The Works for Piano

Major Sponsor of the Greek National Opera

The GNO Alternative Stage presents a great tribute to the multifaceted work of the great composer Yannis Constantinidis—Kostas Giannidis (1903-1984) on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his death. Four concert programmes make up the tribute to the work of the great composer Yannis Constantinidis - Kostas Giannidis, who lived between two musical worlds and between two identities. These programmes will be presented on the Greek National Opera Alternative Stage at the SNFCC on 10, 15, 16, 22, and 23 November 2024. The curator and one in charge of presenting the tribute's concerts is the professor of Ethnomusicology Lambros Liavas, who took over the responsibility of preserving the composer's archive, currently housed at the Department of Music Studies of the School of Philosophy of the NKUA, from the composer himself.

Yannis Constantinidis (Izmir 1903 – Athens 1984) was a unique composer known for his dual yet not split approach to music, as he served equally consistently in both art-sophisticated classical music and popular “light” singing (under the alias Kostas Yannidis), establishing himself as a renowned creator in both genres. And it is definitely not a coincidence that much of his "flexibility," his ability to navigate different music genres and styles, stems from the musical heritage of the multicultural bourgeois environment in Izmir.

The Tribute to Yannis Constantinidis – Kostas Giannidis presents some of the most representative aspects of his significant work, featuring select performers, through four concerts: The Works for Voice and Piano, featuring Tassis Christoyannis and Thanasis Apostolopoulos (10/11), Shοuld You Wish Send Me Some Flowers… featuring songs by Kostas Giannidis transcribed for a  period orchestra and performed by Eleni Voudouraki, Angelos Papadimitriou, and Fenia Papadodima (15,22/11), The Works for A Capella Four-voice Mixed Choir performed by the Mixed Choir of the Department of Music Studies of the School of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and POLIS Ensemble (16/11), and The Works for Piano performed by Theodore Tzovanakisa and Eftychia Veniota with Nelly Semitecolo participating as a special guest (23/11).

• The Works for Piano 
  23 November 2024 / Starts at: 20.30

  Theodore Tzovanakis, Eftychia Veniota piano
  Special guest: Nelly Semitecolo

The tribute to Yannis Constantinidis—Kostas Yannidis will be completed with a special programme featuring the composer’s major works for piano performed by Eftychia Veniota and Theodore Tzovanakis. The concert will also feature the acclaimed pianist Nelly Semitecolo as a special guest.

Eftychia Veniota will perform the second book of the piece 22 Songs and Dances from the Dodecanese (1943-46), the first and second books from 44 Children’s Pieces on Greek Folk Melodies (1949-51), and the Six Etudes on Greek Folk Rhythms (1956-58).

Theodore Tzovanakis will perform the first book from the piece 22 Songs and Dances from the Dodecanese (1943-46), the third book from 44 Children’s Pieces on Greek Folk Melodies (1949-51), and Sonatina No.1, which is based on Cretan folk melodies (1952).

Finally, Nelly Semitecolo and Eftychia Veniota will perform the piece Eight Greek Island Dances for Two Pianos (1954/1971).

* At the beginning of each concert, Lambros Liavas will give a brief lecture on the composer and his works, with visual material projected from the Archive of Yannis Constantinidis / Department of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.