Festival in Volos aims to combine artistic forms
As has been customary in recent years, the city of Volos, in northern Greece, is set to launch its annual International Music for Theater Festival between this Sunday and January 5. One of the primary aims of the festival, established by the Volos-based Music for Theater Center, an active institution directed by the composer Dimitris Marangopoulos, is to combine music with various artistic forms such as film, dance, and pantomime. This year’s event, the sixth consecutive festival to be held, will begin with Tango Passion, featuring four top-class Argentinean dancers performing tunes by Astor Piazolla, Jose Libertegia, Ernesto Poncio and others, on Sunday and December 10. The production’s costumes, choreography, and digital images intend to recreate the artistic form’s authentic surroundings of early 20th-century cafes in Argentina, where it emerged. Other highlights include a performances by the American pianist Stuart Oderman, a specialist in providing soundtracks to silent Buster Keaton films, between December 15 and 18. The weekend before Christmas, December 22 and 23, has been dedicated to Charlie Chaplin, with screenings of his landmark film Modern Times, backed by the Athens Municipality’s Symphony Orchestra directed by Timothy Brooke. Booked for the festive season’s second round of celebrations toward the New Year, on December 29 and 30, is the Spanish mime artist Pepe Bou, who will present Ambrosia, a visual extravaganza saturated in color, sound, and music. The event’s finale, on January 4 and 5, has been kept for the renowned US troupe Momix, which will perform its latest production, Opus Cactus. No doubt, the event’s timing, during the festive season, adds to its appeal for travelers seeking to combine their winter breaks with good-quality entertainment.
