Small Ancient Theater
Epidaurus:
"The human voice"
By DESPINA SAVVOPOULOU
Concerts, exhibitions, productions at Epidaurus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, archaeological sites, castles, temples, islands.
Greek culture is enduring special circumstances this summer. Productions, concerts and visual art exhibitions take place in select venues taking into consideration the preventive measures. Let’s not forget that culture is a breath of life and support for everyone. Sail with a tail wind and choose matchless cultural events, in places closely linked to our cultural summer, such as the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus as well as the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, but also other symbolic places like the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, the fortress of Palamidi in Nafplio, the castle of Platamon, the Odeon of Dion, the Roman Agora in Athens and Thessaloniki, the Ecclesiasterion of Ancient Messinia, the fortified town of Mystra and others. The catch-phrase this year is “the whole of Greece, one culture”

The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
The Athens and Epidaurus Festival remains true to its audience this year once more although it is tangibly smaller, it supports Greek creativity and is called "Hposynolo-Fragment", as proclaimed by the art director Katerina Evangelatos. This year each production will run for three nights at the Ancient Theatre instead of two as in previous years. The curtain rises with the National Theatre from 24-26/7 with “The Persians" by Aeschylus, directed by Dimitris Lignadis with Lydia Koniordou, Nikos Karathanos, Laertes Malkotsis, Argyris Xafis, Argyris Pantazaras, Yiannos Perlegas and others.
Small Ancient Theater
Epidaurus:
The Noah's Ark
“Lysistrati” also by the National Theatre, directed by Odysseas Papaspilliopoulos on 31/7 and 1-2/8. Played by Vicky Volioti, Stefania Goulioti, Nefeli Maistrali, Elpida Nikolaou, Agoritsa Oikonomou, Odysseas Papaspilliopoulos, Vicky Stavropoulou, Nikos Psarras and others. Next in turn is the National Theatre of Northern Greece with “The Birds”by Aristophanes from 7-9/8 directed by Giannis Rigas. Played by Taxiarchis Chanos, Christos Stergioglou, Vasilis Spyropoulos, Giannis Tsemperlidis and others.

Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus
Alkinoos Ioannidis presents "Live Looping" from 17-18/7 with Kora Karvouni at his side in a tribute to Papadiamantis’ “The Murderess”. From 24-25/7 it is the turn of Mihalis Kalkanis Group with Haig Yazdjian and Jannis Anastasakis. The Rafi Music Theatre Company, one of the most dynamic Greek lyric theatre groups, returns with the beautiful baroque oratorio by the Sicilian Michelangelo Falvetti “The Great Flood” from 31/7 to 1/8.The one act opera composed by Francis Poulenc based on Cocteau’s “Human Voice” appears for the first time at the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus from 7-8/8 in a bold conceptualization by Maria Panourgia. Savina Giannatou and the Primavera en Salonico create “Watersong” from 14-15/8 together with Tunisian singer Lamia Bedioui.
Herodeon: Katerína
Evangelátou

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus
A tribute to the much loved composer Thanos Mikroutsikos who passed away last December, titled “Set up the Spotlights” from 15-16/7. This is followed by the ERT National Symphonic Orchestra with George Petrou in a gala with works by Beethoven on 18/7. Monika is coming (20-21/7) to turn the Herodian into a garden and to present her new album. On 23/7 the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra presents works by Bartok and Vivaldi. Next in turn is the Greek National Opera which presents two different gala operas with Riccardo Massi and Dimitri Platanias (26/7) and Celia Costea, Giorgio Berrugi and Ambrogio Maestri (28/7), conducted by the renowned Italian conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi.
The Odeon of Herodes
Atticus
As “Wolves in Wonderland” Giannis Aggelakas and Nikos Veliotis appear from 30-31/7. Followed by the Armonia Atenea, The Friends of Music Orchestra with George Petrou and Marianna Calbari who present Monteverdi’s opera “The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland” from 4-5/8. Finally on 8/8 The Athens State Orchestra directed by Stefanos Tsialis presents works by Beethoven and Shostakovich.

In Sounion and elsewhere
The Megaron Athens Concert Hall presents a series of concerts in various places. Με ΖοΝ, the male vocal group performs twentieth and twenty first century works for many voices and without instruments in Ancient Messinia (Ecclesiasterion) on 1/8, in the fortress, Mystra on 2/8 and in the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion on 4/8.The Camerata, directed by George Petrou and Kariofyllia Karabeti present “Medea” by George Benda in the ancient theatre at Delphi(18/8) and in the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion (22/8).
Herod: Monica
The Trio El Greco appears in the Palamidi fortress at Nafplio on 31/7, at the Platamon Castle on 25/8 and in the Dafni Monastery on 10/9.Pianist and director George Emmanuel Lazaridis and Dimitra Selemidou in a tribute to composer Kostas Giannidis at the Odeon of Dion on 20/7, in the Roman Agora of Thessaloniki on 22/7 and at the castle of Platamon on 25/7. Stefanos Korkolis and Sofia Manousaki present works by leading poets which have been set to music at the Castle of Arta on 23/7 and in the garden of the Byzantine Museum, Athens on 5/8. The Roman Odeon in Patras and the Castle in Killini host Manolis Mitsias with Kariofyllia Karabeti on 20 and 21/7 respectively. The stage cantata by Pericles Koukous “A diary for passers-by at the end of the century” in the Roman Agora, Athens 22/7 and in the Dafni Monastery on 3/8.

Opera throughout the whole of Greece
This year the Greek National Opera presents twenty productions in 70 archaeological sites with 111 performances. Listen to the mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili in the Roman Agora, Athens (18/7), a tribute to our great composer Mikis Theodorakis, in archaeological sites, a tribute to Theophrastos Sakellaridis, traditional concerts with the Estoudiantina Orchestra of Nea Ionia, Volos directed by Andreas Kastigiannis throughout Greece. The Greek National Opera dancers in a sequence of solos indoors in archaeological museums. The charismatic Marina Satti and the female vocal group chorεs in a series of concerts in selected archaeological sites throughout Greece.
Mykonos: Mr. Brainwash /
Gallery Kapopoulos Fine Arts

Mykonos, Paros, Patmos
Kapopoulos Fine Arts in Mykonos but also in Spetses, Paros and Patmos is hosting major works of art in their galleries throughout the summer months from their partners in Greece and abroad. Amongst the works you can admire are paintings and sculptures bearing the signature of important Greek and international artists such as Mr. Brainwash, Richard Orlinski, Erro, Sequi, Pavlos Fassianos, Samios, Filopoulou and others.
Syros: Fabris

Syros
The Cycladic Art Gallery in Ermoupoli, Syros is hosting the exhibition “Entity Battlefields – Body: Place of Conflict” from 2 to 28/8. Kiki Kolympari, Georgia Fabris and Maria Spyraki, contemporary artists embracing modernist, philosophical and existential theories capture their own version about the eternal man, mortal, perishable, expendable and insignificant, often self defeating and yet arrogant, untiring, unwavering in his fight for life.
Paros: Kapopoulos Fine Arts / Maria Filopoulou