About
The City of Athens Symphony Orchestra, headed by maestro Eleftherios Kalkanis, was founded in 1996 and has since played a major role in Greece's cultural scene. Throughout the years, the Symphony Orchestra has managed to remain in the forefront of musical activities both in Greece and abroad.
In 2003, the Symphony Orchestra and the City of Athens Music Ensembles formed an independent organisation.
Its rich repertoire includes the most important works of the world's great classical music composers, ranging from baroque music masterpieces to pioneering compositions of contemporary artists. The City of Athens Symphony Orchestra has interpreted significant works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Debussy, Mahler and Stravinsky. It has also interpreted major international operas in collaboration with distinguished soloists. These include Nabucco, Aida, Verdi's Forza del Destino, The Flying Dutchman, Tanhauser, Siegfried and Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.
The orchestra's primary goal is the development and promotion of Greek music. In this context, the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra has interpreted a multitude of works by leading Greek composers such as Nikos Skalkottas, Yiannis Konstantinidis, Menelaos Pallandios, Manolis Kalomiris, Antiochos Evangelatos, Mikis Theodorakis and Theodoros Antoniou. Additionally, it has performed numerous compositions by Manos Hadjidakis, Stavros Xarchakos, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Yiannis Markopoulos, Mimis Plessas, Christos Leondis and Ilias Andriopoulos at venues throughout the country.
In response to the contemporary demands of music lovers, the orchestra has inaugurated a series of regular public appearances, both in Greece and abroad, with great success. Concerts are held at the Athens Municipal Theatre in Agios Sostis, the Athens Concert Hall, the Greek National Opera, the Katia Dandoulaki theatre and Ilissia Theatre during the winter season, while the Attiko Woods, Roman Agora and the National Gardens host the orchestra in summer months.
The City of Athens Symphony Orchestra has performed in key venues abroad, promoting Greece's rich cultural heritage and the infinite talent of its musicians. Its international appearances include concerts in New York, Washington, Chicago, Brussels, Cairo and Istanbul and Bodrum, while the orchestra has been invited to appear in Berlin and at Ephesus (the largest ancient theatre).