The Onassis Cultural Center NY recently presented CHROMA, a new performance project fusing jazz, classical, Greek folk, and world music. CHROMA -- defined as the purity or intensity of a color -- was performed by 13 musicians (strings and percussion) expressing a palette of emotions and ideas captured in the works created by renowned composer and performer Petros Klampanis. Scroll down for photos from the event!
"CHROMA is a collection of compositions that forms my personal palette of emotions, ideas, and impressions," states Klampanis. "I have transformed these experiences into musical colors in an effort to share them with you, and I invite you to listen to them and feel them. Perhaps they will remind you of colors in your own personal palette, or-and I hope-they will move you, and even become the reason you discover new colors that already exist inside you."
CHROMA was performed by: Petros Klampanis, bass, voice, compositions, arrangements; Gilad Hekselman, guitar, composition; Shai Maestro, piano; John Hadfield, drums and percussion; Keita Ogawa, percussion; Maria Manousaki,Gokce Erem, Megan Gould, and Maria Im, violin; Carrie Frey and Peter Kiral, viola; Colin Stokes and Maria Jeffers, cello. Accompanying the performance, Athens-based visual and jewelry artist Eleni Kyrmizaki, crafted an installation work created for CHROMA.
Petros Klampanis has performed alongside some of New York City's celebrated jazz musicians, including saxophonist Greg Osby, pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, and drummer Ari Hoenig. His extensive list of appearances in USA, includesCarnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He has performed at the internationally acclaimed North Sea Jazz Festival and the Palatia Jazz Festival in Germany.
His relationship with Greg Osby led to the release of his début album, Contextual, on the saxophonist's Inner Circle Music label. The album was praised by acclaimed bassist Arild Andersen as "one of the most exciting projects I have heard from a bass player in years." His arrangement of the Greek folk song "Thalassaki" was recently performed by the Greek Public Symphonic Orchestra in Athens, with whom Klampanis performed in 2013. He was recently voted as the "Best Artist of 2015" on jazzonline.gr.
Founded in 2000, the Onassis Cultural Center NY explores Hellenic culture, from antiquity to today, through a rich and diverse program of exhibitions, events and online engagement. Located in midtown Manhattan, in Olympic Tower, the newly renovated creative space offers experiences that inspire and support the interaction between audiences and artists and thinkers in all cultural fields from visual arts, dance, film, literature, music and theater to the humanities. Programs and exhibitions -- from scholarly to those designed for families and novices -- are presented free of charge to make the experience accessible to all. For more about the concert, visit onassisusa.org/chroma.
Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
Petros Klampanis' CHROMA at Onassis Cultural Center
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