Conductor Yorgos Ziavras embarked on a musical odyssey 11 years ago, departing Greece in pursuit of a classical music career. His departure underscores a lamentable reality: Greece’s lack of investment in cultural education. However, despite this neglect, the melodies of its musical heritage are a profound source of inspiration, even for the classical repertoire.
On April 28, the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in southern Athens will host a transcendent musical experience, as Cologne-based music collective and orchestra CoGNiMUS Collektiv, under Ziavras’ baton, presents “Moiroloi | A Lament for the Living.”
In an exclusive interview with Kathimerini English Edition, Ziavras reflects on his journey into the world of music, the formation of his ensembles and the significance of his upcoming performance.
Conducting
The conductor began his journey with the piano at a very young age. After finishing high school, however, he decided to study architecture, engaging with a skill set of “shapes and building,” elements that came close to musical composition.
But why conducting? Ziavras describes his fascination with the orchestra sound, explaining that “you cannot reach this with just the piano.” His journey into conducting was further fueled by his love for chamber music and the desire to collaborate with other musicians, he says.
Studying conducting requires a vast amount of resources, from the right facilities to a permanent orchestra for practice; “one hour of practice with an orchestra could cost 2,000 to 3,000 euros.” “If you want to be a classical musician, you simply cannot do that in Greece. The depreciation of culture, education and cultural education is mind-blowing,” he lamented, remembering last year’s demonstrations against the devaluation of the higher education degrees of Greek artists.
Despite these obstacles, Ziavras remains deeply connected to his homeland, regularly collaborating with Greek ensembles and returning to Athens for artistic endeavors, but also as a source of inspiration.
Ziavras’ heritage comes from the northern Epirus region, where the traditions of the lamenting moiroloi, polyphonic song and the Greek clarinet, the klarino, transcend Greek music.
“Not long after Mozart’s passing, the clarinet found its way into the repertoire of Epirotic music,” Ziavras says, linking the two traditions across time.
‘When I think about death the two musical things that come to mind are Mozart’s Requiem and the music of Epirus, the moirologia,’ says Yorgos Ziavras
CoGNiMUS Collectiv
Inspiration for the upcoming performance stems from Ziavras’ deep connection to Epirus but also the collaborative ethos of the CoGNiMUS Collectiv.
Founded in 2015 in Cologne, the collective stands as a testament to the vision of redefining the orchestral experience. As Ziavras describes it, CoGNiMUS is “an ensemble of individuals,” where artistic freedom flourishes and traditional symphonic boundaries are pushed aside.
With a focus on collaboration and innovation, the collective seeks to infuse every performance with a unique artistic conception, to which everyone is encouraged to have an active input, which transcends the conventional concert experience but also to make classical music more inclusive.
“The prevailing concert culture, with its structured intermissions featuring champagne and salmon sandwiches, holds certain merits. However, for many, it can feel alienating,” he adds.
Instead, CoGNiMUS aspires to add context, “making the music more accessible and intriguing to wider audiences, facilitating connections with other genres,” Ziavras explains.
Moiroloi
“When I think about death,” Ziavras reflects, “the two musical things that come to mind are Mozart’s Requiem and the music of Epirus, the moirologia.”
The collective’s artistic exploration led him to experiment with blending these two traditions, resulting in a captivating musical dramaturgy that intertwines Mozart’s Requiem with instrumental moiroloi and Byzantine hymns.
Ziavras emphasizes that his performance is not merely about mourning but also about celebrating life. “We talk about death, we celebrate it, we lament,” he explains. “To congregate enough input to accept that we are going to die and focus on living.”
When we gather to voice our sorrow, we find solace in shared vulnerability, he says. What holds significance to Ziavras is the unique individuality of each human voice. In moments of sorrow, one may feel isolated, yet through communal participation, connections are forged, uniting individuals in their shared experiences of grief, he adds.
For this special performance, Ziavras has curated a lineup of exceptional talent, including vocalists Giorgos Merantzas and Savvas Siatras from Epirus, along with the Chaonia Polyphonic Group.
As the audience convenes at the Greek National Opera on April 28, they will embark on a profound journey of introspection and remembrance, guided by Ziavras’ masterful baton and the harmonious resonance of the CoGNiMUS Collektiv.
Reservations for the free concert are available at ticketservices.gr.
