Techno set to meet opera at Veria’s new music festival
Imagine the following musical chimera: a soprano singing arias from operas, while the orchestra accompanying her interprets techno sounds. And in the audience, wonderfully allied, techno lovers and opera aficionados are going for it. Who could conceive such a thing? Surely not opera singer Sonia Theodoridou. Yet when she «encountered» it by chance at last year’s Hannover EXPO, she was at first fascinated and then excited «A fantastic program,» she says, «where a great German opera singer, Gertrude Wagner, was on stage along with The Scorpions and the musician Marcus Machovsky, and they melded opera, techno, rap and pop together in an enjoyable way. I found it very exciting, and said to myself, ‘Ah, we have to bring this to Veria!’ And we will. This May, in fact, at our first festival.» This exceptional opera singer with an international career recently decided to become active in the cultural events of her hometown of Veria, and also of those parts of Greece «beyond the city walls.» As artistic director, she has the responsibility for managing a new program in Veria with the title «The Human Voice.» It will include not only an annual festival but events throughout the year, as well as the organization of a large music library and educational programs (master classes, etc.) for music students. Human Voice A truly ambitious plan, which has already gone before the Municipality of Veria and the Ministry of Culture, which are co-funding it, the first annual «Human Voice» festival will take place immediately after Easter, from May 8-19. The events will be held in the wonderful arts center (the Veria Concert Hall), the Byzantine Museum, the Melina Mercouri open-air theater, as well as on the town’s central streets. «From the moment that this wonderful concert hall was built in Veria,» says Sonia Theodoridou, «I wondered: ‘What do we do now; how does this thing work and how can we bring it to life?’ I discussed this with the mayor and other figures and they suggested that I take the task on. How can I, though, when my career is abroad and I am constantly traveling? Finally, I came up with the formula: I am responsible for the artistic side and working with me will also be two teams, one in Veria and the other in Athens. Olga Kalogriadou and Natasa Pavlopoulou will be responsible for getting things done. Naturally, the final decisions on my proposals will be made by the arts center’s board of directors and the Municipality of Veria.» She knows very well that this effort is a double-edged sword, but she hopes that all the local bodies will help. «Veria is neither a giant city nor a student town and we don’t want to discourage people,» she says. «I come here as an artist, I do not come here as a political party or with other interests. If I don’t have the support of all sides, then we’re lost. I don’t have any experience in such things, I have only an eagerness and romanticism to give something to our town. And not just to our town, but to the whole of Greece. Because, beyond Athens and Thessaloniki, there lies a chasm. And this chasm must gradually be filled with events taking place in every corner of our country.» «The Human Voice» was so-named because the goal of all the various dimensions of the program is the cultivation and development of the art of the human voice – primarily through music, but also through theater. Song, opera, musicals, choirs, vocal improvisation and theatrical performances are included in a wide range of events, divided along four axes: Annual festival: «This will take place at the end of each spring, not just so that I can be present,» says Theodoridou, «but because I believe that Veria is most beautiful at this time – the apple trees are budding, the peach trees, nature is burgeoning all over the place. Each year’s program will include various events, mainly musical, with classical song, contemporary music, ethnic, demotic, Byzantine music, opera, cinema and more. At the same time, we will organize a great agricultural festival on the peripheral streets, with local produce and crafts. This is, at least, what will happen with this year’s festival – the program will be announced soon. The only thing that I will say is that we will also have this ‘different’ concert, combining techno and opera music. Wagner, who is now my friend, will come, as well as the techno rapper Marcus Machovsky with his magical electronic instruments, and I will be on stage alongside them, with scenery, lighting, costumes, etc. We will present, on May 10, a program which will be a big surprise. Something which has never happened before in Greece – something I am also doing for the first time. I am sure that young people will like it a lot. And it will show them another way in which to approach opera!» Other events: Aside from the festival in the spring, other events will also be arranged sporadically throughout the year – collaborations with other Greek and foreign organizations, song recitals with famous foreign and Greek opera singers, as well as recitals by talented young Greek artists. This last event will be dedicated each year to a great living Greek singer. This year’s recital, the first, is in honor of Jeanette Pilou and will take place in September. In the context of these events, there will also be a production of Giorgos Kouroupos’s «Jocasta,» comprising one actor, a soprano, a baritone, an all-male choir and orchestra. This will be a co-production with the European Cultural Center at Delphi, and will premiere there on July 12, appearing at Veria three days later on July 15. The text is by Ioulita Iliopouloulou, musical direction by Apostolia Papadamaki, stage design and costumes by Kenny McLellan and lighting by Antonis Panayiotopoulos. Jocasta will be played by Themis Bazaka, Sonia Theodoridou is the soprano and Tassos Apostolou, the baritone. The orchestra will be conducted by Miltos Logiadis and the choir by Nikos Vassiliou. Education: Master classes in classical song, seminars and workshops for vocal training, as just a few, will be organized a number of times a year, «depending on the financial support we will have,» says Theodoridou. Also included are a collaboration with Athenaeum Music Center on a master class, and a concert by the winners of the Maria Callas Grand Prix, and other events. Music library: Theodoridou has begun the task of creating this library with passion. «It is a lacuna and will be most valuable for young people’s musical studies.» She is donating all the fees for her appearance in «The Human Voice» events to the creation of this library. «I am collecting all over the place – I’ve already collected 169 books. I told my friends that I didn’t want books on my birthday, which was on March 18, I want books for the music library; I want scores! In this way, I collected many books and I hope that other people will turn up to offer; all the townspeople must help!»
