For the ninth year running, Kalamata welcomes the International Music Days, a festival that has become one of Greece’s key fixtures for classical and contemporary music. From August 24 to September 6, the city and the nearby archaeological site of Ancient Messene will host a series of high-calibre concerts, masterclasses, and the festival’s first-ever International Young Artists Competition.
This year’s programme embraces an unusually wide musical spectrum — from the contrasting oral and written traditions of medieval music to the interplay of pop and avant-garde in the 21st century. The lineup includes acclaimed artists such as cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha, mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, the cello–percussion duo Hugo Rannou and Emil Kuyumcuyan, the vocal ensemble TRËI, Balkan group TRI i DVE, and the Greek early music group Lycabettus Ensemble.
© Stylianos Papardelas
Events will be held at the Ekklesiasterion of Ancient Messene and the Alternative Stage of the Kalamata Dance Megaron, offering audiences a blend of historic ambience and modern performance space. In addition to concerts, the festival will run masterclasses in piano, violin, viola, cello, voice, and chamber music, aiming to foster creative exchange between established performers and emerging talent.
Since its inception in 2017, the festival — under the artistic direction of Indira Rahmatulla, Stathis Giftakis, and Dimitrios Lampos — has been dedicated to artistic collaboration and education, reinforcing Kalamata’s role as a cultural crossroads.
Organised by the Municipality of Kalamata, the FARIS Municipal Beneficiary Organization, the Municipal Conservatory, and the TERPSIS Parents’ Association, the event is supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the George & Victoria Karelia Foundation. It holds the EFFE Label 2024–2025, a European hallmark for quality arts festivals.
Concert Programme
Monday, 25.08.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: €10, €5
TRI i DVE: BALKAN O’CLOCK – A musical journey from East to West
Felix Froschhammer (violin), Nico Prinz (cello & tambura), Ivaylo Dimitrov (accordion), Tashko Tasheff (double bass, zurna)
3i2.info
Tuesday, 26.08.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: €10, €5
Lycabettus Ensemble: The Castles of Morea – Written and oral music traditions of the Middle Ages
Irini Bilini-Moraiti (voice, medieval fiddle, saz & percussion), Athanasia Teliou (medieval fiddle, viola da gamba)
lycabettusensemble.com
©λycabettus
Wednesday, 27.08.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission
1st International Young Artists Competition: Final Round – Lieder for soprano and piano, works for violin and cello
Thursday, 28.08.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission
The Carnival of the Animals – Music for all the family
Featuring Vicky Vassiliadi (flute), Ioannis Manolakakis (clarinet), Emil Kuyumcuyan (xylophone), and others
Friday, 29.08.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission
Final Cello Concert – Masterclass with Jean-Guihen Queyras
jeanguihenqueyras.com
Saturday, 30.08.2025 | 20:30
Ekklesiasterion of Ancient Messene – Free admission
Queyras – Nikolovska – Kadesha – Works by Bach, Saariaho, Ravel, and Villa-Lobos
Co-organised with the Peloponnese Region and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia
Sunday, 31.08.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: €10, €5
Rannou – Kuyumcuyan: DanceSuite – A contemporary ball for cello and percussion
emilkuyumcuyan.com
Monday, 01.09.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission
Final Violin Concert – Masterclass with Felix Froschhammer
felixfroschhammer.com
Tuesday, 02.09.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: €10, €5
TRËI: One’s for Sorrow, Two’s for Joy – Songs about persecution and empowerment
trei.com
Wednesday, 03.09.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: €10, €5
Nikolovska – Knutson: Les Bonnes Chansons – Song traditions from Germany, France, and Czechia
coleknutson.com
Thursday, 04.09.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission
Final Lied and Aria Concert – Workshop with Ema Nikolovska and Cole Knutson
Friday, 05.09.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission
Final Strings and Piano Concert – Masterclasses with Hernán, Kadesha, and Mouza
Saturday, 06.09.2025 | 20:30
Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: €10, €5
From Footprints to Milestones – Modern jazz with Sofia Braila, Gabriele Milozzi, Sotiris Choutos, and Arionas Gyftakis
For more information please go here.
