With two major musical milestones – the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death and a tribute to Dionysis Savvopoulos – the Athens Concert Hall (also known as the Megaron) has announced its program for the 2026-2027 season.
The new program spans the classical repertoire and chamber music to Greek song, contemporary dance, jazz, and the performing arts, welcoming leading performers and international ensembles, from violinist and conductor Leonidas Kavakos and Argentine classical concert pianist Martha Argerich to the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic.
The new season, which begins in September, is centered on the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death in 1827. The Megaron is dedicating an extensive concert cycle throughout the year to the great composer, highlighting different aspects of his work.
Jordi Savall
A special place in the program is reserved for the Spanish conductor and composer Jordi Savall, the Capella Nacional de Catalunya choir, and the orchestra Concert des Nations, who on January 22, 2027, will present “Missa Solemnis,” Beethoven’s monumental Mass, considered one of his most important works.
In February 2027, French cellist Gautier Capucon and pianist Frank Braley will join forces for a special musical encounter, presenting all of Beethoven’s “Sonatas for Cello and Piano.” Meanwhile, the Camerata Friends of Music Orchestra, under the musical direction of George Petrou, will recreate the historic “Akademie” (academy) that Beethoven himself organized on December 22, 1808, in Vienna. This legendary concert lasted approximately four hours, during which the composer presented some of his most significant works, including the “Fifth Symphony” and “Sixth Symphony” (“Pastoral”).
The reconstruction will be presented in two consecutive concerts, with an intermission, and using period instruments. Alongside the two iconic symphonies, the program includes “Piano Concerto No. 4,” excerpts from the “Mass in C major,” and the “Choral Fantasy” for piano, choir, and orchestra.
The tribute will conclude April 15-18, with Leonidas Kavakos and Italian pianist Enrico Pace performing a cycle featuring all of Beethoven’s “Sonatas for Violin and Piano.”
Alongside the tribute to the famed composer, the new artistic season brings some of the most important names on the international stage to the Megaron. The curtain rises on October 21, with the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Austrian maestro Franz Welser-Most. A few days later, Dutch violinist Janine Jansen and Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin will meet the Athens audience for an evening of chamber music.
Next, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, under Czech conductor and composer Petr Popelka, with soloist Mao Fujita, will present an evening dedicated to Mozart and Mahler. In February 2027, the celebrated pianist Martha Argerich will appear with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the Cypriot-born British conductor and pianist Marios Papadopoulos.
In March, Russian pianist Arcadi Volodos will return with another recital at the Christos Lambrakis Hall, two years after his last appearance at the Megaron. In April, the Utopia Orchestra and Greek-Russian conductor and musician Teodor Currentzis will recreate the first performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St Matthew Passion,” which took place in Leipzig 300 years ago.
Theater of songs
The season would not be complete without a major tribute to singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos, who died in October 2025, leaving a profound mark on Greek music and the country’s cultural life.
Specifically, on January 8 and 9, 2027, a “Theater of Songs” will premiere, conceived, dramaturgically developed, and designed by painter and longtime Savvopoulos collaborator Alexis Kyritsopoulos. The performance revisits a rich musical world connected with collective memory, illuminating different eras and aspects of Savvopoulos’ artistic journey.
On stage, performers from different generations will come together, including Foivos Delivorias, Christos Thivaios, Evia Mazi, Panos Mouzourakis, Angelos Papadimitriou, Nikos Portokaloglou, Mariza Rizou, and Melina Tanagri.
Three dance companies
Contemporary dance also holds a prominent place in the new season’s program, with three internationally renowned companies taking the stage.
From November 6 to 9, Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal will present the iconic “Vollmond.” In February 2027, the Akram Khan Company will bring “Thikra: Night of Remembering,” Akram Khan’s final work before the completion of his 25-year artistic journey.
And in April, Nederlands Dans Theater, one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies, will return to the Megaron.
