CULTURE

Two top voices to join forces at Herod Atticus

Two beautiful and extraordinary voices join forces at the Herod Atticus Theater this Friday in an unexpected evening of glorious jazz. «Mario Frangoulis and Barbara Hendricks at the Herodion» is an evening organized by Half Note Productions. A fairly recent arrival in the world of jazz, Frangoulis will take to the stage to interpret jazz favorites in the first part of the evening, while in the second part, Hendricks will interpret classics by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington. Following his recent appearance at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games and just before embarking on a world tour to promote his second international album «Follow Your Heart,» Frangoulis returns to the Herod Atticus Theater to conclude a particularly busy summer season. At the ancient theater, the tenor will be accompanied by a quartet featuring Thodoris Economou at the piano, Nikos Kassavetis on the drums, Tassos Zois on the base and German saxophone player Stefan Weber. On Friday night, Frangoulis will take the audience on a jazzy tour featuring beloved golden oldies including «Unforgettable,» «Every Time We Say Goodbye» and «I Get A Kick out of You,» among many others. In the second part of the evening, Hendricks will interpret works by Gershwin, Porter and Ellington, including classic tunes such as «Summertime,» «Night and Day,» and «Let’s Do It.» At the Herod Atticus Theater the soprano will be accompanied by Grammy awardees the Magnus Lindgren Quartet. The evening will come to an end with a much-anticipated joint appearance by the two soloists. Born in Africa, Frangoulis was raised in Athens, before enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied drama. In 1988, the aspiring singer was awarded the much-coveted Maria Callas Scholarship for opera, while at the same time he was offered the part of Marius in Cameron Mackintosh’s longstanding production of «Les Miserables,» at the Palace Theater in London. Two years later, Frangoulis moved to Italy, where he studied with Carlo Bergonzi. In 1991, he took another role in London’s West End, this time as Raoul in yet another musical classic, «The Phantom of the Opera.» Opera was still on the agenda, however, and Frangoulis pursued his studies next to the renowned Alfredo Kraus. Frangoulis then took off for New York and the Julliard School, while in 1993 he was one of the winners of the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition in Philadelphia. In 1998, the tenor signed a contract with Sony Classical. A versatile performer, Frangoulis has already stretched his talents in opera and musicals, not to mention ancient drama. From «Grease» to «West Side Story,» but also in plays by Euripides, Aeschylus and Aristophanes – his last appearance this summer was in an Aeschylus’ trilogy produced by the Cyprus National Theater Company – Frangoulis is a gifted and multifaceted artist eager to walk new paths. Hendricks Hendricks, a renowned American soprano who is also widely known for her humanitarian efforts, comes to Greece following a limited number of engagements in South Africa. Prior to this, the soprano had been locked up in rehearsals in Peter Eotvos’s «Angels in America,» an opera scheduled to be presented at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris in November. Born in Arkansas, Hendricks was awarded a Bachelor of Music at the Julliard School of Music in New York. Before that, she had graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry, at the age of 20. Her European and American debuts came in 1974, at the Glyndebourne Festival and the San Francisco Opera respectively. From that point her career was on a global roll, with appearances in major theaters around the world, the Paris Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden and La Scala, among them. Hendricks is also a leading recitalist and one of the era’s best-selling recording artists – for nearly 20 years her solo recordings have been made exclusively for EMI Classics. In 1994, Hendricks made her jazz debut at the Montreux Jazz Festival and since then she has been a regular at jazz festivals around the globe. Following 15 years of service to the UNHCR, Hendricks has now been named a UNHCR Honorary Ambassador for Life. Herod Atticus Theater on Friday, October 1, at 8.30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Hellenic Festival Box Office (39 Panepistimiou, tel 210.928.2900), Half Note Productions (3 Terzopoulou, Aghia Paraskevi, tel 210.6003693) and Ticket Shop (tel 211.955.9900). Ticket prices: 40, 50, 65 and 90 euros.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.