ZOE LYMPERIS
Climate Change ensemble presents Vanishing Point at Athens Concert Hall, blending jazz and contemporary classical music in a bold, philosophical soundscape
The Climate Change ensemble presents Vanishing Point for the first time at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Mousikis Athinon), as part of the Bridges series. The album is the result of an original collaboration between seven distinguished musicians from different musical worlds. In this special concert, taking place on Thursday 29 January at 20:30 in the Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall, the ensemble will perform the full programme of the recently released record, along with previously unreleased material.
In Vanishing Point, the worlds of jazz and contemporary classical music are drawn irresistibly toward one another, not to clash, but to give birth to an explosive new sound universe: deeply reflective yet spontaneous, precise yet boldly improvisational, immediately emotional yet profoundly philosophical.
The work draws inspiration from the social, geopolitical and existential questions of our time, using as raw material: the reflection of Frédéric Chopin’s devastated Poland, the harsh dead ends of modern warfare, the sarcastic commentary on the hedonistic carefreeness of the 20th-century dolce vita, along with the existential anxiety suggested by the very title, Vanishing Point.
The principal creator of the work is internationally acclaimed composer Christos Hatzis, in close creative collaboration with composers Christos Rafailidis and Antonis Sousamoglou. Hatzis lives and works in Canada and is considered one of today’s most important contemporary composers. He has received major distinctions, including two Juno Awards for Best Classical Composition of the Year, as well as the Jean A. Chalmers National Music Award and the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music. His works are performed worldwide by leading musicians and institutions, and he is widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices in today’s contemporary music scene.
Joining vibraphonist Christos Rafailidis and double bassist Petros Klampanis who together form the jazz duo Point Two, with a strong presence on the contemporary New York jazz scene and an active international career alongside the acclaimed violinist and composer Antonis Sousamoglou, are David Bogorad (violin), Thanasis Sourkounis (viola) and Vassilis Saitis (cello), three principal musicians of the State Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki, completing this exceptional ensemble.
A singular meeting of artistic paths, the Climate Change ensemble marks a collaboration that promises to continue, an encounter awaited with great interest.
Parallel events
Wednesday 28 January | 18:00
Open rehearsal with the concert performers
Thursday 29 January | 18:30
Lecture by Christos Hatzis: Music as a Language of the Mind: A Dialogue between Classical and Jazz Thought
(Music Library – Friends of Music Society)
Performers / Credits
Composition: Christos Hatzis
Vibraphone, composition: Christos Rafailidis
Double bass, vocals, composition: Petros Klampanis
Violin, composition: Antonis Sousamoglou
Violin: David Bogorad
Viola: Thanasis Sourkounis
Cello: Vassilis Saitis
