elc team
This August, the breathtaking landscape of the Prespes Lakes – where the borders of Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia converge – will become the setting for a bold new artistic venture. From August 28 to 31, 2025, the region will host the inaugural edition of the TRIETHNÉS International Music Festival, an ambitious new platform for musical innovation and cross-cultural dialogue under the artistic direction of internationally acclaimed conductor Yorgos Ziavras.
More than a festival, TRIETHNÉS is a vision: to position Prespes not only as a place of rare natural beauty and historical significance, but as a dynamic new cultural epicenter in the Balkans. The festival brings together contemporary musical creation with the rich, living traditions of the region, fostering a conversation between past and present, locality and modernity, tradition and experimentation.
Rooted in the symbolic geography of the tri-national border zone, TRIETHNÉS aspires to become a lasting cultural reference point – a space where music transcends boundaries, ignites collaborations, and reflects the complex, shared heritage of the Balkans.
“TRIETHNÉS addresses a cultural need in the region,” says Ziavras. “Our aim is to establish firm artistic roots in Prespes, to elevate the voices of today’s composers from Greece and Europe, and to connect them with the deep, communal musical traditions of the Balkans – a tradition that is diverse, polyphonic, and ever-evolving.”
The festival’s inaugural program will showcase newly commissioned works by contemporary Greek and European composers, many of them inspired by themes of memory, transformation, and the creative reimagining of historical material. These pieces will be woven into a wider soundscape that blends traditional Balkan melodies with experimental and classical idioms from the Western musical canon.
Beyond its core concert program, TRIETHNÉS is launching TRIETHNÉS+, a new initiative that places education and community engagement at the heart of its mission. This parallel strand will offer workshops, outreach projects, and opportunities for active participation by local residents and students – strengthening musical education and laying the groundwork for future generations of artists.
A central pillar of TRIETHNÉS+ is the PRESPENSIS Academy of Contemporary Music Creation, developed in partnership with the University of Macedonia, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the Music Schools of Kastoria and Ptolemaida. Five emerging composers have been commissioned to write new works for the festival, which will be premiered in a major open-air performance featuring student soloists and school ensembles from across the region.
Through PRESPENSIS and TRIETHNÉS+, the festival underscores its commitment to creative outreach, the nurturing of young talent, and the long-term cultural revitalization of the Prespes area.
The full lineup of artists, venues, and performances will be announced on July 20, 2025.
Info
TRIETHNÉS International Music Festival
Duration 28-31/08
