Athens Festival: What to watch this June
Fahrenheit 451, Image: Athens Festival
As we move further into summer, the Athens Festival is back to relieve you of your heat-induced sluggishness. This month, the festival brings musical and comedic performances alive to enchant the city and to spark a little inspiration in the art lover.
Thomas Moschopoulos – Fahrenheit 451
Based on François Truffaut’s stage adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel
WHAT: Ever since he established himself as artistic co-director of Amore Theatre several years ago to his current tenure as director of Porta Theatre, Thomas Moschopoulos remains one of the most formidable Greek directors of his generation. Having directed numerous Greek actors over the years, Moschopoulos has several plays, operas and children’s theatre productions under his belt. Following last year’s brilliant stage adaptation of Kafka’s The Trial, this year Moschopoulos presents Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, as adapted by François Truffaut who also adapted the novel for the big screen. The play is set in a dystopian totalitarian regime, where books are routinely destroyed. From pursuer of the dissidents the main hero becomes a dissident himself after experiencing the clandestine world of books. How can he break through the nightmarish face of totalitarianism? Is it possible that by claiming the right to ‘personal reading’ he can break the system?
WHERE: Peiraios 260, H
WHEN: June 8, 9, 10 at 9 pm
Bill Murray in New Worlds. Image: Athens Festival
Bill Murray, Jan Vogler and friends – New Worlds
WHAT: Actor Bill Murray met German cellist Jan Vogler on a trans-Atlantic flight. The two struck up a friendship. Being interested in each other’s artistic work, they came up with a joint project. New Worlds is a performance bridging the artistic legacy of America and Europe, and highlighting the fundamental values of American literature and music. During their travels, the two men also met cellist Mira Wang and violinist Vanessa Perez, also performing in New Worlds. Celebrated for his long and fruitful film career in Hollywood, Murray will play a role unlike anything he’s ever done before. The superstar comedian will perform pieces by Foster, Gershwin and Bernstein, in addition to reading excerpts from classic American poets and writers (Whitman, Hemingway, Twain), to the sounds of Vogler’s Stradivarius cello. A fascinating crossover of music and literature by two great masters.
WHERE: Odeon Of Herodes Atticus
WHEN: June 19
ERT National Symphony Orchestra, Image: Athens Festival
ERT National Symphony Orchestra – Fête de la Musique
Works by Lavrangas, Rachmaninoff, Dvořák
WHAT: It has become an annual tradition: the ERT National Symphony Orchestra and Athens Festival will hold a concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, honouring the Fête de la Musique, the World Music Day. Free admission.
WHERE: Odeon Of Herodes Atticus
WHEN: June 21 at 9 pm
Sting
Sting
WHAT: Composer, singer, songwriter, actor, writer and activist, Sting is celebrated all over the world and has sold over 100 million copies throughout his long career, first as leading singer of the Police and later as a solo recording artist. Having won numerous accolades over the years, including ten Grammys, two Brit Awards, a Golden Globe, one Emmy and four Academy Award nominations, Sting will always hold a special place in our hearts.
WHERE: Odeon Of Herodes Atticus
WHEN: June 22, 23 at 9 pm
Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra – Vladimir Fedoseyev – Varvara
Works of Tchaikovsky
WHAT: Founded in 1930 (as Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union Radio and Central Television), Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra (TSO) was the first symphony orchestra active in USSR, as well as the first orchestra to perform non-Soviet composers. Several major composers (Nikolai Golovanov, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Aram Khachaturian, Georgy Sviridov) entrusted the first performance of their work to TSO. As a result, TSO quickly rose to fame and became one of the leading orchestras in the world. For this performance, TSO will be conducted by the award-winning conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev. Having collaborated with some of the greatest musicians and companies in the world (chief conductor of Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra between 1997-2006, La Scala, Opernhaus Zürich), Fedoseyev is the heart and soul of TSO, serving as its artistic director and chief conductor since 1974. Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra will be joined by accomplished, award-winning Russian pianist Varvara Nepomnyashchaya. In the first part of the performance, the artists will perform Capriccio Italien and Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor. In the second part, the orchestra will perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s great ballets (The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake).
WHERE: Odeon Of Herodes Atticus
WHEN: June 27 at 9pm
