Orchestra of Colors cries foul
Summing up the feeling of disappointment among the ranks of the Orchestra of Colors at the State’s stance toward it at a recent press conference, film director and member of the orchestra’s board of directors, Nikos Koundouros, said: «The State is not hostile, just indifferent.» According to its creative director, Giorgos Kouroupos, after a successful seven-year run, the orchestra is still facing two of its greatest challenges: It does not have its own venue and its financing system still leaves a lot to be desired. «Of the approximately 400 million drachmas we receive in subsidies each year,» he explained, «nearly 200 million goes right back to the State in the form of taxes and insurance on our musicians. If this is seen in relation to the policy followed with other similar ventures, we see a great inconsistency. «After so many years, the Orchestra of Colors can safely say that it has achieved a strong presence. It produces recordings, organizes productions and concerts ranging from classical to modern music, and it works jointly with many other companies and institutions. Our hands are tied though, because we do not have our own venue or proper financial support. Renting the big hall of the Athens Concert Hall alone costs us around 6 million drachmas,» continued Kouroupos. Nevertheless, the Orchestra of Colors will persevere with all the activities it has already organized for this season. Monday, February 4 sees the start of the weekly series, «The Red Ribbon of Love,» a show in cooperation with the Melina Mercouri Foundation which features readings of literature and poetry to musical accompaniment. On February 5 and every Tuesday at the Trianon cinema, the Orchestra of Colors, in a programme jointly organized with the Greek Film Center, plays live music to films for a number of evenings, while continuing its appearances at the Athens Concert Hall and its tributes to Greek and foreign composers at the Hellenic American Union.
