NEW YORK – The Greek National Opera is traveling to New York for the first time with its Orchestra to present a unique concert on Thursday, October 15, 8 PM, at the historic Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, featuring exceptional works by Greek composers, inspired by the iconic author Nikos Kazantzakis and his legendary works.
In the concert titled ‘Nikos Kazantzakis: An Odyssey in Music’, the Greek National Opera (GNO) will present a panorama of Greek art music to New York audiences, featuring emblematic works by Manos Hadjidakis, Mikis Theodorakis, Nikos Skalkottas, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and Giorgos Koumendakis.
The concert is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to enhance the Greek National Opera’s artistic outreach and is part of the celebratory events marking SNF’s 30 years of grantmaking.
Internationally acclaimed Greek maestro and Graz Opera Chief Conductor Vassilis Christopoulos will lead the orchestra in the GNO’s Carnegie Hall debut.
Maestro Christopoulos spoke with The National Herald about the concert and working on this unique tribute to the acclaimed Kazantzakis.
Maestro Vassilis Christopoulos with the Greek National Opera Orchestra. Photo: A. Simopoulos
TNH: How long did the process take to bring this project to life?
Vassilis Christopoulos: Such projects take usually a couple of years to organize. Bringing a whole orchestra across the Atlantic Ocean for a concert in one of the most renowned concert halls in the world is a huge endeavor!
TNH: What was it like working on this tribute to the iconic Kazantzakis?
VC: I have the privilege of being able to read Kazantzakis’ works in Greek, because he is one of these authors who have sort of created their own language, which is practically impossible to translate. However, for this project I have been concentrating mainly on the wonderful music by various important Greek composers.
TNH: What was the most challenging aspect? The most rewarding?
VC: One of the most challenging aspects for me as a conductor is to create a strong and cohesive narrative through compositions that are extremely diverse: from the tenderness of Hadjidakis to the explosiveness of Theodorakis, from the delicate microcosmos of Koumendakis to the dense orchestration of Skalkottas. As for the most rewarding… let’s hope that it will be the actual concert and the reaction of the American audience!
TNH: What can the audience look forward to at Carnegie Hall?
VC: The audience will have the chance to discover or rediscover some of Greece’s most beloved orchestral compositions, hear one of Greece’s finest orchestras, and admire the musicians’ temperament, energy, and infectious joy of music making!
TNH: And if you would like to share, what are you working on next?
VC: This season my main focus is on opera. After ‘Macbeth’ at the Royal Danish Opera, I look forward to ‘La Bohème’ and ‘Elektra’ at Oper Graz as well as ‘Otello’ at the Greek National Opera.
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Tickets and additional information about ‘Nikos Kazantzakis: An Odyssey in Music’ are available on the Carnegie Hall website: https://shorturl.at/Up1C4.
The Official Corporate Partners of the Greek National Opera’s Carnegie Hall Debut are Capital Clean Energy Carriers and Evangelos Marinakis, who champions Nikos Kazantzakis’ work as the Grand Sponsor of the Kazantzakis Museum in Heraklion, Crete.
The trailer for the concert is available on YouTube: https://shorturl.at/IjxvD.
