NEW YORK – The Consulate General of Greece in New York and the Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, in collaboration with the Athens Conservatoire, presented ‘From Athens to New York: A Centenary Tribute to Manos Hadjidakis’ on what would have been the renowned composer’s 100th birthday on October 23.
The concert impressed the audience at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City with a program of Hadjidakis’ enchanting works including some his best known songs performed beautifully by the Cathedral Choir, conducted by Maestro Costas Tsourakis, the Director of Music at the Cathedral, and the gifted pianist Manos Kitsikopoulos of the Athens Conservatoire.
Rev. Archimandrite Chrysostomos Gilbert, Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral, gave the welcoming remarks, noting that it is a joy for us to once again open our doors for an evening that unites faith, culture, and artistry.”
Maestro Costas Tsourakis in his the introduction said: “It is a profound honor for us to gather under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in New York and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral in collaboration with the Athens Conservatoire to celebrate 100 years since the birth of Manos Hadjidakis… not merely a composer, he was a poet of sound, a philosopher of melody, and a visionary who has shaped the soul of modern Greek music. Through his art, he bridged the East and West, the classical and the popular, the intimate and the universal. His music still lives within us in the rhythm of our memories and in the poetry of our language, and in the quiet moments when melody says what words cannot. Hadjidakis gave us the music of our hearts, the melodies of our childhood, the expressions of our sadness and the harmonies of our hope.”
Consul General of Greece in New York Iphigenia Kanara in her remarks thanked Fr. Gilbert, the Cathedral’s Board, and Maestro Tsourakis for their hospitality. She then shared biographical details about Manos Hadjidakis, who was born in Xanthi, Greece, on October 23, 1925, exactly 100 years to the day, is considered one of modern Greece’s and the world’s greatest composers. Consul General Kanara noted that although he was based primarily in Greece, Hadjidakis also spent six years of his career in New York and so the idea came about for a concert to honor the composer and his legacy while also introducing the public of New York to the Athens Conservatoire which has contributed to music, culture, and education and makes us proud.
Dr. Nikolaos Tsouchlos, Athens Conservatoire Chairman of the Board of Directors, in his remarks said: “I would also like to extend a warm welcome to tonight’s concert held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Manos Hadjidakis.”
He noted that Hadjidakis “needs no special introduction not only because he remains timeless and beloved, but also because his music was from early on deeply embedded in the cultural DNA of Greece, alongside all our elements that shape what we collectively recognize as national identity.”
“What better repertoire then to begin building a new bridge of cultural cooperation, and dialogue between New York and Athens, especially as tonight’s concert takes place in such a spiritually significant, beautiful venue this cathedral,” Dr. Tsouchlos said. “The Athens Conservatoire, Greece’s oldest nonprofit educational institution with more than a century and a half of continuous contribution to music and theatre, has nurtured internationally acclaimed artists, such as Maria Callas, former director of the New York Philharmonic Dimitri Mitropoulos, Mikis Theodorakis and many others.”
“Today, it aspires to continue educating talented musicians, especially those less favored in fortune, to become the great artists of tomorrow, by supporting them in all stages of their development at every possible way, and by opening new paths for them, both within Greece and beyond the borders,” Dr. Tsouchlos said, while also encouraging all those present to learn more about the Athens Conservatoire and consider becoming a supporter of the institution.
More information is available online: https://www.athensconservatoire.gr/.
