NEW YORK – The Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO) under the direction of Founder, Artistic Director and Conductor Dionysis Grammenos enchanted the audience in its Carnegie Hall debut on November 3. The program highlighted the great talent and impressive range of the performers and their conductor, Maestro Grammenos.
The 95 GYSO musicians presented an eclectic evening of music including contemporary European and American popular symphonic works as well as a fresh new take on traditional Greek dance music through a symphonic lens.
The program included «rewind« by acclaimed Grammy-nominated British composer Anna Clyne; a selection of Nikos Skalkottas’ Greek Dances, which premiered at Carnegie Hall exactly 70 years ago, in November 1954, performed by the New York Philharmonic; and Leonard Bernstein’s celebrated ‘Symphonic Dances’ based on themes from his West Side Story.
From the very first notes, the GYSO impressed the audience with its artistry and dynamic playing throughout the varied program, capturing the essence of each piece, the drama and the lyrical quality in a remarkable evening of music.
The captivating performance earned the GYSO a standing ovation and they returned for three encores, concluding by singing a beautiful a cappella version of Mikis Theodorakis’ Omorfi Poli that drew even more enthusiastic applause. Maestro Grammenos noted that the final encore was “from Greece with love.”
The GYSO Carnegie Hall debut was hosted by The Hellenic Initiative (THI), a global nonprofit organization that brings together diaspora Greeks and Philhellenes to invest in the future of Greece through programs focused on crisis relief, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
THI Board member Nicholas Alexos gave the welcoming remarks on November 3, thanking everyone for attending, and noting that “our celebrated and ambitious conductor, Dionysis Grammenos, told me a few years back that these programs are to bring the audience to a different realm.”
Alexos pointed out that the GYSO is the “real masterpiece tonight” and “the first national youth orchestra from Europe to ever perform a concert in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium,” which garnered thunderous applause.
Alexos noted that the concert also celebrated the 32nd anniversary of the enthronement of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Among those present were His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Consul General of Greece in New York Iphigenia Kanara, Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, THI Board President George Stamas, Leadership 100 Executive Director Paulette Poulos, Fr. Andreas Vithoulkas and his wife Presvytera Anthoula Vithoulkas, Fr. Panagiotis Papazafiropoulos, and many members of the community of all ages. Audience members were moved by the concert with some noting that they “had to be there” to support the GYSO and all looked forward to seeing them perform again soon.
The GYSO is supported by its Founding Donor, the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and a range of individual and corporate donors including: Hellenic Parliament and the Ministry of Culture, Bank of Greece, The Hellenic Initiative, AEGEAS, Bodossaki Foundation, George Petrocheilos Family Foundation, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Social and Cultural Affairs Welfare Foundation and Aegean Airlines, as its official air carrier sponsor.
More information about the GYSO is available online: https://elson.gr/en/.
To learn more about The Hellenic Initiative, visit: https://thehellenicinitiative.org.
