Cultural Events in Patras

Updated: 2004-06-29 09:13

The programme of cultural events for Patras has been unveiled at a press conference in the Town Hall of Patras by the Cultural Adviser to the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, Thanos Mikroutsikos, who made it clear that he intended to hold fitting events redolent of Greek culture, blending the old with the new.

The first event, "MNIMI 1896" [MEMORY, 1896] will be held on 8 August, the date when the Olympic flame arrives in Patras, and will be a great symbolic event recapitulating the Opening Ceremony of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Now as then, there will be music played by the philharmonic bands, and sung by the choirs, of Western Greece and the Ionian Isles.

This great concert will bring together more than 700 performers. There will be eleven choirs, five philharmonic bands, a symphony orchestra, soloists, conductors, not to mention a large number of technicians. There is a multi-level platform structure already in place, big enough to accommodate all those taking part.

Part One will include:

The Greek National Anthem (words by Solomos, music by Mantzaros)
The Olympic Anthem (words by Palamas, music by Samaras)
Hymn to the Truce (words by Nikolakopoulou, music by Mikroutsikos) [first performance]. Commission from the Greek Olympic Winners Committee.
The European Anthem. Ode to Joy (words by Schiller [Greek translation, K. Konstantaras], music by Beethoven [9th Symphony, last movement]).
The following ensembles will be taking part:

Choirs	Conductors
Fons Musicalis	K. Konstantaras
Patras Polyphonia Choir	S. Solomos
Preveza Harmonia Choir	V. Stefanov
Agrinio Orpheus Choir	V. Stefanov
Tripoli Choir	M. Gargalionis
Nafpaktos Choir	T. Kabakchiev
Patras Women’s Vocal Ensemble	G. Antoniou
Opus Femina’ Corinth Municipal Cultural Centre Women’s Vocal Ensemble	G. Papagiannopoulou
Holy City of Messolonghi Cultural Centre Choir	S. Holevas
Lefkada Orpheus Literary & Musical Society Choir	D.Grapsas
Arta Makrygiannis Cultural Club Choir	D. Grapsas

Philharmonic Bands - Conductors

Patras Municipal Band - C. Loukas
Agrinio Municipal Band - V. Konidas
Tripoli Municipal Band - V. Pittaridakis
Lefkada Band - G. Messinis
Lamia Municipal Band - D. Mantas

Soloists: Vassiliki Karagianni (soprano), Sofia Kapetanakou (mezzo), Giannis Christopoulos (tenor), Dimitris Kasioumis (baritone).
Orchestrations: Stavros Kavalieratos
Director of Music: Kostis Kostantaras

Part Two will include:

Skalkottas -Two Greek Dances
Vivaldi – Overture to L'Olympiade
Grieg - Land Erkennung: cantata for solo baritone, chorus and orchestra (op.31)
Verdi - Nabucco (excerpts)
A Festival Orchestra based on Patras String Orchestra and Fons Musicalis Choir are also participating.

Solist: Dimitris Kasioumis
Conductor: Saulius Sondeckis
The stage manager for this part of the event is Maria Vasilaki. The sound director is Nikos Espialidis, director of the Athens Concert Hall Recording Centre, and the lighting director is Periklis Mathiellis.

The second event, which is to be held on 10 August, is ‘Patras, City of Today - Waiting for the Ball to be Crossed’. It will feature eleven top contemporary Greek singers and songwriters, performing selections from their work.

The performers are, in Greek alphabetical order:
Gerasimos Andreatos, Giorgos Andreou, Vangelis Germanos, Christos Thivaios, Vasilis Kazoulis, Lavrentis Mahairitsas, Miltos Paschalidis, Dionysis Tsaknis, Eleni Tsaligopoulou, Tania Tsanaklidou, Manolis Famelos.

It was explained by Mr Mikroutsikos that the eleven performers stand for the number of players in a Football team, a reference to the Olympic Football tournament in Patras’ Pampeloponnisiako Stadium.

The performers will be accompanied by a large mixed instrumental group.
In charge of the orchestrations is Stergios Gargalas. The stage manager for this part of the event is Maria Vasilaki. The sound director is Nikos Espialidis, and the lighting director is Periklis Mathiellis.