3rd SACRED MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Opera
present:
3rd Sacred Music Festival
Lazarus Saturday, 12 April, Palm Sunday, 13 April,
Holy Monday, 14 April, Holy Tuesday, 15 April,
and Holy Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Over 40 concerts at churches, museums,
archaeological sites, and concert venues
Artistic director Giorgos Koumendakis
Free admission

The Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Opera present the third and most diverse edition of the Sacred Music Festival, which, this year, is scheduled to take place over five days. From Lazarus Saturday, the 12th of April, to Holy Wednesday, the 16th of April 2025, a series of concerts will be held at unique venues in Plaka and the centre of Athens. These include the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite, the First Greek Evangelical Church, the Fethiye Mosque, the Old Stock Exchange, the Acropolis Museum, the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments, the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas”, the pedestrian streets of Dionysiou Areopagitou and Apostolou Pavlou, and both halls of the GNO at the SNFCC. Under the artistic direction of Giorgos Koumendakis, this year’s Festival will feature over 40 concerts and artistic events while also welcoming, for the first time in its history, the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.

Following the tremendous success of the first two Sacred Music Festivals in Easter 2022 and 2024, which were attended by thousands of spectators, this year’s Festival, co-organised by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Opera, returns for five days, from Lazarus Saturday on the 12th of April to Holy Wednesday on the 16th of April, to offer us a unique and reverent experience throughout the streets and singular landmarks of Athens.

More than 500 celebrated and emerging artists, musicians, choristers, vocal performers, cantors, composers, conductors, and actors will participate in this spring celebration of sacred music, showcasing a unique panorama of pieces that delve into both the divine and human Passions.

Acknowledging that sacred music’s contribution to the development and evolution of Western civilisation has been of determining value, the 3rd Sacred Music Festival will present musical compositions created to fulfill religious purposes or evoke the divine. Its focus, however, will be on broader aesthetic and conceptual goals that explore the relationship between the human and the transcendental. Furthermore, the 3rd Sacred Music Festival will examine the relationship between religious worship and music, considering various aspects and traditions.

In this context, the 3rd Sacred Music Festival will offer us unique musical experiences, including the Greek premiere of Britten’s opera for children Noye’s Fludde, a concert featuring Vassilis Tsitsanis’ songs in dialogue with Byzantine music showcased through the voice of Dimitra Galani, the musicAeterna Byzantina choir conducted by Teodor Currentzis, Nikos Galenianos’ new piece performed by the female choral ensemble CHÓRES, the Bulgarian female choral ensemble Vanya Moneva, Cherubini’s Requiem performed by the Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of Alkis Baltas, Vamos Orchestra performing works by Mikis Theodorakis, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14 executed by the Bulgarian String Orchestra Drop Down Community under the musical direction of Markellos Chryssicos, and the Easter concert of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leo McFall.

This spring, the Festival will take us through unique temples of diverse religious beliefs, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, the Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite, the First Greek Evangelical Church, as well as various archaeological sites and museums like the Fethiye Mosque at the Roman Agora, the Acropolis Museum, the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, and the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology. The tour will also include the Athens Old Stock Exchange on Sofokleous Street, the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas”, as well as the Stavros Niarchos Hall and the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera at the SNFCC.

The established marching concerts featuring bands around the Acropolis will once again be a key highlight of this year’s Festival. The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Chalandri will begin its procession from the entrance of the Acropolis Museum on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, heading towards Apostolou Pavlou Street in Thiseio (on Palm Sunday, at 18.00). THe Hellenic Army Band of Athens will also start from the entrance of the Acropolis Museum and will conclude its tour at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens (on Holy Monday, at 20.30), while the Hellenic Navy Band will parade through Plaka, starting from the Tower of the Winds at the Roman Agora (on Holy Tuesday, at 20.00).

In the more than 40 concerts featured in the Festival’s programme, the audience will have the chance to be introduced to remarkable pieces of sacred music, as well as works inspired by worship and religious sentiment, through artists such as Konstantinos Angelidis, Panagiotis Dimitrakopoulos, George Krimperis, Irene Anastasiou, Aglaia Pappa, Sokratis Sinopoulos, Taxiarchis Georgoulis, Stratis Psaradellis, Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou, Chrysanthi Gika, Andreas Katsigiannis, Dimitra Galani, Manolis Pappos, Georgios Konstantinou, Dimitris Kountouras, Konstantina Pitsiakou, Spyros Tzekos, Iro Seira, Alexis Bove, Sofia Tamvakopoulou, Lenia Safiropoulou, Beata Pincetić & Christos Sakellaridis, Kostas Ioannidis, Alkis Baltas, Stavros Beris, Alexandra Papastefanou, Sophia Kyanidou, Anthony Kordopatis, Dimitris Yakas, Yorgos Psaltis, Sofia Efkleidou, Yannis Poulios, Giorgos Konstantinou, Kyriaki Kountouri, Themelis Glynatsis, Yanni Yannissis, Anna Agathonos, Thanasis Papathanassiou, Tassos Apostolou, Nikos Katritzidakis, Nikos Papageorgiou, Dimos Papatzalakis, John Papatzanis, Marios Panteliadis, Xenofon Mentes, Antonios Koutroupis, Ribale Wehbe, Grigorios Zarkos, Amalia Moutousi, Tasos Poulios, Kyriakos Tapakis, Yorgos Kontoyannis, Nikos Paraoulakis, Michalis & Pantelis Kalogerakis, Eirini Patsea, Ioanna Vrakatseli, Danae Bletsa, Artemis Bogri, Katerina Konstantourou, Theodora Baka, Timos Sirlantzis, Markellos Chryssicos, Pavlos Kordis, Aphrodite Patoulidou, Iason Marmaras, Zacharias Karounis, Vanya Moneva, and Leo McFall, among others. The programme will also feature musical ensembles, including the Byzantine Choir “Tropos”, the Greek Byzantine Choir, the Estoudiantina Orchestra of Nea Ionia, Ex Silentio, the Children’s Chorus of the Greek National Opera, the Ionian University Historical Flutes Ensemble, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Chalandri, the Chamber Music Ensemble of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Chalandri, the Athens Municipalty Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Underground Kids Orchestra & Underground Youth Orchestra, the Youth Orchestra El Sistema Greece, Vamos Orchestra, Sibil•la Ensemble, the Hellenic Army Band of Athens, the Hellenic Navy Band, musicAeterna Byzantina, Drop Down Community, CHÓRES, Les Vibrations sympathiques, The Clerkes Extraordinarie, Cappella Sancti Pauli, Vanya Moneva Choir, and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.

The 3rd Sacred Music Festival will highlight concepts and emotions such as repentance, reverence, redemption, atonement, forgiveness, and resurrection through compositions by Brahms, Pärt, Mompou, Paraskakis, Tsitsanis, Messiaen, Satie, Cherubini, Bach, The Beatles, Evans, Uehara, Lacombe, Fauré, Massenet, Stavrakas, Feldman, Britten, Theodorakis, Liszt, Mastrantonis, Kyriakides, Nasopoulou, Panagiotou, Theodosopoulos, Pringos, Iakovos Protopsaltis, Poulios, Jacob, Vavilov, Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, Leftheris, Kalogerakis, Galenianos, Shostakovich, Tavener, Praetorius, Perpessas, Mitropoulos, and Strauss, among others.

Practical information:

• Admission to all venues will be free and on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations necessary.
• Reservations will only be required for the concerts taking place at the GNO Alternative Stage and the Stavros Niarchos Hall in the SNFCC. Advance booking can be made through ticketservices.gr and will start on 8 April 2025 at 9.00.
• The Festival’s detailed programme is available online at nationalopera.gr and digitalculture.gov.gr. The printed version, which will be distributed to audience members, will include a summary of the events and QR codes that direct users to the detailed programme on the GNO website.

3rd SACRED MUSIC FESTIVAL – DETAILED PROGRAMME FOR EACH DAY

Lazarus Saturday, 12 April
20.00 From Passion to Resurrection
Konstantinos Angelidis, Panos Dimitrakopoulos, Byzantine Choir “Tropos”
Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

Palm Sunday, 13 April
12.30 Ex tenebris lux
George Krimperis, Irene Anastasiou, Aglaia Papa
Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite

16.00 Dome
Sokratis Sinopoulos, Taxiarchis Georgoulis, Stratis Psaradellis, Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou, Chrysanthi Gika
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

17.00 Vassilis Tsitsanis – The Saint of Love
Dimitra Galani, Manolis Pappos, Andreas Katsigiannis, Georgios Konstantinou
Estoudiantina of Nea Ionia, Greek Byzantine Choir
Acropolis Museum (courtyard)

17.00 Dome
Sokratis Sinopoulos, Taxiarchis Georgoulis, Stratis Psaradellis, Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou, Chrysanthi Gika
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

17.00 Maria Matrem
Ex Silentio, Dimitris Kountouras
GNO Children’s Chorus, Konstantina Pitsiakou
First Greek Evangelical Church

17.30 Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time
Spyros Tzekos, Iro Seira, Alexis Bove, Sofia Tamvakopoulou, Lenia Safiropoulou
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation

17.30 Satie, Works for Piano
P 4 2 (Beata Pincetić, Christos Sakellaridis)
Athens Old Stock Exchange

18.00 Dome
Sokratis Sinopoulos, Taxiarchis Georgoulis, Stratis Psaradellis, Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou, Chrysanthi Gika
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

18.00 Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Chalandri
Kostas Ioannidis
Procession route: Dionysiou Areopagitou Pedestrian Street (Acropolis Museum) → Apostolou Pavlou Street (Thiseio)

20.00 Cherubini, Requiem
Athens Municipalty Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Alkis Baltas
Olympia Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas”

20.30 Bach in the Sky with Diamonds
Alexandra Papastefanou
Athens Old Stock Exchange

21.00 Eve
Sophia Kyanidou, Anthony Kordopatis, Dimitris Yakas
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation

21.00 Ex tenebris lux
George Krimperis, Irene Anastasiou, Aglaia Papa
Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite

Holy Monday, 14 April
17.00 The Bows of the East
Yorgos Psaltis, Sofia Efkleidou, Yannis Poulios
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

17.00 For the Time of Figs Was Not Yet
Giorgos Konstantinou
Athens Old Stock Exchange

17.30 Britten, Noye’s Fludde
Themelis Glynatsis, Kyriaki Kountouri, Konstantina Pitsiakou
GNO Children’s Chorus, Underground Kids Orchestra, members of the Underground Youth Orchestra, members of the El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra, and independent musicians
Olympia Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas”

17.30 Oh, My Sweet Spring
Tassos Apostolou, Vamos Orchestra, Thanasis Papathanassiou
Acropolis Museum (courtyard)

18.00 The Bows of the East
Yorgos Psaltis, Sofia Efkleidou, Yannis Poulios
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

18.30 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
John Papatzanis, Nikos Katritzidakis, Nikos Papageorgiou, Dimos Papatzalakis
Μuseum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology

19.00 The Bows of the East
Yorgos Psaltis, Sofia Efkleidou, Yannis Poulios
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

19.30 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
John Papatzanis, Nikos Katritzidakis, Nikos Papageorgiou, Dimos Papatzalakis
Μuseum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology

19.30 Oh, My Sweet Spring
Tassos Apostolou, Vamos Orchestra, Thanasis Papathanassiou
Acropolis Museum (courtyard)

20.30 Faith Through Music: A Journey of the Soul
Marios Panteliadis
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation

20.30 Nature, Worship, and the Divine
Sibil•la Ensemble
First Greek Evangelical Church

20.30 Hellenic Army Band of Athens
Head – Conductor: Major (MS) Xenofon Mentes
Procession route: Acropolis Museum → Plaka → Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

22.00 The Harlot Came to Thee
Teodor Currentzis (artistic director), Antonios Koutroupis, Ribale Wehbe, Amalia Moutousi
musicAeterna Byzantina
Athens Old Stock Exchange

Holy Tuesday, 15 April
17.00 Vitraux
Tasos Poulios, Kyriakos Tapakis, Yorgos Kontoyannis, Nikos Paraoulakis
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

17.00 Conversations
Melia Kreiling, Chamber Music Ensemble of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Chalandri
First Greek Evangelical Church

17.30 Britten, Noye’s Fludde
Themelis Glynatsis, Kyriaki Kountouri, Konstantina Pitsiakou
GNO Children’s Chorus, Underground Kids Orchestra, members of the Underground Youth Orchestra, members of the El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra, and independent musicians
Olympia Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas”

17.30 At St Luke’s Monastery
Michalis & Pantelis Kalogerakis
Μuseum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology

18.00 Vitraux
Tasos Poulios, Kyriakos Tapakis, Yorgos Kontoyannis, Nikos Paraoulakis
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

18.30 At St Luke’s Monastery
Michalis & Pantelis Kalogerakis
Μuseum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology

18.30 Paradise Lost – Morfé Δemoníon
Nikos Galenianos
Ioanna Vrakatseli, Danae Bletsa, Artemis Bogri, CHÓRES
Athens Old Stock Exchange

19.00 Vitraux
Tasos Poulios, Kyriakos Tapakis, Yorgos Kontoyannis, Nikos Paraoulakis
Fethiye Mosque (Roman Agora)

19.30 At St Luke’s Monastery
Michalis & Pantelis Kalogerakis
Μuseum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Fivos Anoyanakis” – Centre for Ethnomusicology

19.30 Prayer in Opera (lecture)
Helena Matheopoulos
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation

20.00 Shostakovich, Symphony No. 14
Theodora Baka, Timos Sirlantzis
Drop Down Community, Markellos Chryssicos
Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera (SNFCC)

20.00 Hellenic Navy Band
Head – Conductor: Commander of the Hellenic Navy Efstratios Sitsas
Procession route: Tower of the Winds → Roman Agora → Plaka

20.30 The Grandeur of the Minimal – Tavener and Pärt Choral Works
Les Vibrations sympathiques, Pavlos Kordis
First Greek Evangelical Church

21.00 Polyhymnia panegyrica – The Polychoral Style and the Art of Melodic Embellishment in 17th-Century Germany
The Clerkes Extraordinarie, Cappella Sancti Pauli, Iason Marmaras
Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite

22.30 I Don’t Have Much To Tell You…
Zacharias Karounis
Athens Old Stock Exchange

Holy Wednesday, 16 April 2025
17.30 Vanya Moneva Choir (Bulgaria)
Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera (SNFCC)

19.00 Vanya Moneva Choir (Bulgaria)
Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera (SNFCC)

20.00 Christus Symphony – TSSO Easter Concert
Aphrodite Patoulidou, Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Leo McFall
Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera (SNFCC)