Full moon serenades this evening
For the fifth successive summer, ancient sites and monuments will remain open tonight to mark the August full moon, with concerts scheduled at most venues. A total of 62 sites and monuments, an increase from last year’s 56, will be open between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. to the public for a diverse range of musical styles, including rebetiko, Greek Neo Kyma, opera, jazz, and Greek folk. The series, titled «62 Sacred Places Under the Moonlight,» is being organized by the Culture Ministry and the local branch of the International Council of Museums. Certain venues will be open but will not host events, these being the Acropolis, the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the ancient stadium in Olympia, and Poliochni on Lemnos. One performance only has been planned for Athens, at the Roman Agora, where the renowned vocalist Savina Yiannatou will perform, accompanied by a cellist. On the city’s outskirts, in Elefsina, Nikos Dimitratos will present a tribute to the rebetiko song form. Two shows have been prepared for Thessaloniki, with Tania Tsanaklidou performing at the Museum of Byzantine Culture and Nena Venetsanou at the Eptapyrgio. Another of the country’s finest vocalists, Maria Farandouri, best known for her epic contributions to work by Mikis Theodorakis, will perform at Aghios Georgios on Cephalonia. Other performers on the agenda include: Mimis Plessas – Ancient Nicopolis, southwestern Epirus; Notis Mavroudis – Dodoni, northwestern Greece; Ilias Andriopoulos with Spyros Sakkas and Ioanna Forti – Roman Odeon in Patras; Heimerini Kolymvites – Vergina; Manolis Mitsias and Argyro Kaparou – Lamia Castle; Yiannis Markopoulos – Pella, northern Greece; Melina Tanagri – Ioannina Castle; the Hainides – Dion, Peria; Ilias Liougos – Ancient site of Iria, Naxos; Nikos Platanos – Koryschades, Evrytania; Michalis Dimitriadis, Vasia Zilou, Costas Skandalis – Gynaikokastro, Kilkis; Thanassis Polykandriotis – Arched Bridge/Gate, Trikala; Ross Daly – Itzedim Fortress, Souda, Crete; Costas Thomaidis and Theodoris Economou – Serres Castle; Giorgos Ydraios, Georgia Syllaiou and Sakis Papadimitriou – Roman Odeon, Kos; Sylvia Kapernarou, Yiannis Thomopoulos – Arta Castle; Iota Vei – Pyrgos; Morpho Tsaireli – Ancient city of Samothrace; Christos Tsiamoulis – Kionia, Tinos.
