GEORGE TSONTAKIS: THE AIR OF GREECE

Organizer: GREEK NATIONAL OPERA ALTERNATIVE STAGE IN COLLABORATION WITH THESSALONIKI CONCERT HALL

In accordance with the recent regulations, spectators are required to present:
i) Vaccination certificate issued by a certified authority or
ii) Certificate of recovery from the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection issued by a public authority or a certified laboratory or
iii) Self-test taken in the last 24 hours for children aged from 4 to 17
In addition they should show:
their ID or driver's license or passport or any other proof of identification

All spectators are required to wear face masks throughout their stay in the Thessaloniki Concert Hall

The production reconstructs the Greek adventure of the philhellene Lord Byron, who arrived in Missolonghi in January 1824 and died there three months later at the age of thirty-six, after an intense period of brave, albeit ambiguous, involvement with the Greek War of Independence.
The composer places the "scene" of his work on Byron's deathbed and attempts to render the subjectivity of the dying poet through a composition that combines music and texts from authentic historical evidence and excerpts from his poetic work.

World premiere / Commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage
An opera-drama in three scenes
Cycle “Odes to Byron”
Curator Alexandros Mouzas

ARTISTS

George Tsontakis Music

George Tsontakis, Elsa Andrianou Script

Elsa Andrianou Dramaturgical collaborator

Nefeli Maistrali Research

George Tsontakis Conductor

Dafni Aidoni Set & Costume designer

Christos Tziogkas Lighting designer

Nikos Laaris Music director

Lord Byron (Messolonghi) Robin Beer
Lord Byron (poet) Christos Kechris tenor

Christina Asimakopoulou soprano
Diamanti Kritsotaki, Margarita Syngeniotou mezzo-sopranos
Nikolas Maraziotis tenor
Vangelis Maniatis baritone

Tita Panos Gogos
Loukas Yannis Zafeiratos student of the GNO Professional Dance School

With the participation of a nine-member instrumental ensemble

In collaboration with The Missolonghi Byron Society

This production is realised with a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for the creation of a tribute to the 2021 bicentennial of the Greek Revolution of 1821 by the Greek National Opera.

Alternative Stage founding donor of the anniversary programme 2021: