Opening of Musical July tonight
Musical July, a series of concerts held at the Little Theater of Epidaurus, kicks off tonight with a concert by the Camerata Orchestra. The institution was initiated by the Athens Concert Hall nine years ago and was taken over by the Hellenic Festival last year. The Camerata Orchestra, conducted by Alexandros Myrat, will interpret Mozart’s «Eine Kleine Nachtmusik» and other works by the same composer, along with award-winning clarinet player Spyros Mourikis tonight and American violinist Kurt Nikkanen tomorrow. Next weekend, July 11 and 12, pianist Alexandra Papastefanou, who has launched a career both in Greece and abroad, will give a piano recital with works by Chopin, Schumann, Ravel, Bartok, Scriabin, Debussy and Faure. On Friday July 18 and Saturday 19, the Boston-based Alea III Ensemble, conducted by Theodoros Antoniou, will interpret compositions for performances of ancient drama. The first part will consist of works written for tragedies, while the second part will be dedicated to music for Aristophanic comedies. Works include legendary actress Katina Paxinou’s composition for Sophocles’ «Oedipus Rex,» as well as compositions by Manos Hadjidakis, Giorgos Kouroupos, Nikos Kypourgos, Christos Leondis, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Giorgos Tsagaris, Dimitris Mitropoulos and Dimitris Papadimitriou. The Emmelia vocal ensemble, conducted by Valery Oreshkin, will participate in the interpretation of compositions for the chorus. Musical July will end with a show by popular Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki on July 25 and 26, who will interpret songs from her 1996 album «Tragoudia yia tous Mines» composed of poetry by Sappho, Elytis, Maria Polydouri, Karyotakis and Michalis Ganas that has been set to music by Dimitris Papadimitriou, as well as 1994’s «Ta Kormia kai ta Machairia.» When traveling to the Little Theater from Athens, concertgoers may opt to travel by cruise ship, which leaves at 5.30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from Trokadero dock in Faliron and goes to the port of Ancient Epidaurus, a 15-minute walk from the Little Theater. Buses depart on both days at 4.30 p.m. from Klafthmonos Square and at 4.45 p.m. from Syntagma Square (in front of the Amalia Hotel) for the Trokadero dock. Upon arrival in the Epidaurus harbor, concertgoers also have the opportunity to taste and buy local food products from open-air stalls arranged by local merchants along the port. Tickets are available at the Hellenic Festival box office, situated at 39 Panepistimiou, tel 210.322.1459; boat ticket information at the Hellenic Festival and at Epirotiki-Ydraiki, 87 Akti Miaouli, Piraeus, tel 210.429.1501-10.
