Cosmos: The Place of Silence

During the Holy Week, the audience of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center will have the opportunity to attend two musical evenings of mesmerizing serenity, as part of the Cosmos concert series.

On Holy Tuesday, April 19, and Holy Wednesday, April 20, at 20:30, the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the SNFCC is hosting the musical performance The Place of Silence. Songs and instrumental themes from the work Long Hours of composer Andreas Katsigiannis are performed by George Dalaras and Vassilikos, accompanied by the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra in a very special musical collaboration.

In the work that brings together musically the East and the West, the search and anguish of man's path to the unknown and ultimate salvation dominate. The dramatic composition also includes Friedrich Nietzsche's poem "To the Unknown God," as well as texts by Alexandros Papadiamantis and excerpts from Thomas Korovinis's novella, Call of Death - The final night of Mister Alexandros.

George Dalaras and Vassilikos, two high-caliber performers, mark these two unique performances with their personal interpretative stamp.

Born to a musical family, Andreas Katsigiannis embarked on his professional career through studies in European and Byzantine music, while at the same time playing the santur with a groundbreaking technique that changed the instrument's entire philosophy, introducing it to many different musical genres and thus into the sound of world music.

At the young age of 20, he began planning the creation of a multi-member group of musicians that would bring together traditional Greek music with new musical forms. Thus came about the famous Estudiantina of Nea Ionia, an ensemble that has performed hundreds of concerts in Greece and abroad, acting as a musical bridge between the past and the present. Katsigiannis has written hundreds of songs and has co-operated with many Greek and foreign performers. His music for film, TV and orchestral works marks his signature sound in the timbre of Mediterranean music, and render him a contemporary musical creator of the younger generation with a very distinct musical identity.

His collaboration with George Dalaras stands out, as the two have been jointly presenting for nearly two decades new productions within the wider repertoire of Greek music as well as original creations.

Composition: Andreas Katsigiannis
Lyrics: Lina Nikolakopoulou, Eleni Fotaki, Alexandros Fotinos

Soloists: George Dalaras, Vassilikos
Narration: Michalis Sarantis

Soloists of the Folk Music Band
Alexandros Arkadopoulos, clarinet, kaval
Nikos Mermigas, lavta
Apostolos Valaroutsos, guitars
Kostas Meretakis, percussion
Elias Mantikos, kanun
With Andreas Katsigiannis on the piano

ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra
Conductor: George Aravidis

Chorus Vivendi Vocal Ensemble
Conductor: Yiannis Vryzaki

Sound Design / Sound Engineering
Antonis Zachopoulos, Stage
Vangelis Koulouris, FoH
Ilias Lakkas

Lighting Design
Perikles Mathiellis

Orchestrations
Apostolos Tsiarkas, Dimitris Siampos, Andreas Katsigiannis

Orchestral Arrangement / Score
Dimitris Mathiopoulos

Holy Tuesday 19/04 & Holy Wednesday 20/04 | 20.30
GNO STAVROS NIARCHOS HALL

Advance Ticket Sales Points:
· online on Ticket Services website
· by phone: 210 7234567 (Ticket Services)

Ticket Prices:
Zone A - general entrance € 20
Zone B - general entrance € 15, reduced € 10

Concession tickets of 10€ are available to students, people aged 65+, minors up to 17 years old, the unemployed, Persons with Disabilities along with their companion, multi-child families and residents of the Municipality of Kallithea. Children can sit with their chaperones in any zone, with a concessions ticket.

On the day of the concert, concession ticket holders will be asked to show their ID, as well as supporting documentation (student card, unemployment card, family status certificate for multi-child parents, certification of disability, utility bill for residents of Kallithea)

Pre-sale for Members starts on Wednesday 30/03 at 12.00
Pre-sale for the public starts on Thursday 31/03 at 12.00

Important information:

• Doors open at 19.30.
• We suggest that you be at the location no later than 60 minutes before the commencement of the event.
• Entrance will be possible up to 10 minutes before the event's commencement.
• Pre-sale is required. No order of priority will be available on-site.
• All SNFCC areas are accessible to people with disabilities.
• For more information or clarifications, please contact the SNFCC switchboard on 216 8091000.

According to the latest measures to protect public health from the risk of spreading COVID-19, a valid vaccination certificate or a valid disease certificate, is required for the public to enter the event venue, as the venue operates as a pure venue. The above applies to adults. Μinors from 4 to 17 years old may, alternatively, submit a statement of negative self test (24 hours), a certificate of PCR (72 hours) or rapid (48 hours) diagnostic test, in accordance with the recent government measures.

A parallel identity check will be carried out on the persons who show the required certificates, as provided by law.

Participants must wear a mask and keep their distance both during attendance and during events and in accordance with the instructions of NPHO.

Due to public health measures, there may be changes regarding either the staging of the event, or the maximum number of participants.

This event comes under a grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Alongside the majority of its events, which are free thanks to a series of SNF grants, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center also organizes a number of events with affordable tickets, thus enriching its income sources and securing its long-term financial integrity.