Greek culture hailed on Samos
Residents of and visitors to Samos this summer are in for a wide variety of events as the 11th Annual Manolis Kalomoiris International Festival kicks off today. With events including music, theater and dance designed to appeal to different ages and audiences, the festival’s ultimate aim is to provide a welcome place for Greek culture, all framed by the Aegean Sea. The program begins with «Women’s Myths,» a night of music and the spoken word held at the ancient theater of Pythagorio. Maria Farandouri and Lydia Koniordou, two of the foremost performers of Greek music and theater, explore «the face and myth» of the female sex, from Sappho to the contemporary woman. Farandouri will perform classic songs focusing on femininity while Koniordou will read selections from literature. Wednesday is a night dedicated to ballet, with Mikis Theodorakis’s «Zorba the Greek,» choreographed by Lorca Massine, directed by Peter Lukanov and performed by the ballet of the Opera of Sofia. Musical styles and venues change on the 30th, with a concert by the wind quintet Melos Brass held at the Porfyriados School of Karlovassi. The night’s program includes both Greek and foreign composers and is titled «From J.S. Bach to Hadjidakis and John Lennon.» On August 1 is the Thanos Mikroutsikos concert, with Manolis Mitsias, Yiannis Koutras, and Rita Antonopoulou performing. On Friday August 3, soprano Alexandra Mathaloudaki and mezzo soprano Ines Zikou are accompanied by Frixos-Dionyssios Mortzos on piano when they perform «A Concord in Two Voices and a Piano.» The concert is being held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Maria Callas’s death and includes excerpts from famous operas. Chamber music performed by the Paderewski trio takes center stage on August 9, while there is a piano recital by Elena Mouzala on August 18. The night of August 19 is designed to appeal to younger audiences, with «The Three Musketeers,» a children’s play by Carmen Rouggeri. Parallel music events will take place on Icaria and Fournoi as well as Samos. This Sunday, traditional music of Samos will be performed by the Armonia Music School, while genres change on August 4 with a jazz concert by Giorgos Tsolis. Entechno music is featured on August 7 with Sokratis Malamas and Alkinoos Ioannidis. Lastly, Sotiria Leonardou performs at Ormos Marathokambou on August 16 and on Fournoi on August 18. For more information, call 2273080005.
