The Greek National Opera Learning & Participation Department continues for a second year its pilot programme of artistic and pedagogical activities with a new workshop titled The Talisman.

The Talisman comes as a continuation of last year’s successful programme How Did A Raven End Up In The Belly Of The Whale?, which was conducted and curated by Dimitra Trypani and came complete with the filming of the musical tale’s presentation in the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the GNO at the SNFCC (May 2021), featuring 130 students, teachers, musicians and soloists. The musical tale How Did A Raven End Up In The Belly Of The Whale? is available to watch for free at nationalopera.gr/GNOTV with Greek and English subtitles until 31/12.

The programme is targeted at schools of primary education in the Region of Attica and aspires to bring primary school educators and students in contact with the fascinating world of music theatre through the use of modern and innovative tools. Its goal is to help participants acquire basic technical skills and introduce them into the creative process of preparing a music theatre performance. Upon the completion of the workshops, the final result will be presented before a wide audience in the Stavros Niarchos Hall in June 2022.  

A few words about the interactive musical fairy tale

THE TALISMAAAAAAAAAAAAN is a “new-old” musical fairy tale set on the island of Paxi and based on characters, scenes and symbols taken out of known traditional Greek fairy tales. It tells the story of a fisherman who becomes rich thanks to a magic little fish that gets caught on his hook. Yet the fisherman’s Fate, envious of the riches he so suddenly acquired, turns his only daughter into a Lamia (female vampire), casting an evil spell on her. The spell is hidden in a talisman Fate puts around her neck the minute she is born. The only one who manages to get off the Lamia’s hook – and the only one who can ultimately help his sister, parents and siblings, breaking the spell – is the fisherman’s third and youngest son, who returns to his village for the final confrontation with the Lamia, having old and new friends on his side as allies. – Dimitra Trypani

Coordination manager: Dimitra Trypani

Vocal and body percussion training, percussion Antonis Vasileiadis

Stage performance seminars Nikos Ziaziaris

Vocal and chorus training Sophia Ketentzian

Ensemble director, music coaching Aliki Siousti

Starts: 9 October 2021

Implementation schedule: Saturdays, 10.00 – 12.00

The programme is sponsored by

A music-motor education workshop for infants and preschoolers with the accompaniment of live instrumental music from four different eras

A project that awakens the motor and auditory development of infants and preschoolers through four periods of music - baroque, classicism, romanticism and 20th-century music - with an approach that includes parent participation. Through music and movement games children discover different timbres and styles and get acquainted with the sound of classical music and the main families of musical instruments.

Age groups: Group A: 1 to 2,5 years and Group B: 2,5 to 4 years

The presence of at least one parent is necessary for both age groups.

Planning/Implementation: Daphne Tsiouni (music educator / sound artist), Anna Serkedaki (flutist, music educator)

Musicians: 17/10 Baroque: George Goumenakis - mandolino, Stavros Parginos – cello • 24/10 Classical:  Vanesa Athanasiou – violin, Periclis Timpalexis – violin, Elissavet Skoura - viola, Elli Filippou - cello • 31/10 Romantic: Stella Nikolaidi – oboe, Chrysa Grenda – piano • 7/11 20th-Century: Stavros Kollias - piano

Implementation schedule (dates): 17 October-Baroque / 24 October – Classical / 31 October – Romantic / 7 November – 20th-Century

Implementation schedule (hours): Group A: 10.00-10.45 & Group B: 11.15-12.00

Activities for children inspired by the new production The Magic Pillows.

The famous, much-translated and award-winning story by Eugene Trivizas is adapted by the author himself for the first time into an opera for the whole family set to premiere in the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the GNO at the SNFCC in November 2021.  On the occasion of this new fascinating GNO production, ten children aged 8 to 11 will have the unique chance to experience a sleepover in the Greek National Opera at the SNFCC. Music and movement workshops, dressing-up as characters inspired by the performance, a thematic dinner and breakfast accompanied by a small musical ensemble, and storytelling are just some of the activities, in which the children who will spend the night at the Opera will participate.

Planning/Implementation: Eugene Trivizas & TBA

Ages: 8 to 11 years old

Implementation schedule: 4, 5 December 2021

A stop motion animation workshop with props for children aged 8 to 12

 Inspired by Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless opera Rigoletto, the GNO Learning & Participation Department creates a multidimensional learning and creating workshop. Its goal is to make children discover the opera, and drawing upon its musical themes to portray the story through the stop motion animation technique. At the same time they will learn simple techniques that they’ll also be able to use at home.

Children will bring props from the GNO prop storage room to life and will tell their own version of the story reintroducing thus Rigoletto to the audience.

Planning/Implementation: Christina Spanou

Ages: 8 to 12 years ols

Implementation schedule (dates):14, 15, 21, 22 May 2022

Implementation schedule (hours): 10.00-13.00

Registration from 20/4:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* Participants will have to attend the whole workshop cycle.