Athens Goes Classical with Five Days of World-Class Performances

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Classical music lovers in Athens will have the chance to enjoy performances by some of the world’s finest musicians during the 2nd Athens International Music Festival taking place in the Greek capital on November 3-7.

Under the artistic direction of Tosca Opdam and Asi Matathias, the five-day festival puts chamber music in the spotlight with performances at the historic Parnassos Literary Society in the heart of Athens.

Headlining the festival is celebrated Israeli-American violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman, who will present four concerts bringing together an impressive lineup of international artists, including Greek soprano Christina Poulitsi, violinists Matathias and Opdam, cellists Alexander Hülshoff and Gabriel Schwabe, clarinetist Spyros Mourikis, violist Ori Kam, and pianists David Kadouch, Nefeli Mousoura and Victor Stanislavsky.

Works to be performed under this year’s theme: Music as a Dialogue between Places, Generations and People”, include Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola, K. 424, Sibelius’s “Lovisa” Trio, Brahms’s Second String Quintet, Op. 111, Poulenc’s music for Anouilh’s play “L’Invitation au Château”, the world premiere of “Delphi and Dionysus” by American composer Todd Mason, Saint-Saëns’s Trio La Muse et le Poete, Op. 132, and Brahms’s First Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25, Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, Schubert’s unfinished String Trio, D. 471, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio, Op. 50, and Fauré’s Dolly Suite, Op. 56, among other works.

In addition to the concerts, the festival will host three violin masterclasses for five talented young musicians, led by Zukerman, Opdam and Matathias. The masterclasses will be open to the public, offering audiences a rare opportunity to watch leading musicians share their knowledge and artistic experience with the next generation.

As part of its efforts to make classical music more accessible and encourage young musicians to connect with leading figures on the international music scene, the festival will also organize educational programs for school pupils, members of the El Sistema Greece youth orchestra, and students of the Kalogeropouleio Foundation of Arts and Culture conservatory in Corinth.

According to organizers, the festival aims to establish Athens as a destination for major international music events while highlighting the city’s enduring relationship with culture, creativity and artistic dialogue.

The festival’s venue, the Parnassos Literary Society, is itself an Athens landmark dating back to 1891. It was here, in April 1938, that 14-year-old Maria-Anna Kalogeropoulou, later known worldwide as Maria Callas, made her first public appearance.

For tickets and more information, visit the Athens International Music Festival’s official website.

MP