A Greek taverna, a night that begins late, glasses clinking, voices rising in song, musicians gathering around a table. This is the world evoked by Tribute to Theodorakis, a moving international production touring the Netherlands this October 2025 for seven rare performances. More than a concert, it is an immersive celebration of warmth, resistance, hope — and above all, music.
A universal language of music and memory
At the heart of the show stands a distinguished ensemble of musicians with roots in classical, jazz, and folk traditions from around the world. Together, they meet the expressive voice of Vassilis Lekkas, one of Greece’s most cherished interpreters of Mikis Theodorakis’ songs. Behind them, a projection of a historic taverna in Piraeus becomes a stage of its own: the live musicians on stage “converse” with those on screen, dissolving boundaries between past and present, Greece and the world.
Audiences will also encounter rare cinematic footage of Theodorakis himself — as singer, conductor, composer, politician, and activist — offering an intimate window into a life inseparable from art and struggle.
More than music: poetry, people, and a nation’s voice
Theodorakis gave his people not only unforgettable songs, but also hope, strength, and optimism during the darkest of times. His greatest achievement, perhaps, was the unprecedented act of setting the words of Greece’s greatest poets to music, placing poetry on the lips of an entire nation. Tribute to Theodorakis honors this legacy, blending international musicianship with Greek tradition in a tender, familiar, yet profoundly universal portrait of the composer.
This tour also carries special significance: 2025 has been declared by the Greek Ministry of Culture as a Year of Mikis Theodorakis, marking 100 years since the birth of the legendary composer.
The creative team
The production was born out of a collaboration between the Greek company In Session Events and the Dutch foundation Stichting Caravan. Artistic direction comes from acclaimed Dutch musicians Bart and Julian Schneemann, long-time admirers of Greece and its culture. Around them, a remarkable ensemble — from the Turkish ney and Italian organetto to the Greek bouzouki — creates a musical landscape that mirrors Theodorakis’ own embrace of universality.
Performers include:
- Vassilis Lekkas — Vocals
- Charis Laurijssen — Bouzouki
- Emmy Storms — Violin
- Romain Bly — Trumpet, horn, percussion
- Simone Bottasso — Organetto
- Sinan Arat — Ney, vocals
- Nathalie Schaap — Double bass, vocals
- Bart Schneemann — Oboe
- Julian Schneemann — Piano, arrangements
- Tour dates in the Netherlands
- The journey of this special production begins in October 2025, with the following stops:
- 02/10 — PHIL, Haarlem
- 05/10 — Speelhuis, Helmond
- 07/10 — De Duif, Amsterdam
- 09/10 — Spot, Groningen
- 19/10 — Cultuurkoepel, Heiloo
- 23/10 — Kunstmin, Dordrecht
- 24/10 — Chassé, Breda
For more information, visit In Session Events or Julian Schneemann.
