CHÓRES Comes to the Greek National Opera This Month

The CHÓRES female vocal ensemble, under the artistic direction of Marina Satti, present a unique concert at the Stavros Niarchos Hall of the Greek National Opera, on Tuesday 13 June 2023 at 20.30. Featuring their full line-up, CHÓRES propose a dynamic programme of polyphonic music where classic choral adaptations of traditional melodies from every corner of the Greek-speaking world are intertwined with newer transcriptions of folk songs, arranged especially for the ensemble by distinguished contemporary composers.

With the onstage participation of more than 100 women, CHÓRES approach this diverse repertoire with the fresh and unconventional spirit that characterises this up-and-coming, unique ensemble, illuminating traditional musical material in modern and unexpected ways, and highlighting the uncommon vocal and physical skills of their members.

The concert programme includes works by Michael Adamis, Alkis Baltas, Lajos Bárdos, Giannis Giannakos, Yannis Ioannidis, Alexandros Kapsokavadis, Petros Klampanis, Zoltán Kodály, Martha Mavroidi, Christos Samaras, Nikos Skalkottas, Angelos Triantafyllou and Philippos Tsalahouris. The ensemble is led by choirmistresses Eirini Patsea, Christina Poupalou and Simela Emmanouilidou, and choreographed by Stavros-Alexandros Ikbal and Katerina Foti.

The CHÓRES female vocal ensemble is an artistic incubator formed in 2018 and addressed to women of all ages who share a love for traditional music and polyphonic song. It aims to both systematically cultivate its members’ skills in music, singing, dancing and acting and shape them as artists with a broad education and social awareness.

After five years of successful performances in Greece and abroad, as well as continuous study, the ensemble currently numbers more than 150 women from 15 to 60 years old, who practice regularly across the entire spectrum of performing arts.

With music as their central focus, CHÓRES strive to use all of their expressive means with a view to both highlighting the diversity of traditional music and harnessing it through the creation of contemporary artworks that combine the musical heritage of the past with the aesthetics of today.

Their diverse repertoire includes Greek traditional songs as well as songs from the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. The choir has sung compositions by Baltas, Konstantinidis, Samaras, Tsalahouris and other contemporary Greek and international composers. CHÓRES regularly collaborate with the Greek National Opera; members of the group have taken part in productions such as Domna’s Song by Martha Mavroidi and Maro Vasiliadou (2021), Epitaph by Mikis Theodorakis and Yannis Ritsos (2020), Exodus: Spring (2020), Medea by Nikos Kypourgos (2019), Sataneries by Theophrastos Sakellaridis (2019) as well as many more concerts and performances. In 2020, CHÓRES made their first concert tour in selected archaeological sites throughout Greece as part of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports’ programme “All of Greece, One Culture”, while in 2021, as part of the same programme, they presented the musical performance SIX alongside the Yasemi Quartet, featuring compositions and arrangements by Martha Mavroidi.

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