elc team
Concerts, DJ sets and a Silent Disco party get us in the Christmas holiday spirit
This holiday season, the Christmas World of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) is flooded with music, inviting the public to a rich program of diverse sounds for all tastes.
Two concerts in the Cosmos section will fill the Stavros Niarchos Hall with festive melodies. On December 16, the intercultural symphonic orchestra and choir of El Sistema Greece will give a cinematic dimension to this year’s Christmas, presenting popular songs from beloved musicals and timeless movie hits. On December 23, the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT will present a festive program comprising three classical works: The Great Zoological Fantasy “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns, Christos Papageorgiou’s “Triptych for Two Pianos” and the Suite from the opera “Christmas Eve” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The SNFCC Youth Council also participates in the festivities, organizing a series of various activities. Emerging bands will perform at the Stavros Niarchos Park, setting the pace with a series of small and intimate concerts beneath the Dome’s light installation.
However, the music and dancing do not stop there – a set of headsets, two DJs with simultaneous presence, and an impressive lighting installation at the Dome, situated within the Stavros Niarchos Park, are all that is essential for a successful Silent Disco Party.
The festive season will conclude on January 6 with a delightful concert by the Storyville Ragtimers at the Agora of the SNFCC, dedicated to jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
Furthermore, the Christmas Pop-Up Bar at the SNFCC Lighthouse will be awaiting guests throughout the holiday season (December 22nd to January 7th), offering DJ sets by famous producers, along with Christmas cocktails and a spectacular view of the illuminated Stavros Niarchos Park and the city.
The SNFCC Christmas World comes to life thanks to a grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
The detailed program is as follows:
Cosmos: El Sistema Greece «Once Upon a December»
Monday, 16 December, 2024, 20:00 | Stavros Niarchos Hall GNO
On Monday, December 16, at 20:00, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) is welcoming the intercultural symphonic orchestra and choir of El Sistema Greece at Stavros Niarchos Hall. Joining them, the soloists Myrsini Margariti and Nikos Karagiaouris will give a cinematic dimension to this year’s Christmas.
More than 100 children and young adults, aged 8 to 26, from 30 different countries, join forces and take to the stage for this great festive concert. The young artists will present popular tracks from beloved musicals, classic film hits, and works from every corner of the world, that will bring Christmas right to the heart of Athens.
The orchestra will be conducted by Kyriaki Kountouri and the chorus by Vagia Papagiannopoulou.
The SNFCC has been supporting El Sistema Greece since its beginnings, and has repeatedly hosted its students, allowing them to participate in high-level concerts and acquire valuable musical experiences.
Credits:
Orchestra: El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra, Choir: El Sistema Greece Youth Choir, Soloists: Myrsini Margariti – Nikos Karagiaouris, Conductor: Kyriaki Kountouri, Chorus Master: Vagia Papagiannopoulou
Artistic Director of El Sistema Greece: Zoe Zeniodi
Ticket Prices: Zone Α – General entrance €15 | Zone Β – General entrance €10, Concession €5
Ticket pre-sale: online at the Ticket Services website | by phone: 210 7234567 | at the Ticket Services box office (39 Panepistimiou Street, Athens)
Ticket pre-sale for the public: Thursday 14 November
Cosmos: Christmas concert with the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT
Monday, 23 December, 2024, 19:30 | Stavros Niarchos Hall GNO
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), in collaboration with the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra (National Symphony Orchestra of ERT), is presenting, on Monday, December 23, at the Stavros Niarchos Hall, a festive Christmas concert featuring three classic works: the Great Zoological Fantasy “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns; the “Triptych for Two Pianos” by Christos Papageorgiou; and the Orchestral Suite of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “Christmas Eve.”
The Great Zoological Fantasy, the most famous musical composition for children, was composed in 1886 for two pianos and a relatively small orchestra, and is the most well-known work by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. “The Carnival of the Animals” is an orchestral suite composed of 14 images, each describing a different animal in a dance of disguises: the lion, the elephant, the tortoise, the chicken, the fish, the cuckoo, etc. With humor, imagination and ingenuity, the composer gives a voice to all the animals of the carnival through the instruments of the orchestra. The result is an imaginative work that has been loved by generations of listeners of all ages.
The opera “Christmas Eve” was written in 1894–95, based on a short story of the same title written by Nikolai Gogol, and was first presented in St. Petersburg on December 10, 1895. According to the plot, the blacksmith Vakula, in his attempt to win the heart of beautiful Oxana, subjugates the devil who helps him fulfill the desire of his beloved. From the melodies of the opera, the composer created a magnificent orchestral suite in 1904.
Musical Director: Byron Fidetzis, “The Carnival of the Animals”, Narrator: Argyris Xafis
“Triptych for Two Pianos”, Soloists: Tassos Pappas & Charalampos Aggelopoulos
Ticket Prices: Zone Α – General entrance €15 | Zone Β – General entrance €10, Concession €5
Ticket pre-sale: online at the Ticket Services website, by phone: 210 7234567, at the Ticket Services box office (39 Panepistimiou Street, Athens)
Ticket pre-sale for the public: Thursday, 14 November
A tribute to Louis Armstrong: Black & Blue
Monday, 6 January, 2025, 20:00 | Agora
Free admission
On January 6, the curtain falls on this year’s SNFCC Christmas World with a vibrant event marking a hopeful attitude in view of the new year ahead. At the Agora, in the heart of the SNFCC, The Storyville Ragtimers pay tribute to one of jazz music’s most influential artists.
A magical live tribute to Louis Armstrong, the great trumpeter and vocalist, who left an indelible mark on jazz and music in general, with his unique performance and talent. From his well-known rendering of “What A Wonderful World” to his masterful and stirring trumpet solos, Louis Armstrong’s performances took the folk music that was jazz and turned it into a global phenomenon.
Experience the atmosphere of New Orleans, with The Storyville Ragtimers taking us on a journey through the golden age of jazz and the art of improvisation, and rediscover the music that made Armstrong a legend.
The Stroryville Ragtimers: Giannis Karagiannakis – cornets | Kostis Vazouras – saxophones, clarinet | Vasilis Panagiotopoulos – trombone | Meletis Pogkas – guitar, banjo, vocals | Vassilis Tzavaras – guitar, piano, vocals | Manos Loutas – double bass | Thodoris Christodoulou – drums
Silent Disco Party
Saturday, 21 December 2024, 22:00 – 02:00 | Dome
Free admission on a first-come first served-basis
Drawing inspiration from this year’s theme of the Light Installations Festival at the Stavros Niarchos Park titled Dreamy Dreams, a Christmas Silent Disco Party is being organized at the Dome.
Under the light of the installation Pressure by Hans E. Madsen and Frederik D. Hougs—a large luminous sketch made from transparent tubing with integrated controllable pixel LED lighting—a party will be set up without speakers but with many wireless headphones. All attendees will share a musical and dance experience, with the headphones serving as a common point of connection. Two DJs will curate and mix different genres of music live, giving the audience the ability to choose what they want to listen to in their headphones.
Under Pressure Music Sessions by SNFCC Youth Council
Saturday, 14 December | Bipolia and Tsolimon | Friday, 20 December | Lou και Agatha & Molyneaux | Thursday, 26 December | Porschelane and Half Quickie & Kaist | Dome, 20:00 – 22:00
Free admission
This year, as part of the SNFCC’s Christmas World, the SNFCC Youth Council presents the Under Pressure Music Sessions—a series of concerts at the Dome, inspired by the impressive light installation Pressure by Hans E. Madsen and Frederik D. Hougs, which transforms the space.
The series kicks off on December 14 with up-and-coming artists of the Greek indie scene, Bipolia and Tsolimon. On December 20, Lou and the duo Agatha & Molyneaux take the stage, promising an exciting electronic experience. The series concludes on December 26 with Porschelane and Half Quickie & Kaist, who bring the energy of rap and hyperpop music, filling the Dome with rhythm. In these concerts, sound and light interact, creating a unique combination of music and art.
The SNFCC Youth Council was created and organizes its activities thanks to the exclusive grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Christmas Pop-Up Bar with Unexpected Cocktails by METAXA
Sunday, 22 December, 2024 – Tuesday, 7 January, 2025, 17:00 – 23:00 | Lighthouse
Free admission
From December 22 until January 7, from 17:00 to 23:00, as part of the Christmas World, the Lighthouse Terrace transforms into a new Christmas Pop-Up Bar—the ultimate festive meeting point for SNFCC visitors. For this year’s celebrations, architect and set designer Elina Loukou redesigns a Pop-Up Bar at the Lighthouse, offering panoramic views of the SNFCC and the Light Installations of the Stavros Niarchos Park.
Famous DJs and music producers on the decks from 20:00 to 22:30 and a long list of cocktails complete the experience.
DJs line up:
22/12: Opening party with a DJ set by Pepper 96.6 DJ Spector
23/12: Michalis Kamakas
24/12: DJ Pitsouni
25/12: Gabi Rose
26/12: Fotini Galani
27/12: Junior SP
28/12: Makis Papasimakopoulos
29/12: Roubi Roubi Roubi
01/01: Panos Dimitropoulos (The Steams)
02/01: Stivako
03/01: Irini Karaoglou
04/01: Andreas Mitrelis
05/01: Rrose Sélavy
07/01: Papaioannou
For more information, please visit snfcc.org
