New cultural body in Veria to speak up for the wonders of the human voice
«My presence does not guarantee success,» admitted prominent soprano Sonia Theodoridou at a recent press conference, in her role as artistic director of a new cultural body, «The Human Voice.» An ambitious scheme, the project is part of the Culture Ministry’s program of activities which is to be implemented in collaboration with the Center for Cultural Initiatives and Communications of the Municipality of Veria. The aim here is to teach and train, as well as to develop and promote all means of expression whose medium is the voice. New artists For Theodoridou, who was born and raised in Veria, the project is bringing her back home, while her great ambition is «to aid the young and give opportunities to young artists, and develop a stable, local source of musicians,» she said. For the near future, the project’s list of activities includes an annual festival, various musical events, educational seminar cycles as well as the establishment of a musical library. This year’s festival will take place from May 8 to 19, featuring, among other events, concerts, operas, performances of musical theater and a musical composition contest. The festival will take place in the city’s arts center, the Antoniadio Cultural Center, the renovated Byzantine Museum and other venues. In the meantime, Theodoridou is busy collaborating with a number of cultural associations throughout Greece so that «The Human Voice» acquires its own musical identity: Giorgos Kouroupos, for instance, was commissioned for the composition of a new work based on original and translated texts by poet Ioulita Iliopoulou; the world premiere of the tragic opera «Jocasta» which is scheduled to take place in Delphi on July 12 (in collaboration with the Delphi European Center), will then move to Veria on July 15. Also in the pipeline is a co-production with the Cephallonian Choir Center, «Music from Greek Cinema,» while a collaboration with the International Artistic Center «Athenaeum» is due to begin in the fall.
