Musical Christmas Narratives for narrator and orchestra

“I the elf” and “Dream with a red cap”
Two new musical Christmas narratives for narrator and orchestra

Christmas is coming early to Onassis Stegi this year.

Set on creating repertoire, HELLENIC PLAN commissions new works for children and the whole family every season. Which is how Dimitris Papadimitriou's “Aesop's Fables” came into being along with the “8 Tales for Narrator and Orchestra” composed by Achilleas Wastor, Kostis Kritsotakis, Nefeli Liouta, Dimitra Trypani and Tasos Rosopoulos.

This year, two musically-trained authors, Marivita Grammatikaki and Katerina Schina, and two outstanding composers active on the contemporary music scene, Kostis Kritsotakis and Tasos Rosopoulos, responded to our call. Which is how an elf and a little boy came to be telling their stories with flutes, clarinets, tubas, trumpets, triangles and timpani, bathing us in the magic and the spirit of Christmas as they do, on 8 and 9 December at the Main Stage of Onassis Stegi with the Musical Christmas narratives for narrator and orchestra. (“I the elf” and “Dream with a red cap”).

The two new musical narratives are scored for an unusual combination of brass, percussion and piano and are performed by the Ventus Ensemble, a group of young and dynamic musicians conducted by the distinguished Michalis Economou.

Two young and talented actors, Giorgos Katsis and Konstantinos Bibis, narrate the tales as an integral part of the musical works, which are further enhanced by the set designs of Paris Mexis and lighting by Giorgos Tellos.

Credits

HELLENIC PLAN
“Repertoire Creation” Cycle
Cycle Curation By: Dimitris Papadimitriou, Rallou Vogiatzi, Kostas Fasoulas, Tasos Rosopoulos

Composers: Kostis Kritsotakis, Tasos Rosopoulos
Authors: Marivita Grammatikaki, Katerina Schina

Musical direction: Michalis Economou
Orchestra: Ventus Ensemble

Narrators: Konstantinos Bibis, Giorgos Katsis

Set design: Paris Mexis
Assistant set designer: Despina Faridou

Lighting Design: Lighting art / Giorgos Tellos

Ventus Ensemble: Dimitris Dakovanos, Kostas Giovanis, Dimitris Gkogkas, Othonas Gkogkas, Dimitrios Marinos, Nikos Metallinos, Menelaos Moraitis, Marinos Tranoudakis, Spyros Tzekos, Manos Ventouras, Spyros Vergis