Might i suggest? Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel Athens & King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel Athens Concierge Services
Read about: Christmas in Athens Cultural & Music events Melomakarona Recipe
CHRISTMAS ATHENS STATE ORCHESTRA FESTIVE GALA
CHRISTMAS
☞ Music
Arias and orchestral excerpts by Mozart, Rossini, Offenbach, Bernstein etc
PROGRAM, ARTISTIC SUPERVISION:
NINA KOUFOCHRISTOU | SOPRANO
ATHENS STATE ORCHESTRA
ARTEMIS BOGRI | SOPRANO VASSILIS KAVAYAS | TENOR
ARIS CHRISTOFELLIS
CONDUCTOR: LUKAS KARYTINOS
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 30 December 2017 Starts at 20.30
image source:greekfestival.gr
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MARIO FRANGOULIS IN THE MOOD ☞ Music
SONGS FROM RENOWNED MUSICALS,
MARIO FRANGOULI | TENOR
OPERETTAS & CHRISTMAS MELODIES.
VASSILIKI KARAYANNI | SOPRANO MYRSINI MARGARITI | SOPRANO CONDUCTOR: STATHIS SOULIS
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 27-28 December 2017 Starts at 20.30
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CHRISTMAS
Mario Frangoulis awes his audience with his exceptional repertory. For two festive evenings at Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall, he will perform some of the most beautiful love songs.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH CHRISTMAS ORATORIO
CHRISTMAS
☞ Music
A Baroque music milestone, J. S. Bach’s emblematic Christmas Oratorio, performed by Les Musiciens du Louvre. Founded in 1982, the ensemble has greatly revived early music in France. Its repertory has expanded to include classical & romantic compositions invested with the subtleness of playing characteristic of the ensemble’s musicians.
WITH GREEK SURTITLES
Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 (Cantatas 1, 2, 4, 6)
LES MUSICIENS DU LOUVRE ON PERIOD
LENNEKE RUITEN | SOPRANO HELENE WALTER | SOPRANO CHRISTOPHER AINSLIE | COUNTERTENOR HELENA RASKER | ALTO VALERIO CONTALDO | TENOR JAMES PLATT | BASS FELIX SPEER | BASS
INSTRUMENTS CONDUCTOR: MARC MINKOWSKI
image source: megaron.gr
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 20 December 2017 Starts at 20.30
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KARAGIOZIS’ CHRISTMAS AT THE MOON ILIAS KARELLAS THEATRE COMPANY ☞ Shadow Theater NEW PRODUCTION – A SHADOW THEATRE
ILIAS KARELLAS ANIMATES ALL
CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE FULL OF HUMOR
CHARACTERS BEHIND THE SCREEN
AND MUSIC. ALIEN-ORCHESTRA: ALKIVIADIS KONSTANTOPOULOS DOCTOR COSMIC: THANOS KOSMIDIS (A MEMBER OF BURGER PROJECT) WOMEN’S TRADITIONAL MUSIC ORCHESTRA SMYRNA
image source: megaron.gr
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 16, 17, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 December 2017 | 19:00 17, 26 December 2017 | 17:00
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CHRISTMAS
This Christmas Karagiozis and his company travel to the moon! The Grand Vizier wants to spend Christmas at the moon with his daughter and the palace. While making preparations for the Vizier’s stay, some astronauts led by Karagiozis face a group of uncanny, alien creatures.
THE NUTCRACKER BY YURI GRIGOROVICH ☞ Ballet
CHRISTMAS
image source: ekathimerini.com
THIS AMAZING SHOW BY BOLSHOI LEGEND YURI GRIGOROVICH FEATURING THE GRIGOROVICH BALLET THEATRE OF RUSSIA AND BOLSHOI PRINCIPAL DANCERS WILL DEFINITELY BE THE MOST INSPIRING PERFORMANCE OF CHRISTMAS ATHENS. Grigorovich’s name has been synonymous to Bolshoi, the most important theatre of Moskow. Being as its artistic director for 31 years, Grigorovich remains an tireless choreographer and teacher. Grigorovich celebrates this year his 90th birthday, and Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 December 2017 | Starts at 20:00 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 29, 30 December 2017, | Starts at 16:00
theatres worldwide pray his legendary choreographies. Alexandra Trianti Hall at Megaron presents his historical choreography this Christmas in Athens! The Nutcracker Ballet in two acts based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fairy-tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King ”
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THE NUTCRACKER CHILDRENS’ BALLET RENATO ZANELLA / PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY ☞ Ballet image source: thisisathens.org
CHRISTMAS
ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTIONS, RETURNS IN A NEW CHILDREN’S VERSION. Aided by fairytale-like sets and costumes and Renato Zanella’s dreamlike choreography, Tchaikovsky’s ballet will be welcoming schools & families during morning and evening shows.
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 13, 14, 16, 21, 27 January 2018 2, 3, 8, 10, 11 February 2018
In its initial two act form, with choreography by Lev Ivanov and a libretto by Marius Petipa for which Tchaikovsky composed the music, The Nutcracker was first staged at the Mariinsky Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg on December 18, 1892. This is one of the most renowned ballets of all with hundreds of productions worldwide.
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THE CHRISTMAS FACTORY ☞ Event
THE CHRISTMAS FACTORY RETURNS WITH EVEN MORE FESTIVE DECORATION, IMAGINATIVE WORKSHOPS, EXCITING SURPRISES, INDIGENOUS DELICACIES, EXCLUSIVE EVENTS, AND WITH EVEN MORE FREE ACTIONS INCLUDED IN THE TICKET
CHRISTMAS
ENTRY. From December 1st 2017 to January 7th, 2018, “The Christmas Factory” will be open every day, from 10am to 10pm, scattering magic and making fairy tales a reality!
Technopolis City of Athens 100, Pireos St. | Gazi - Athens 1 December 2017 - 7 January 2018 10am to 10pm Learn more >
image source: thechristmasfactory.gr/
CHRISTMAS
FESTIVE SEASON AT HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE ATHENS, GREECE
HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE HAS BEEN TO PLEASANTLY SURPRISE ITS VALUED GUESTS WITH THIS YEAR’S EXCLUSIVE MENUS DURING CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR. Choose the restaurant of your exclusive choice and savor the finest festive cuisine right at the heart of Athens.
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CHRISTMAS
DRESSED ITS FESTIVE ATTIRE AND IS WAITING
Christmas at GB Corner Gifts & Flavors
GB CORNER GIFTS & FLAVORS A UNIQUE GIFT STORE IN ATHENS ☞ Shopping
THE MOST RENOWNED ‘CORNER OF CHRISTMAS
ATHENS’ WELCOMES YOU TO A MAGIC WORLD FILLED WITH UNIQUE SHOPPING AND GIFT IDEAS. Explore the authentic selection of GB Products, the Zeus + Dione handmade fashion clothing and an exclusive variety of indigenous delicacies by French Pastry Chef Arnaud Larher.
Hotel Grande Bretagne Monday to Friday 11:00am - 20:30pm Saturday 10:00am - 20:30pm
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CHRISTMAS HAMPERS GB CORNER GIFTS & FLAVORS ☞ Shopping
TREAT YOUR LOVED ONES TO A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS HAMPER BY HOTEL GRANDE
Select among our majestic combinations and gift your friends, family or business partners a delectable range of luxury products.
Monday to Friday 11:00am - 20:30pm Saturday 10:00am - 20:30pm
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CHRISTMAS
BRETAGNE.
Hotel Grande Bretagne GB Corner Gifts & Flavors
CHRISTMAS CAKE GB CORNER GIFTS & FLAVORS
TO PERFECTLY EXPERIENCE WHAT CHRISTMAS IS LIKE IN GREECE, IT WOULD BE A MISS NOT TO TASTE THE INDIGENOUS CHRISTMAS CAKE, EXCLUSIVELY CREATED BY THE HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE PAS-
CHRISTMAS
TRY TEAM. The elegant taste of cinnamon conveys the utmost feelings of the festive period and allows you to journey through the spiritual senses of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Hotel Grande Bretagne GB Corner Gifts & Flavors Monday to Friday 11:00am - 20:30pm Saturday 10:00am - 20:30pm
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CHRISTMAS
TRADITIONAL FESTIVE RECIPE
MELOMAKARONA HONEY CHRISTMAS COOKIES
CHRISTMAS TIME FILLS THE HOUSE WITH THE PLEASING AROMA OF FRESHLY BAKED COOKIES. In Greek homes, center stage in the cookie department belongs to melomakarona. They are the quintessential Christmas cookie for Greeks, a concoction flavored with orange, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, and honey. There is some evidence that a version of these cookies originated in antiquity. Melomakarona are also called phoenikia, and the latter word
suggests that they probably originated with the Phoenicians, a seafaring people who lived in regions of Asia Minor and were antiquity's best known traders. Etymologically, melomakarona is comprised of the words meli+makaroni. Meli means honey in Greek, which fits, since the cookies are dipped in honey. Makaroni or macaroni, is a word of Greek-Latin origin, whose root means a doughy substance, or a substance which is kneaded or macerated. Therefore, in its most basic form the word melomakarona means a piece of dough which is dipped in honey.
INGREDIENTS MAIN INGREDIENTS ☞ 1 1 ⁄2 cups light olive oil or 1 1 ⁄2 cups corn oil
MELOMAKARONA RECIPE
☞ 1 ⁄2 cup butter, at room temperature ☞ 1 cup beer (or more) or 1 cup orange juice (or more) ☞ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon ☞ 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons ground cloves ☞ 2 oranges, zest of, grated ☞ 1 cup sugar ☞ 2 cups fine ground semolina (cream of wheat or farina) ☞ 6 cups flour ☞ 1 ⁄2 teaspoon baking soda ☞ 1 ⁄2 teaspoon baking powder ☞ 1 teaspoon salt
SYRUP ☞ 1 1 ⁄2 cups sugar ☞ 1 1 ⁄2 cups greek thyme honey ☞ 1 cup water ☞ 3 ⁄4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
RECIPE
Put the corn oil, butter, beer (or orange juice), cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until they are thoroughly blended.
Add the semolina, a cup at a time, into this mixture. Add enough of the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until you get a rather firm dough (you may need a bit more or less than the amount of flour mentioned in the ingredients list). Use your hands to do the mixing, as an electric mixer will be useless after the first two or three cups of flour have been added. Roll the dough into cylinders, about two inches long and one inch in diameter, flatten them with your hands, and place them on cookie sheets that have been greased with a little olive oil. Bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for half an hour.
Lay the cookies out in a rimmed baking pan large enough to contain them and pour the hot syrup over the cookies, sprinkle them with the chopped walnuts and let them soak overnight. (Alternatively, if you do not have enough rimmed baking sheets to accommodate all the cookies, you can dip them in batches directly into the hot syrup - keeping the syrup at the lowest possible simmer - and allow to soak in the syrup for 8-10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon). For the syrup: mix the sugar, honey and water, and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for four minutes and skim off the foam that forms on top. The next day put them on your prettiest platter, sprinkle each layer evenly with the finely chopped walnuts and wrap with plastic wrap (or put in an airtight container) and serve.
MELOMAKARONA RECIPE
Sift about one cup of flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt and blend into the oil mixture.
Remove the cookies from the oven and pour hot syrup over them.
CULTURE ORPHEUS MUSIC THEATER ☞ Theater
THE PERFORMANCE FOCUSES MORE
C U LT U R E
ON ORPHEUS. Man as sensitive being, is also able to achieve spiritual, physical and emotional supremacy. In the figure of Orpheus, we see a mortal achieving transcendence (the descent to Hades) with the aim of defeating death. He pursues that goal armed with art, driven on by love. But is love as a memory (since Eurydice has died) and it is art as a need for expression
and communication. The reason why he does not succeed in the end, is himself; his own nature, the fact that he is mortal with ‘mortal’ needs. That unavoidable mortality that makes us all small because of how we end is the very same strength that can make us massive. The performance is divided into four vignettes (Mourning, The Descent into Hades, The look (Eurydice’s Second Death) and Orpheus’ Death) that explore death and our own end. image source: megaron.gr
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center PREMIERE 25 January 2018 25, 26, 27, 28 January 2018 2, 3 February 2018 Starts at 20.30
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SLEEPING BEAUTY LIDBERG / PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY ☞ Ballet
LIDBERG/KINMONTH’S VERSION OF SLEEPING BEAUTY FOLLOWS THE TALE, SYMBOLIZING BIRTH, LOVE, LIFE, AND DEATH. THIS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTO CHOREOGRAPHY WHILE ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE WITH THE STYLE OF CLASSICAL BALLET.
image source: thisisathens.org
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 22, 24, 25, 26 November 2017 3, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 31 December 2017
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C U LT U R E
TION TAKES A FINE MODERN APPROACH
The well-known Swedish choreographer, Pontus Lidberg has worked with the New York City Ballet, the Monte Carlo Ballet and the Dresden Opera. Costume designer, Patrick Kinmonth, recognized as a multifaceted persona in the world of the visual arts, opera, fashion, photography, with an extensive range of artistic accomplishments to his name, from British Vogue’s creative director to set and stage designs for operas and ballets for some of the world’s leading opera houses.
YŌKIHI MICHAIL MARMARINOS / PHILIPPOS TSALAHOURIS ☞ Theater
C U LT U R E
image source: mindtheart.gr
AFTER HIS TRIUMPHANT WORK NEKYIA, MICHAIL MARMARINOS RETURNS TO THE GENRE, IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY THIS TIME.
Greek National Opera Alternative Stage Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 December 2017 Starts at 20.30
The story goes that the lovely princess Yōkihi lost her life in the fields of Bagai. China’s emperor Genso, tasks a sorcerer with finding the place where her spirit rests. With the aid of a villager he reaches Horai Palace (i.e. paradise) and the Residence of Great Purity. The sorcerer’s meeting with Yōkihi is spectacular. However, the sorcerer must leave. Yōkihi collapses in tears in the Tower of Eternal Life.
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C U LT U R E
He has opted to stage a Noh theater work with Greek actors in a performance that retains the structure, as well as complete look and feel of a Noh performance. Particular emphasis is placed on ornate costumes. Composer Philippos Tsalahouris, has opted to place the main musical load on a small music ensemble. The chorus consists of 6 individuals and they will provide a vocal supplement to the work where the texts demands, primarily singing
for solo voice with aspects of counterpoint and resonance not being ruled out. Yōkihi is a work attributed to the great writer Komparu Zenchiku, who was also an actor, director and great theater scholar and historian.
VAN GOGH ALIVE THE EXPERIENCE ☞ Exhibition
THE GLOBALLY ACCLAIMED “VAN GOGH ALIVE – THE EXPERIENCE” MAKES ITS WAY
C U LT U R E
TO ATHENS. This is no ordinary art exhibition. Traditions of tiptoeing through unnervingly silent galleries and viewing paintings from afar in quiet contemplation are forgotten as visitors find themselves interacting with art in ways they never imagined. Van Gogh Alive – The Experience stimulates the senses and opens the mind. The exhibition caters perfectly to both young and old.
Adults & Children have the chance to examine Van Gogh’s sources of inspiration via photographs and video displayed alongside his works. But for many, the greatest pleasure lies in simply standing still, indulging the senses as waves of sights and sounds, intense and beautiful, wash over them. In Italian, with Greek and English surtitles.
From start to finish, visitors are surrounded by a powerful and vibrant symphony of light, colour and sound that compels them to immerse themselves in what has been called an ‘unforgettable’ multi-sensory experience. Van Gogh’s masterpieces come to life as visitors experience the sensation of walking right into his paintings.
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 9 November 2017 - 4 March 2018
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C U LT U R E
image source: mindtheart.gr
YOUNG MARX NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE RICHARD BEAN & CLIVE COLEMAN
C U LT U R E
☞ Theater
1850, and Europe’s most feared terrorist is hiding in Dean Street, Soho. Broke and restless the thirty-two-year-old revolutionary is a frothing combination of intellectual brilliance, satiric wit, and childlike emotional illiteracy. Creditors, spies, rival revolutionary factions all circle like vultures. His writing blocked, his marriage dying, his friend Engels in despair at his wasted genius, his only hope is a job on the railway. But there’s still no one in the capital who can show you a better night than Karl Heinrich Marx.
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 7 December 2017 Starts at 21.00
IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH EMBASSY & THE BRITISH COUNCIL IN ATHENS LIVE BROADCAST FROM THE BRIDGE THEATRE, LONDON WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
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image source: thestaffordcinema.com
C U LT U R E
image source:timeout.com
SHADOWLAND PILOBOLUS DANCE THEATRE
C U LT U R E
☞ Ballet
image source: thisisathens.org
PILOBOLUS, PRESENTS SHADOWLAND, A PERFORMANCE THAT HAS FASCINATED OVER 800.000 SPECTATORS AROUND THE WORLD.
Combining multimedia, moving images and the interplay of light and darkness, Pilobolus is being inspired from shadow theatre integrated in poetic choreographies. Shadowland is a girl’s journey into a dream world. The dancers move behind the screen constantly transforming into imaginary shapes. Shadowland is an unforgettable experience not to be missed!
Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall 13 - 14 December | 8:00pm 15 - 16 December | 5:00pm and 9:00pm 17 December | noon
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AKRAM KHAN XENOS ☞ Dance Performance
C U LT U R E
image source: thisisathens.org
AUTHENTIC AND INNOVATIVE, WITH A STYLE THAT INCORPORATES INDIAN KATHAK. THE CELEBRATED DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER, HAS AMASSED A MAJOR BODY OF WORK OVER 17 YEARS SPENT PERFORMING ON STAGES AROUND THE WORLD. WITH HIS VIRTUOSIC, DANCE, HE HAS THE TALENT TO KEEP HIS AUDIENCE TRANSFIXED. Rooted in an ancient culture he was taught from early childhood of a generation of immigrants who were called upon to espouse the Westernness of the country in which they Onassis Cultural Center / Main Stage 21 - 27 February 2018 Starts at 20.30
grew up without forgetting where they had come from, Akram Khan helped shape a new British cultural scene in the 1990s and 2000s. From his earliest works on, the musicthrough his collaboration with Nitin Sawhney, and the stage set/artwork have shared the spotlight with his dance. He sometimes appears alone and sometimes shares the stage with artists from other dance idioms. In his latest work, he will be dancing alone but accompanied on stage by five distinguished musicians. The world première of Akram Khan’s latest work at the OCC will be an event of international significance. Learn more >
SCIENCE FICTION A JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN ☞ Exhibition
GET READY FOR A JOURNEY WITH SCIENCE FICTION AS YOUR GUIDE: FROM THE 19TH CENTURY INTO THE FUTURE AND BACK TO TODAY AND INTO THE FURTHEST REACHES
C U LT U R E
OF THE HUMAN MIND. Two years on from the “Digital Revolution” exhibition, the OCC joins forces once again with London’s Barbican for a new show: “Science Fiction: A Journey into the Unknown”, which explores science fiction’s long-standing influence on the full range of contemporary culture.
Onassis Cultural Centre Athens Monday - Friday | 16:00-21:00 Saturday - Sunday | 12:00-22:00
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image source: sgt.gr
C U LT U R E
CITY PROJECT | A PUPPET SUN KOSTIS VELONIS ☞ Exhibition
A HISTORICAL NEOCLASSICAL RESIDENCE IN THE CENTER OF ATHENS IS ACTIVATED BY NEON FOR THE INITIATIVE CITY
C U LT U R E
PROJECT 2017. Velonis employs this historical site in order to reconstitute its history and significance in public, while simultaneously addressing new and unexpected relations between space and works of art that develop in such a distinct environment.
In the context of the initiative CITY PROJECT, NEON commissions annually an artist to create a work of art exhibited in a public space for a specific period of time. This new commission is the largest in scale individual presentation of Kostis Veloni’s work until today. An exhibition defined by new forms of relationships between space and the work of art, inventing an experimental form that corresponds to the unique site of the residence at Kaplanon 11.
image source: epitome.xyz
NEON | Kaplanon 11, Kolonaki 11/10/2017 - 14/01/2018
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MONEY TANGIBLE SYMBOLS IN ANCIENT GREECE ☞ Exhibition
THE MUSEUM OF CYCLADIC ART AND THE ALPHA BANK NUMISMATIC COLLECTION, A MAJOR EXHIBITION ENTITLED ‘MONEY. TANGIBLE SYMBOLS IN ANCIENT GREECE’.
C U LT U R E
The exhibition presents a different side of coins, which first appeared in the late 7th century BC. During antiquity, the coin also had another use, it was a symbol as well as something that people could hold in their hands, it was a tangible symbol.
The exhibition is structured along eight thematic units, in which 85 coins from the Alpha Bank Collection are exhibited together with 159 objects from 32 archaeological museums and collections in Greece, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.
image source: whyathens.com
Museum of Cycladic Art 02/11/2017 - 15/04/2018
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GEORGE SEFERIS A TRIBUTE EXHIBITION ☞ Exhibition
C U LT U R E
image source: ekathimerini.com
MANUSCRIPTS, FIRST EDITIONS, PERSONAL ITEMS, PAINTINGS BY GEORGE SEFERIS HIMSELF, AS WELL AS BLACKAND-WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM HIS STUDENT YEARS UNTIL HIS LAST TRAVELS MAKE UP THE TRIBUTE TO THE NOBEL LAUREATE AT THE B&M THEOCHARAKIS FOUNDATION.
Theocharakis Foundation, For the fine Arts and Music 4/11/2017 - 21/1/2018
The exhibition also includes a section of works by leading Greek artists – Nikos Hadjikyriakos Ghikas, Yannis Tsarouchis, Tassos, Yannis Moralis, Panayiotis Tetsis, Costas Tsoclis, Alekos Fassianos, Yiannis Psychopedis, Christos Bokoros, Manolis Charos and many more – who were inspired by Seferis’s poems.
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A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE BY ARTHUR MILLER ☞ Theater play
image source: thisisathens.org
C U LT U R E
ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC PLAYS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY COMES TO THE NATIONAL THEATER FOR THE FIRST TIME. Inspired by a real event, Miller gives his play, the pace and tension of a detective story.
of the American dream, determined to succeed. But it often proves to be the wrong path, leading those who follow it into hubris. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the performance is accompanied by English surtitles.
In the Brooklyn of the 1950s, immigrants arrive from all over the world in search of a better life, some of them illegally. They come from every walk of life in search
National Theatre Ziller Building - Main Stage 15/02/2018 - 27/05/2018
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MUSIC 2017 / MARIA CALLAS YEAR 40TH MARIA CALLAS INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX - OPERA ☞ Opera AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION DEDICATED TO THE OPERA. FORTY-SEVEN YOUNG OPERATIC SINGERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD COMPETE IN MUSIC
THE GRAND PRIX.
Maria Callas is incontestably a great Greek artist who left an indelible mark on opera. She set the bar high for all later operatic artists, for all those who love opera. For the entire world, recognising even today in her legend, in her resounding presence, the quintessence of beauty, talent, hard work, commitment to a vision. Throughout the world, Maria Callas is regarded as the ultimate performer, the generous diva. Callas was the inspiration for the great annual internationally acclaimed Maria Callas Grand Prix for the Opera and Piano.
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center PREMIERE 3 December 2017 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 December 2017 Learn more >
“Maria Callas is incontestably a great Greek artist who left an indelible mark on opera.� MUSIC
TWILIGHT OF THE DEBTS REWORKED OPERA
MUSIC
☞ Opera
THE OPERA TELLS THE STORY OF A
ADAPTATION-CONDUCTOR:
BETRAYED GREEK VOTER, THE MYTH OF
KHARÁLAMPOS GOYÓS
THE DEBT AND THE BLENDING OF NEO-
LIBRETTO: DIMITRIS DIMOPOULOS
CLASSICAL FANCY WITH CONTEMPO-
CONCEPT-DIRECTOR: ALEXANDROS
RARY GREEK REALITY.
EFKLIDIS
The creators borrow elements from Wagner’s legend and the fall of Valhalla, homeland of the gods, here substituted with the Holy Rock of the Acropolis, a timeless symbol of the Greek and western civilization. Wagner’s famous “leitmotifs” are replaced by widely known Greek musical themes, such as the National Hymn and the children’s song “Where’s the ring”, where the Wagnerian creation engages in an immediate dialogue with the emotive world of the Greek audience. This 5-hour long work has been cut by two thirds and brought down to chamber format, with 11 singers and an 8-member musical ensemble.
Greek National Opera Alternative Stage Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 7, 10, 12, 14, 17 January 2018 Starts at 20.30
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PRINCE IVAN & THE FIREBIR THODORIS ABAZIS ☞ Children’s opera
ABAZIS’ NEW OPERA PRINCE IVAN AND
COMPOSER - DIRECTOR: THODORIS
THE FIREBIRD IS BASED ON A WELL -
ABAZIS
KNOWN TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN TALE
LIBRETTO: SOFIANNA THEOFANOU
WHICH WAS ALSO THE INSPIRATION FOR
CONDUCTOR: MICHALIS PAPAPETROU
IGOR STRAVINSKY’S FAMOUS BALLET.
When Czar Witslav discovers that his precious gold apples have begun to dwindle in number, he tasks his three sons, Dmitri, Vassily and Ivan with catching the thief and handing him over to the Czar. In exchange, he offers his crown and his kingdom. Ivan, the youngest son who is extremely spoiled and arrogant, manages to trick his brothers and starts an exciting, difficult journey on his own into the Black Forest of the witch king Koschei, the greatest wizard of all times, spoken off in many fairytales. With the aid of Volk the wolf, he seeks out the golden Firebird so he can hand it over to his father and prove his worth as the next Czar. Right from the outset of his adventures, he learns the value of honesty and bravery the hard way, setting him on the path toward true kingship.
MUSIC
The work is aimed at children aged 5 to 12, and is an ideal introduction to the world of opera from a composer versed in the language of modern music and theater.
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 3, 5, 6, 10, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31 December 2017 Starts at 11.00 2, 3 January 2018 | Starts at 18.30
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LA BOHÈME GIACOMO PUCCINI ☞ Opera
IN 2007 THE FAMED BRITISH DIRECTOR GRAHAM VICK DEVISED A VERSION OF LA BOHÈME TRANSPORTING PUCCINI’S BELOVED OPERA FROM 19TH CENTURY
MUSIC
PARIS TO 21ST CENTURY EXARCHIA. The faces of the four ambitious young artists and their camaraderie are known to all. Their problems, concerns, jokes were run of the mill back then; they remain so even today. Rodolfo’s ill-fated love for Mimi assumes an unexpected tragic dimension given that their tale could be played out in the apartment right next door; right among us.
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 7, 8, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 30 December 2017 3, 5 January 2018 Starts at 20.00
Vick’s version of La Bohème returns to Athens as part of a tribute to the great Greek director and set designer, Stefanos Lazaridis. The leading British director, will be in Athens to work on the revival of the work, seeking out the bohemian friends in the current age, and creating a new version of the production 10 years after its original presentation at Olympia Theatre. Internationally renowned Greek soprano Myrtò Papathanassiou debuts in the title role.
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MUSIC image source: kvadrat.dk | naturanrg.gr
TOSCA GIACOMO PUCCINI
MUSIC
☞ Opera
image source: opera3000.net
NIKOS PETROPOULOS’ VERSION OF TOSCA RETURNS TO ATHENS. Set in World War II Rome, the performance emphasizes violence and sadism, allowing the work’s extremes of emotion to be expressed with even greater intensity. In Act II, the blackmailing of Tosca by the lustful officer Scarpa and the scene in which she murders him are almost thriller-like.
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center PREMIERE 26 January 2018 26, 28, 31 January 2018 4, 6, 9 February 2018 | Starts at 20.00
The shift in the historical context doesn’t affect the opera’s main theme, which remains the emotions and desires of the three main characters. However, it does seek to bring to mind images very familiar to us all, from conditions which the older among us have experienced firsthand and the younger among us have read about from tales or seen in documentaries and films.
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ROMÉO ET JULIETTE FRENCH OPERA CYCLE ☞ Opera
A HIT FROM ITS FIRST PERFORMANCE IN PARIS IN 1867 AND TO THIS DAY. BY FAR THE MOST POPULAR VERSION OF THE SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA SET TO MUSIC.
The sets and costumes for the production are by the acclaimed German designer Johannes Schütz, whose name has been associated with top performances by some of Europe’s leading theatres (London, Berlin, and Paris,
MUSIC
Four long duets for the lovers from Verona and their famous arias garner the most interest but also help push the story forward from the innocent first meeting between these two young people right to their tragic end; from Juliet’s light-hearted waltz to her “Poison Aria”, from Romeo’s ecstatic song to his inconsolable monologue dedicated to the memory of Juliet. The opera’s crowd scenes with their impressive choral pieces, and the dance scenes too, bring a certain radiance and flare to the work, adding a phantasmagorical aspect to it which has contributed to its popularity.
to name a few) and some of Europe’s largest operas (Berlin, Frankfurt, Lyon, Salzburg, London, and Amsterdam, to name a few). His work was previously seen in Greece in the 2010 production of Orestes by Giannis Houvardas for the National Theatre.
CONDUCTOR: LUKAS KARYTINOS DIRECTOR: NIKOS MASTORAKIS
Greek National Opera - Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center PREMIERE 25 February 2018 25, 28 February 2018 2, 4, 7, 11 March 2018
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HARRY POTTER CONCERT ACADEMICA ATHENS ORCHESTRA
MUSIC
☞ Music
A PANORAMA OF MUSIC FROM THE EIGHT BELOVED HARRY POTTER FILMS, SIGNED BY FOUR LEADING COMPOSERS.
Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center Tuesday 19/12 | Starts at 19.00 Pre-registration is required image source: snfcc.org
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MUSIC
Ninety-five minutes of music, following the character from his first appearance to adulthood – a great overview of music composition in the first decade of the 21st century. Oscar-winning composers John Williams (Superman, Pirates of the Caribbean), Patrick Doyle (Hamlet, Murder on the Orient Express), Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Nicholas Hooper (who won a Grammy for his music for Half-blood Prince) evoke a universe that accentuates and complements J.K. Rowling’s storytelling, enabling the countless friends of the little wizard to remember and experience once again the unique world conjured by the worldfamous author.
OPERETTA A PRODUCTION BASED ON WITOLD GOMBROWICZ’S OPERETTA
MUSIC
☞ Music
THE PRODUCTION BASED ON WITOLD GOMBROWICZ’S OPERETTA RETURNS TO THE MARIKA KOTOPOULI STAGE AT THE REX.
National Theatre Rex Theatre- Kotopouli Stage 22/11/2017 - 07/01/2018 On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the performance is accompanied by English surtitles. image source: thisisathens.org
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MUSIC
Count Charmant is planning to seduce the beautiful Albertine. The success of the plan sets in train a sequence of unexpected and outrageous events in which fashion and revolution coexist and the corruption of clothing is in conflict with the innocence of nakedness. The inspired, subversive and timeless Operetta by the great Polish playwright Witold Gombrowicz adopts the lightness of this musical genre and debunks false political, moral and ideological authorities with merciless humour. At the same time, it exposes the absurdity of those who express and propound the superiority of simplicity and nakedness over the vacuity of each ephemeral fashion.
ACTIVITIES ICE RINK THE ICE RINK OF SNFCC’S CHRISTMAS WORLD
THE ICE RINK IS AT THE HEART OF SNFCC’S CHRISTMAS WORLD, LOCATED AT THE CANAL, IN FRONT OF THE HOLIDAYEVENTS
DECORATED AGORA. The ice rink opened in the morning of Friday 01/12, with an impressive show that will make us all want to put on skates, taking place in the afternoon! Ice skates will be available, you can also bring your own.
Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 02 December - 31 January 2018 10.00 to 22.00
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image source: snfcc.org
SAILING THE CANAL KALAMAKI YACHT CLUB
THE KALAMAKI YACHT CLUB PRESENTS A SERIES OF INTERACTIVE SAILING EVENTS ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF BOATS, BOTH IN THE CANAL AND ON SHORE.
Stavros Niarchos Hall Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
09.00-10.00 | Children 6-9 10.00-11.00 | Children 9-12 11.00-12.00 | 17+ and adults 12.00-13.00 | Adolescents 12-17 13.00-14.00 | 17+ and adults Learn more >
image source: snfcc.org
EVENTS
Saturday 09, 16, 23, 30/12 & 06/01 Sunday 10, 17, 24, 31/12 & 07/01
HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, ATHENS
+30 210 3330 000 telephone +30 210 3228 034 fax KING GEORGE A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, ATHENS
+30 210 3222 210 telephone +30 210 3228 034 fax
SYNTAGMA SQUARE 105 64, ATHENS, GREECE grandebretagne.gr kinggeorgeathens.com #hotelgrandebretagne #kinggeorgeathens #theluxurycollection