Ex tenebris lux

The concert with the evocative title Ex tenebris lux (Light from Darkness), conceived by Irene Anastasiou and George Krimperis, combines the deep melancholy of Johannes Brahms' work with contemporary music, weaving a thoughtful dialogue between the past and the present. The sound of the string quintet, trombone and organ create an atmosphere of deep interiority, where music and speech complement each other.

At the centre of the concert are the texts of Ecclesiastes and the New Testament that Brahms chose for his Vier ernste Gesänge (Four Serious Songs, 1896), a work with strong theological and philosophical implications. In this unique approach, the solo trombone takes on the role of the voice, accompanied by a string quintet, while actress Aglaia Pappa delivers the texts in Greek, adding new depth to the musical experience.

The second section of the concert features the world premiere of a new work for trombone and organ, composed by Michalis Paraskakis, which again draws its inspiration from Ecclesiastes. As the composer notes: "Ecclesiastes maintains that everything repeats itself, is repeated, re-done and happens again. There is nothing that has not already emerged in the past and that will not emerge again in the future. In this gloomy lack of meaning, a trombone and an organ that have accepted and embraced the futility of any act of theirs, surrender to a convolution of indefinable, unintelligible and, above all, ineffectual repetitions." The deep and compelling sonic palette of the two instruments creates a space of contemplation where the old and the new intertwine, continuing the spiritual quest that begins with Brahms.

In the same spirit, the concert includes Arvo Pärt's Pari intervallo (1976), a composition whose simplicity and symmetry demand that the listener enter their inner world, as well as the recurring use of a musical motif from Federico Mompou's Música callada (Silent Music, 1959-67), one of the most profoundly introspective works of the 20th century, inspired by the mystical poetry of St. John of the Cross. Through this musical repetition, the concert seeks to convey and amplify the sense of circularity that characterises Ecclesiastes, emphasising the constant alternation and return of the same ideas as expressed in the text. A musical experience that bridges eras, senses and ideas, leading the audience on a journey of reflection and inner search.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

George Krimperis

George Krimperis is a graduate of the Philippos Nakas Conservatory and Codarts – Rotterdam University of Arts. He has distinguished himself in international competitions, winning first prize at the Corfu Summer Music Academy and first prize at the global Remington Competition (ITA). He has attended masterclasses with leading trombonists such as Joseph Alessi, Christian Lindberg, and Ian Bousfield. As a soloist, he has performed with major orchestras and at trombone festivals worldwide, including Slide Factory in the Netherlands, SliderAsia in Hong Kong, and ArmBone in Armenia. Since 2010, he has been the principal trombonist of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation National Symphony Orchestra (ERT) and the founder of the Greek Trombone Days. He is also a member of the Melos Brass Quintet and an artist for Antoine Courtois. He has recorded works featured at the Slider Asia Trombone Festival and has performed in prestigious concert halls such as the Berliner Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall. In addition to his solo career, he has published the book Trombone, Warm-Up – Technical Exercises and continues to combine his artistic journey with teaching and pedagogy.

Irene Anastasiou

Born and raised in Athens. She began piano lessons at the age of 10. Since 2006, she studied under Alexandra Papastefanou at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory, where she received her diploma in 2014 with honours and a second prize. Additionally, she has attended piano seminars with András Kemenes and André Marchand. In 2014, after obtaining her diploma, she began organ lessons with the cantor of the German Church of Athens, Christos Paraskevopoulos. Since 2018, she has been the organist at the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite in Athens, where she also serves as the artistic director of the church's events. She has performed numerous concerts in venues such as Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall, Greek National Opera, the Byzantine and Christian Museum, and the Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite. She has collaborated with various chamber music ensembles, music festivals, and orchestras such as the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation National Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Colours. She currently teaches piano at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory.

Aglaia Pappa

Aglaia Pappa holds a degree from the French Department of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a diploma from the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece. She received her early education in France (Externat Saint-Louis). She teaches at the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece in the Acting and Directing Departments. Additionally, she serves as a visiting professor at the "Luca Ronconi" School of the Piccolo Teatro in Milan and at the National Theatre Drama School of Emilia-Romagna "Iolanda Gazzero" in Italy. She has also conducted workshops in Greece and abroad. She has collaborated with renowned directors both in Greece and internationally, including Jacques Lassalle, Anatoly Vassiliev, Claudio Longhi, Michael Cacoyannis, Lefteris Vogiatzis, Dimitris Oikonomou, Theodoros Terzopoulos, Yannis Houvardas, Michail Marmarinos, Stathis Livathinos, Stavros Tsakiris, Elli Papakonstantinou, Angela Brouskou, and Violet Louise.

Michalis Paraskakis

Born in Athens. He studied graphic arts as well as music. Subsequently, he focused on composition and piano, initially in Athens and later in composition as well as classical and medieval-Renaissance singing at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. Since 2019, he has been a PhD candidate at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specializing in the field of contemporary music theatre. Works of his have been performed in New York, Vienna, Graz, Paris, Ghent, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Astana, Nicosia, Zurich, Athens, Thessaloniki, Chania, etc., by significant performers such as Enno Poppe, Bas Wiegers, Ilan Volkov and music ensembles such as Klangforum Wien and Reconcil (Austria), Asko|Schönberg, Nieuw Ensemble, Slagwerk Den Haag (Netherlands), Momenta Quartet (USA). In Greece, he has repeatedly collaborated with the Onassis Stegi, the Greek National Opera and the Athens Epidaurus Festival as well as with significant musicians such as Katerina Konstantourou, Yorgos Ziavras, Konstantinos Terzakis and the dissonArt ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation and the Rafi Music Theatre Company. He is a co-founder of the ΤΕΤΤΤΙΞ ensemble, which creates productions focusing on contemporary and new music.

michailparaskakis.com