Multifaceted Cavafy tribute at the Athens Concert Hall
The Cultural Olympiad presents a challenging project at the Athens Concert Hall tomorrow: a tribute of Cavafy’s poetry through reading, music, theater, dance and video art. Accompanying the great poet’s work (in a selection by Nasos Vagenas) will be songs based on Cavafy’s poetry by Manos Hadjidakis (such as «Days of 1903»), Thanos Mikroutsikos and Dimitris Papadimitriou. Under the baton of Thanassis Tsipinakis, the Patras Night String Orchestra and Costas Thomaidis will interpret Mikroutsikos’s works. A trio featuring Theodoris Economou at the piano, Spyros Mourikis on the clarinet and vocals by Fotini Dara will interpret Papadimitriou’s works. Actor Minas Hadzisavvas will portray Cavafy, while dancers Ermis Malkotsis and Evangelia Randou will add movement. Meanwhile, actors Karyofilia Karabeti, Yiannis Bezos, Dimosthenis Papadopoulos and Alexandra Sakellaropoulou will give readings – each of them adding their own personal touch. The entire performance is directed by Themis Moumoulidis. Dance and video art will also add their own twist: Three young choreographers, Apostolia Papadamaki, Kiki Baka and Cecile Mikroutsikou have chosen three of Cavafy’s poems to choreograph. The outcome was shot under the direction of Moumoulidis with cinematography by Phillipos Koutsaftis and will be presented during the performance. Also on the program is a series of videos edited by Vouloula Skoura. At the recent press conference, Cultural Olympiad Director Manuela Pavlidou noted that tomorrow’s challenging show will be one of a highly artistic and aesthetic caliber, while Cultural Olympiad advisor Manolis Savvidis mentioned that tomorrow’s tribute, along with the Cavafy exhibition at the Athens Concert Hall (which also ends tomorrow), will be followed by Cultural Olympiad publications to celebrate the Year of Cavafy (including a bibliography, English translations by John Cavafy – the poet’s brother – a double CD with readings by Cavafy expert G.P. Savvidis as well as a CD-ROM on Cavafy’s life and works). Athens Concert Hall, 1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2000, or www.megaron.gr.
