertoire under prestigious Greek soloists such as Dimitri Kavrakos, Tassis Christoyannis, Christophoros Stamboglis. Currently, he continues with Aris Christofellis. During 2012-2016 he cooperated with the Greek National Opera as an additional chorister and since 2017 he has been singing as a soloist in such productions as La bohème, Romeo and Juliette, The Princess and the Pea, Le nozze di Figaro, Simon Boccanegra, etc. Moreover, he has performed Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Patras), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi, Aegean Festival) and Sacco in Anton Coppola’s contemporary opera Sacco and Vanzetti (world premiere, Municipal Theatre, Città della Pieve, Italy).

Vangelis Maniatis Baritone

Born in Piraeus. He performs with exceptional ability a wide repertoire that ranges from the Renaissance to contemporary music. He had his first contact with European classical music as a member of the Saint Efthymios Chorus, Athens. While studying at the Physics Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, he began studying voice under leading baritone Wassili Janulako. He continued under soprano Despina Kalafatis, while in recent years he improves his technique with baritone Aris Argyris. He often works with the Greek National Opera, Athens State Orchestra, as well as with the Ensembles of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation and the Athens Municipality. He has performed roles in such productions as Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Un ballo in maschera, La traviata, Manon Lescaut, Tosca, Die lustige Witwe, Don Giovanni, Fidelio, The Murderess, La belle Hélène, Z, Věc Makropulos, Jenůfa, Manon, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Wozzeck, Andrea Chénier and The Magic Pillows.

Libretto:
Thomas Moschopoulos
(in collaboration with the composer)

Transcription for small ensemble: 
Kharálampos Goyós

Director: 
Theo Abazis

Set & costume designer: 
Kenny McLellan

Lighting designer:
Nikos Sotiropoulos

Associate director:
Eleana Tsichli

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Morning performances –  Start at: 11.00 
21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 December 2021

Matinées –  Start at: 18.30
21, 22, 23, 24 December 2021

Sunday performances – Start at: 19.30
19, 26 December 2021

Dimitris Kountouras transverse flute, recorder

Flora Papadopoulou baroque harp

Works by  Giuseppe Cambini, François Couperin, Matthew Locke, Jean-Baptiste Lully‎, Nikolas Mantzaros, Marin Marais, Michel Blavet, Jacques-Martin Hotteterre, Henry Purcell,  Jean-Philippe Rameau, Joseph Haydn, and anonymous English and French composers from the 17th and 18th centuries  

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Starts at 20.30  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Curator:
Kornilios Selamsis

 Creative team: Yannis Angelakas, K.Bhta, Savina Yannatou, Foivos Delivorias, Sofia Zafeiriou / Georgia Karydi, Fanis Zachopoulos, Nalyssa Green, Dimitris Kamarotos / Amalia Moutoussi, Pavlos Katsivelis / MC Yinka, Apostolos Kitsos, Petros Klampanis, Lolek, James Wiley / Giannis Dionysiou, Dimitri Papageorgiou, Michalis Paraskakis, Vasilis Magouliotis, Pavlos Pavlidis, Giorgos Poulios, Euripides Laskaridis, Blaine L. Reininger, Filippos Sakagian, Michalis Siganidis, Fotis Siotas /Thodoris Gonis, Nicolas Tzortzis, Marcin Habela, Martha Frintzila / Vassilis Mantzoukis, Nicoleta Chatzopoulou.

Conductor: Nicolas Vassiliou

chórεs female vocal ensemble
Alkmini Bassakarou, Marissa Bili, Maria Delaporta, Marina Emmanouilidou, Anthi Efstathiou, Maria Kazala, Katerina Koutsonikola, Marina Skoura
Artistic director Marina Satti
Vocal ensemble coach and conductor Simela Emmanouilidou
Vocal ensemble production managers Nadia Samara, Lina Troumpouni 

Concert schedule

Friday 19 November 2021, starts at 20.30

Yannis Angelakas – A Priest Defiles a Young Girl
Fotis Siotas/Thodoris Gonis – Kapodistrias’ Potatoes
Martha Frintzila / Vassilis Mantzoukis – The Tragic Story of Sousa
Petros Klampanis – Uncivil
Fanis Zachopoulos – The Bleeding Tree
Michalis Paraskakis, Vasilis Magouliotis – Reflect, and that’s enough
Nicoleta Chatzopoulou – Heterotopia
Video projection: K.Bhta – I kiss your eyes

Saturday 20 November 2021, starts at 20.30

Foivos Delivorias – To Marcos Botsaris
Apostolos Kitsos – Hierotiko Song
Pavlos Katsivelis / MC Yinka – komuna – Dimitris Balis and the Andros Commune
James Wiley / Giannis Dionysiou – Ah! What a Night!
Blaine L. Reininger – Shelley: Hellas
Nicolas Tzortzis, Marcin Habela – Vents contraires  
Dimitris Papageorgiou – Synecdoches

Video projection: Giorgos Poulios, Euripides Laskaridis – ΜΑNDO

Sunday 21 November 2021, starts at 19.30

Pavlos Pavlidis – Byron’s Fever
Lolek – Blood River
Nalyssa Green – Laskarina Bouboulina
Savina Yannatou – And The Head of Ali…
Filippos Sakagian – FIRST STASIMON, I also light
Sofia Zafeiriou / Georgia Karydi – mnemolethiko
Michalis Siganidis / Theano Metaxa – Secret School ΙΙ, The Crowds Drowned him 
Video projection with live music: Dimitris Kamarotos / Amalia Moutoussi –Byron Hydrophone Recordings

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Concert cycle • Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Start at 20.30 (Sunday 19.30)  | 

Music
Marc Monnet

Stage director
Arno Fabre

Object construction and manipulation
Latifa Le Forestier, Eric Dubert, Arno Fabre

Lighting designer, live video
Frédéric Blin

Video research and creation
Frédéric Blin, Joris Guibert

Computer programming
Thierry Coduys, Sylvain Nouguier

Lætitia Grisi, Julien Martineau, Stéphanos Thomopoulos (keyboards)

Production and coordination
Laurence Larrouy, Muriel Dutrait

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Opera-Ballet • Greek premiere

A co-production with C15D, Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo (Monaco), GRAME – Centre national de création musicale (France), Cerise Music

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday 11.00, 19.30) |   

Concept, planning, curators
Tzeni Argyriou, Vassilis Gerodimos

With the participation of

Argyro Chioti stage director, Georgia Mavragani stage director, Babis Makridis film director, Maro Fasouli visual artist, Nikos Papadimitriou visual artist, Vassilis Gerodimos visual artist, Coti K. composer, Fotis Siotas composer, Theo Abazis composer, Danae Bletsa soprano – composer, Kitt Johnson choreographer, Sofia Mavragani choreographer, Tzeni Argyriou choreographer, Ermis Malkotsis choreographer – dancer, Polina Kremasta choreographer – dancer, Stavroula Siamou choreographer – dancer, Dimitra Mertzani dancer, Amalia Tsekoura actor, Giorgos Zygouris actor, Elina Rizou actor, Konstantinos Zografos actor, Konstantinos Papanikolaou dancer, Kostis Koronaios actor, Filippos Tsitsopoulos performance artist, Virginia Mastrogiannaki performance artist, Martha Kylafi performer – voice teacher, Manolis Kasimakis stage & sound technician, Panagiotis Gavriil stage technician, Symeon Kostakoglou stage technician, Vasilis Sakelliou stage technician & floor installation, Vasilis Sakkis construction supervisor, Vassilia Rozana costume designer, Tasos Palaioroutas lighting designer, Andriana Chalkidi curatorial assistant, Christos Christopoulos curatorial assistant, Minas Antypas historical researcher, Eleni Riga curatorial advisor, Erato Tzavara documentation – web design, Armin Kerber artistic collaborator, Miguel Ángel Melgares artistic collaborator, Theodoros Kotepanos piano, Sofia Efklidou cello, Alexandros Asplind camera operator, Thomas Tsiftelis camera operator, Konstantinos Zves architectural design, Mary Vossou assistant visual artist, Vereniki Kontodimou assistant visual artist, Marina Papoulia assistant director to Georgia Mavragani, Dimitris Katsanis web development, Aristotelis Papakonstantinou cinematographer – audiovisual documentation, Cultόpια production support, Amorphy executive producers

Featuring students of the GNO Professional Dance School

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Performative Installation
Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Public hours: 19.30 (Friday) - 12.00, 16.00, 19.30 (Saturday) - 12.00, 16.00 (Sunday) |  

Conductor:
Nicolas Vassiliou

Director:
Themelis Glynatsis

Set & costume designer:
Alexia Theodorakis

Video creation:
Marios Gampierakis
Chrysoula Korovesi

Lighting:
Stella Kaltsou

Research consultant:
Manto Malamou

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday 19.00) |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Calliope Tsoupaki’s work Capodistrias, monodrama of a secret life is inspired by the unrequited love between Count Ioannis Capodistrias (first Governor of the Greek state, 1828–1831) and the Greek Roxandra Sturdza, first lady-in-waiting of the Empress Elizabeth of Russia. The work, based on fragments from their correspondence, attempts to musically “narrate” the secret, inner life of the Governor, his hardships, loneliness and melancholy amid his incessant activity as Foreign Minister of Tsar Alexander I. Their secret courtship began during Capodistrias’ stay in Russia (1809–1811) and developed by means of their correspondence during the following difficult years, Europe’s most turbulent era: the wake of the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna (1815), where Capodistrias faced the mighty Chancellor of Austria and enemy of all liberation movements, Prince Metternich, and undertook to unite fractured Switzerland and provide it with a constitution. Concurrently, he managed to avert the financial collapse and partitioning of defeated France. But around that time, just when the successful diplomat was about to ask Roxandra’s hand in marriage, the Empress’ pettiness and personal jealousy on account of the special favour Roxandra held with Tsar Alexander would force the maid into an ultimately failed marriage with Elizabeth’s cousin, Count Edling, in order to drive her away from the imperial court.

After its sad demise, Capodistrias’ and Sturdza’s secret romance would necessarily be limited to a warm friendship. Roxandra would watch closely Capodistrias’ ascent as Governor of Greece: his superhuman attempt to “reconstruct the big wreck”, Greece emerging from 400 years of Ottoman servitude, until his gruesome murder on 27 September 1831. A fateful day for her as well as for the whole of Hellenism…

Calliope Tsoupaki’s work takes off from the couple’s relationship to music, especially their contemporary Beethoven. By playing the piano to each other, they shared all they never got to share in reality…

BIOGRAPHIES

Calliope Tsoupaki Music, text

She was born in Piraeus, Greece, and lives in the Netherlands. Studied piano and music theory at the Hellenic Conservatory of Music and Arts, Athens, and took composition lessons from Yannis Ioannidis. She continued her studies with Louis Andriessen at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. To date, her oeuvre consists of more than 100 works for various instrumentations, from solo to orchestral works, dance, theatre, opera and multimedia projects. In her compositions, she uses elements of early and contemporary music as well as the music of Greece and the Middle East. Combining these aspects, she skillfully creates a completely personal style. Her music has been performed at contemporary music festivals and in major concert halls worldwide, and is also available on CD. She lives and works in Amsterdam and teaches composition at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. From November 2018 to November 2021, she was awarded the title of Composer Laureate (Componist des Vaderlands), the highest compositional distinction in the Netherlands. On 16 July 2021, she was awarded the most important composition award in the Netherlands, the Matthijs Vermeulen Prize, for the composition of Thin Air.

https://festivalsforcompassion.com/

https://classicalvoiceamerica.org/2021/03/21/from-thin-air-comes-a-teeming-world-of-musical-connections/?fbclid=IwAR0L0J43sYol6jD3ZxWV-st3PAxMwolH4gtzvv9iYXSs6MHAUFhWN8sCSMA

Nicolas Vassiliou Conductor

Pianist, conductor and composer, born in Athens. He studied piano and music theory in Athens and New York, as well as conducting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) (Athens Academy scholarship). He taught music in schools; piano and choral conducting at the National Conservatory of Athens. Director of the Μanolis Kalomiris Children’s Choir (1992-2000), he has collaborated, among others, with the Greek National Opera, the Athens Festival, the Athens Concert Hall. Since 1994, as a répétiteur, he has participated in the musical preparation of more than 60 GNO productions. He has been GNO Chorus master (2005-2011), head of the GNO Opera Studio (2012-2015) and conductor of the Contemporary Opera since 2010, with plenty of Greek premieres in his career. Music consultant of the Athens Festival (2017/18). He has conducted, among others, the GNO Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra, the Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra.

Themelis Glynatsis Stage director

Born in Athens. He studied comparative literature, ancient theatre and theatre in the UK. In 2004, he completed his practice-based PhD at the University of London. He directed works by Heiner Müller, Stéphane Mallarmé, Sophocles, Bernard-Marie Koltès, Claudine Galea, etc. In 2014, he directed the play Y los peces salieron a combatir contra los hombres by Angélica Liddell (Athens Festival) and the opera Cendrillon by Pauline Viardot. In 2015, he directed Romanticism (Onassis Stegi) and Bérénice by Racine (Athens Festival). In the same year, he directed Schubert’s Winterreise (Greek Art Theatre Karolos Koun, Athens), and Salome by Oscar Wilde (Kykladon Street Theatre). In 2016, he directed Georg Friedrich Handel’s Alcina and Giorgos Koumendakis’ 57 – a passion play, and, in 2018, the opera Weisse Rose at the GNO, where he was appointed Vice Chair of the Board until 2020. In February 2020 he presented the musical work Splendidissima Gemma: Recomposing Hildegard (Athens Concert Hall), and in December 2020 his production of Arnold Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht (GNO) was presented online. In August 2021 he directed the first act of Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (Megalopolis Ancient Theatre).

Alexia Theodorakis Set & costume designer

Set and costume designer, she was born in Athens where she studied classical guitar at the Apollonio Conservatory, as well as design and art, next to artist G. Bournazakis. She studied at the translation department of the Institut Français d’Athènes. She continued her studies in Venice, graduating from the sets-costumes department of the Fine Arts Academy under Giovanni Soccol. Since 1998, she has worked in theatre, dance theatre, opera and cinema. She has collaborated, among others, with Alexandros Efklidis, Katerina Petsatodi, Akyllas Karazisis, Themelis Glynatsis, Rodoula Gaitanou, Maria Gyparaki, Thοdoris Gkonis, Tassos Rantzos, Fotini Baxevani, Avra Sidiropoulou, Kostas Papakonstantinou, Giorgos Petrou, Konstantinos Arvanitakis, Enke Fezollari, Tasos Pirgieris, Vasilis Bisbikis, Vangelis Papadakis, Viktoras Ardittis, Yannis Sakaridis, Konstantinos Fragopoulos, Michael Mathioudakis, Mahdi Fleifel, Mihalis Sionas, Nikoleta Filosoglou, Kleoni Flessa, Takis Touliatos.

Marios Gampierakis, Chrysoula Korovesi Video designers

They have been running together the creative studio “Mavra gidia” (Black Goats) since 2014, focusing on the fields of graphic design, illustration and animation. Parallel to their practice, they have been active in the performative arts by designing video projections for theatre: Enter Sandman (dir. Th. Glynatsis, SKROW, 2017), Arrival (dir. I. Voulgaraki, Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, Athens Festival, 2017), Fahrenheit 451 (dir. Th. Moschopoulos, Athens Festival, 2018), Weisse Rose (dir. Th. Glynatsis, Alternative Stage, Greek National Opera, 2018), Incendies (dir. I. Voulgaraki, National Theatre of Northern Greece, 2019), Splendidissima Gemma: Recomposing Hildegard (dir. Th. Glynatsis, Athens Concert Hall, 2020), National Fashion Show (dir. P. Flatsousis, Athens Festival, 2021).

Stella Kaltsou Lighting designer

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, she studied theatre lighting, sets and theatre theory at the School of Drama (Faculty of Fine Arts) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, graduating in 2009. In 2019, she won the Best Lighting Design Award of the Year at the Event Awards. She has designed the lighting for operas, dance performances and concerts at Hong Kong Opera, Handel Festival, Ópera de Oviedo, São Carlos National Theatre, Cracow Opera House, GNO, Onassis Stegi, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Festival of the Aegean (Syros), Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. She has also designed the lighting for the event “Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP Nike Zoom Freak”. She has designed the lighting for various productions at the National Theatre, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, National Theatre of Northern Greece, Greek Art Theatre Karolos Koun, Athens Concert Hall, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Olympic Stadium, etc. She has collaborated with directors such as Arnaud Bernard, Renato Zanella, Yannis Houvardas, Daniel Pfluger, Nikos Mastorakis, Ester Ambrosino, Yannis Kakleas, Sofia Spyratou, George Kimoulis, Marianna Calbari, Konstantinos Rigos, Aris Biniaris, George Petrou, Angela Brouskou, Themelis Glynatsis, etc.

Manto Malamou Research consultant

Born in Agrinio, Greece, where she finished her general education. She studied Philology at the School of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, while at the same time she attended classical voice classes at the Athens Conservatoire. At the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens, she also wrote her doctoral dissertation (Comparative Philology), in which she mainly researched the influence of ancient Greek drama and Platonic philosophy on the theatrical work of Angelos Sikelianos. She lives in Athens and works in secondary education. Her studies, essays and articles on Greek literature (poetry and prose) have been published in conference proceedings, literary magazines and newspapers as well as on the internet. Her book The Masks of Dionysus. Angelos Sikelianos’ Thymele and ancient drama (2014) has been published by Grigoris Publications, Athens.

Timos Sirlantzis Ioannis Capodistrias

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece. He studied classical singing at the Conservatorium of music in Drama, Greece, under Charikleia Glavopoulou, as well as violin and piano. He attended regular masterclasses with Aris Christofellis. Ηe received the Alexander S. Onassis scholarship and was accepted to the Master in Opera programme of the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart in the class of Teru Yoshihara, which he completed in 2018. He participated in various opera productions. Among others he sang the role of Calchas (La belle Heléne), The Officer (In the Penal Colony, Onassis Stegi – Armonia Atenea), as well as Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte, Daegu Opera, South Korea), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte, Komische Oper Berlin – Greek National Opera), Colline (La bohème) as well as the roles of Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Frank Maurrant (Street Scene) and Mamma Agata (Viva la mamma) in Stuttgart. Since September 2018 he has been a member of the soloist ensemble of the Gärtnerplatztheater Munich where he has so far sung the roles of Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Monterone (Rigoletto), Schaunard (La bohème), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Cold Genius (King Arthur) and Nourabad (Les Pêcheurs de perles) among others.

Marilena Germanou Roxandra Sturdza

Born in Athens in 1990. She is a graduate of the Greek National Opera Professional Dance School and Nellie Karra’s Arhi Drama School. She completed two-year Theatre and Drama programme at the Porta Theatre Studio with Peggy Stefanidou. With her group (Dimitra Kolokytha, Katerina Kaloumenou, Mariza Theofylactopoulou), under Nellie Karra’s direction, they produced the plays Dom Juan by Molière and Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (Skrow Theatre). In the theatre, she has collaborated with directors such as Maritina Passari, Themelis Glynatsis, Eleni Parginou, Pinelopi Flouri, Efthalia Papakosta and Mary Maragoudaki. She took part in children’s theatre productions with Dimitris Pleionis and the TOPI theatre company. As a dancer, she took part in the GNO productions The Nutcracker, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Raymonda, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Eugene Onegin. She played the leading part in Maritina Passari’s short film What Time Will You Be Back?, awarded at the Drama International Short Film Festival. She has worked in education as a teacher of theatre games and music and movement classes.

Libretto:
Theodora Delavault

Conductor: 
Gregory Charette

Computer programming: 
Darien Brito

* Due to the restrictive measures against the pandemic, the performance dates refer to when the production will be recorded so as to be streamed on GNO TV. 

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Cycle “Odes to Byron”

Curator Alexandros Mouzas

Starts at 20.30 |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Lyrics: Michalis Ganas

Orchestration, adaptations, santur: Andreas Katsigiannis

Soloist: Yannis Dionysiou

With the participation of Estudiantina of Nea Ionia

Kyriakos Gouventas (violin), Stavros Kouskouridas (clarinet, kaval), George Matsikas (bouzouki, lavta), Kostas Gedikis (bouzouki, lute), Apostolos Valaroutsos (guitars), Kostas Konstantinou (contrabass), Dimos Vougioukas (accordion), Andreas Papas, Kostas Meretakis (percussion), Filippos Retsios (piano)

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Mikis Theodorakis Cycle

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday 19.30)  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Libretto:
Dionysis Kapsalis

Video – Visual material: 
Vassilis Kehagias

* Due to the restrictive measures against the pandemic, the performance dates refer to when the production will be recorded so as to be streamed on GNO TV. 

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Starts at 20.30  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Cycle “Odes to Byron”

Curator Alexandros Mouzas

In collaboration with The Messolonghi Byron Society

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday 19.30)  |   

Text – Director: 
Konstantinos Chatzis

Research:
Stella Papakonstantinou

Dramaturg:
Antigoni Karali

Set designer: 
Artemis Flessa

Costume designer: 
Ioanna Tsami

Butoh: 
Ioanna Garagouni

Lighting designer:
Stella Kaltsou

* Due to the restrictive measures against the pandemic, the performance dates refer to when the production will be recorded so as to be streamed on GNO TV. 

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday 19.00)  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Music: 
Martha Mavroidi

Text: 
Maro Vasiliadou

Director: 
Maria Magkanari

Set & costume designer:
Pavlos Thanopoulos

Lighting designer: 
Maria Gozadinou

With actress Syrmo Keke

With the participation of the female vocal ensemble chórεs

Music coach – Director
Eirini Patsea 

* Due to the restrictive measures against the pandemic, the performance dates refer to when the production will be recorded so as to be streamed on GNO TV. 

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday 19.00)  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Composer & Music supervisor
Dimos Vougioukas

Shadow puppets – Set design
Yannis Papadopoulos-Yuvan

Stage collaborator
Apostolos Gravvanis

With the participation of a 4-member instrumental ensemble

*Due to the restrictive measures against the pandemic, the performance dates refer to when the production will be recorded so as to be streamed on GNO TV. 

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Cycle “Odes to Byron”

Curator Alexandros Mouzas

Starts at: 11.00  |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Stage directors:
Michail Marmarinos, Akillas Karazisis

Dramaturgs: 
Akillas Karazisis, Michail Marmarinos

Music
Antonis Anissegos

Set designer
Kenny MacLellan

Costume designer
Kathrin Krumbein

Lighting designer
Alekos Anastasiou

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Starts at: 20.30 (Sunday: 19.00) |   

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Libretto:
Yannis Filias, Kharálampos Goyós
(based on the memory of the TV series Candy Candy and the writings of Slavoj Žižek)

Conductor:
Kharálampos Goyós

Director:
Dimitris Karantzas

Set designer:
Artemis Flessa

Costume designer:
Ioanna Tsami

Lighting designer:
Alekos Anastasiou

Live electronics programming:
Panos Iliopoulos

Cast:
Georgios Iatrou, Vassilis Kavayas, Marissia Papalexiou

With the participation of a 7-member instrumental ensemble

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

A co-production with the music theatre company “The Beggars’ Operas”

Starts at 20.30 (Sunday: 19.00) |   

Point of No Return

Choreography – Costume supervisor Ioannis Mandafounis
Music Giorgos Koumendakis
Lighting designer Christos Tziogas

Plan B

Choreography Ermira Goro
Music Dimitra Trypani
Set & costume designer Christos Delidimos
Lighting designer Christos Tziogas

Antonis Sousamoglou (violin), David Bogorad (violin), Athanasios Sourgounis (viola), Ioannis Stefos (cello)

Lieder ohne Worte

Choreography – Set designer Konstantinos Rigos
Music Dimitri Terzakis
Set designer Mary Tsangari
Costume designer Yiorgos Mesimeris
Lighting designer Christos Tziogas

Guido de Flaviis (saxophone), Stefanos Nasos (piano), Antonis Sousamoglou (violin), Angela Giannaki (viola)

With the participation of dancers of the GNO Ballet

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Conductor Vladimiros Symeonidis

Christos Kechris (tenor)
Vangelis Maniatis (baritone)
Sotiris Triantis (baritone)

With the participation of a 10-member instrumental ensemble

Greek National Opera Alternative Stage
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage

Cycle “Odes to Byron”

Curator Alexandros Mouzas

As part of the tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution

Conductor
John Jeter

Artistic conception
Panaghis Pagoulatos

Presenter
Margarita Varlamou

Historian
Anna Karakatsouli will speak about the relationship between the Greek and the American Revolutions.

With the Orchestra of the GNO

Ticket prices: 15€, 20€, 30€, 35€, 42€, 50€, 55€, 70€
Students, children: 12€
Restricted view seats: 10€

Greek National Opera Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Starts at 19.30 | 

Music
George Dousis

Libretto
Eugene Trivizas

Conductor
Nicolas Vassiliou

Director
Natasha Triantafylli

Sets 
Tina Tzoka

Costumes
Ioanna Tsami

Movement coach
Dimitra Mitropoulou

Lighting designer
Giorgos Tellos

Children’s Chorus Mistress
Konstantina Pitsiakou

Opera for the whole family • New production

Greek National Opera Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Starts at: 11.00 (morning performances & Sundays) / 18.30 (matinées on Saturdays 4, 18/12)| 

Conductor
Philippe Auguin

Solist
Sonya Yoncheva

With Marin Yonchev tenor

With the Orchestra of the GNO

Ticket prices: 15€, 25€, 30€, 55€, 70€, 90€, 100€, 140€
Students, children: 15€
Restricted view seats: 10€

Greek National Opera Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Starts at 19.30 | 

Conductor Stathis Soulis

Singers: George Dalaras, Dimitri Platanias

Narrator: Giorgos Gallos

Chorus master: Agathangelos Georgakatos

Music ensemble

Piano Sophia Tamvakopoulou
Bouzouki Yorgos Matsikas, Vassilis Korakakis
Mandolin Yorgos Goumenakis, Michalis Sidiropoulos
Santur Andreas Katsigiannis
Guitar Christos Zervas, Vassilis Mastorakis
Double bass Thanassis Sofras
Drums Dimitris Christodoulakis

With the GNO Orchestra and Chorus

Sound design: Antonis Zacharopoulos, Vangelis Koulouris

Ticket prices: 15€, 20€, 25€, 30€, 35€, 40€, 45€, 60€
Students, children: 12€
Restricted view seats: 10€

Mikis Theodorakis Cycle

Greek National Opera Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

 Starts at 19.30 (Sunday 18.30)| 

Producer, scriptwriter, director
Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring
Emma Stone, Damien Bonnard

Music
Johann Sebastian Bach / Knut Nystedt, Toshio Hosokawa

Cimbalom
Angelina Tkatcheva

Conductor
Nicolas Vassiliou

With the participation of the GNO musicians: Nikos Nikopoulos (Flute), Dimitry Safarian-Simonenko (Oboe), Anna Dermani (Harp), Sophia Tamvakopoulou (Piano), Alexis Theophylactou (Violin), Marina Kolovou (Cello)

Chorus master
Agathangelos Georgakatos

With the participation of the Chorus of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation

Set Designer
Anna Georgiadou

Costume Designer
Angelos Mentis

Choreography
Christos Papadopoulos

Director of Photography
Thodoros Mihopoulos

Film Editor
Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Executive producer
Rebecca Skinner

Producer
Eleni Kossyfidou

The Artist on the Composer programme curators: Giorgos Koumendakis (GNO Artistic Director) – Elina Kountouri (ΝΕΟΝ Director)

Visual Arts programme • New production • World premiere

Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Start times: 18.00, 20.00, 22.00 | 

Conductor
Jochen Rieder

With the Orchestra of the GNO 

Starts at 21.00 | 

Conductor
Philippe Auguin

Director – Sets – Costumes
Hugo de Ana

Revival director
Katerina Petsatodi

Projection design
Sergio Metalli – Ideogamma SRL

Lighting
Vinicio Cheli

Lighting revival
Christos Tziogkas

Chorus master
Agathangelos Georgakatos

Children’s chorus mistress
Konstantina Pitsiakou

With the GNO Orchestra, Chorus, and Children’s Chorus (as part of its educational mission)

Opera • Revival

Starts at 21.00 | 

Adaptation – Coordination manager – Music direction
Dimitra Trypani

Video / animation
Giorgos Nikopoulos

Musical fairy tale composition
Ismini Beck

Folk songs editing
Dimitra Trypani

Body & vocal percussion training – Percussion
Antonis Vasiliadis

Stage performance
Nikos Ziaziaris

Vocal and chorus training
Sofia Ketetzian

Ensemble conducting techniques – Répétiteur
Aliki Siousti

With the participation of a musical ensemble and a polyphonic ensemble of soloists

Produced by GNO Learning & Participation 

Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

 Starts at 19.00 | 

Music by Marko Nikodijević and scenes from operas of Bellini, Bizet, Donizetti, Puccini and Verdi

Director & set designer
Marina Abramović

Co-director
Lynsey Peisinger

Conductor
Yoel Gamzou (24, 25, 26/9)
Stathis Soulis (28, 29/9)

Screenplay
Petter Skavlan, Marina Abramović 

Video
Nabil Elderkin

Visual effects
Marco Brambilla

Sound design
Luca Kozlovacki

Costumes
Riccardo Tisci

Set design collaboration
Anna Schöttl

Lighting design
Urs Schönebaum

Dramaturgy
Benedikt Stampfli

Music and Visual Arts Cycle

Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Starts at 19.30 (Sunday 18.30) | 

Duke of Mantua
Francesco Demuro (2, 5, 8/6), Dimitris Paksoglou (11/6)

Rigoletto
Dimitris Tiliakos

Gilda
Christina Poulitsi

Sparafucile
Petros Magoulas

Maddalena
Mary-Ellen Nesi

Giovanna
Margarita Syngeniotou

Count Monterone
Dimitris Kassioumis

Marullo
Nikos Kotenidis

Matteo Borsa
Yannis Kalyvas

Count Ceprano
George Mattheakakis

Countess Ceprano
Diamanti Kritsotaki

Court Usher
Petros Salatas

A page
Evita Chioti

Suitable for ages 12 and over.

Ticket prices: €25, €45, €55, €60, €85, €100
Students, children:€15
Disabled seats: €15