On Manos Hadjidakis’s birthday, the Greek National Opera presents a day-long tribute to the music of the great Greek composer, who, this year, would have turned 93. Renowned and younger artists will participate in the tribute, which will take place at the Stavros Niarchos Hall, the Alternative Stage and the GNO Foyer in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, from early in the afternoon till late in the evening on 23 October 2018. The tribute is a co-production with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and it is exclusively sponsored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Uncompromising and innovative, an enemy of pomposity and entrenched beliefs, a worshipper of “youth” and constant doubting, armed with his Greek and global education, Manos Hadjidakis connected words with popular music, creating thus a “new” sound, a “new” kind of singing, whose roots spread across the East and the West.

In his curriculum vitae – written in the first person – Hadjidakis mentioned among others: “I was deeply influenced by Erotocritus, General Makrygiannis, the Fix factory, Charalambos of “Byzantium”, the humid climate of Thessaloniki and the unknown faces I randomly met who remained unknown for all the years to come. During the occupation I realised how useless Music classes were, since they deviously kept me away from my initial goals, which were to communicate, to channel myself and disappear, that is why I stopped them right after the Occupation. I wrote poems and many songs.”

Τhe detailed programme is as follows:

17.00 GNO ALTERNATIVE STAGE
A concert with transcriptions of Manos Hadjidakis’ works by the vocal quartet Yasemi

A programme with vocal adaptations of orchestral compositions from Gioconda’s Smile and a compilation of songs from the complete works of Manos Hadjidakis’, like, among others, “Away on the misty river” and “Peribanou (Noble Dame)”. Yasemi Quartet’s approach to Manos Hadjidakis’ work is based on the idea that the melodies of his works can be imprinted on memory in a way that an average listener without being particularly educated can reproduce them by humming the orchestral outbursts. This special characteristic seems to have served as a catalyst for the imprint of Hadjidakis’ work on the collective memory. Yasemi Vocal Quartet consists of: Eirini Derebei, Maria Melachrinou Martha Mavroidi, Tasos Poulios. Singers and musicians all at once, treat the voice as a multifaceted musical instrument.

*Free admission, with online pre-registration for the public begin on Tuesday 16/10, at 12.00 noon.
Waiting list priority passes will be available from 15.30pm.
At the Waiting lists every person can get 2 priority passes.

18.00 GNO ALTERNATIVE STAGE
Dora Bakopoulos, piano works

The celebrated pianist and emblematic interpreter of Manos Hadjidakis’ works performs the great piano works: Ionian suite, Solitude, Six popular paintings.

*Free admission, with online pre-registration for the public begin on Tuesday 16/10, at 13.00 noon.
Waiting list priority passes will be available from 16.30pm.
At the Waiting lists every person can get 2 priority passes.

19.00 GNO STAVROS NIARCHOS HALL
Lyric signers perform his songs

Greek National Opera’s protagonists interpret great songs of Manos Hadjidakis with piano accompaniment. With the participation of: Vassiliki Karayanni (soprano), , Lydia Angelopoulou (mezzo-soprano), Stamatis Beris (tenor), Dimitris Paksoglou (tenor), Nikos Stephanou (tenor), Tassis Christoyannis (baritone), Dimitris Tiliakos (baritone), Dimitris Kassioumis (bass), Petros Magoulas (bass),

Piano: Frixos Mortzos

*Free admission, with online pre-registration for the public begin on Tuesday 16/10, at 14.00 noon.
Waiting list priority passes will be available from 17.30pm.
At the Waiting lists every person can get 2 priority passes.

20.00 AGORA
The GNO Children’s Chorus discovers children’s Manos

The Greek National Opera Children’s Chorus interprets songs of children’s Manos. From the Era of Melissanthi to Magnus Eroticus and from “Goldfish” to “Little Donkey”, Hadjidakis’ songs engage in a dialogue with children’s innocence and travel through Manos’ musical universe across the generations.
Conductor: Vassoula Delli

*Free admission

20.30 GNO STAVROS NIARCHOS HALL
Yota Nega interprets Manos’ songs

One of the most interesting popular voices of the younger generation, Yota Nega, makes her Manos Hadjidakis’ works debut, by interpreting songs from the movies, the theatre and song cycles. From “Bring me a mandolin” to “You were boy like Christ”, and from “The North Wind Came, the South Wind Came” to “Athanasia (Immortality)” and “Let’s Ride To The Moon”, Yota Nega will attempt to give a new interpretation of Manos’ songs we all have hummed. 
Piano: Lefteris Michalopoulos

*Free admission, with online pre-registration for the public begin on Tuesday 16/10, at 15.00 noon.
Waiting list priority passes will be available from 18.45pm.
At the Waiting lists every person can get 2 priority passes.

21.30 GNO ALTERNATIVE STAGE
Captain Michalis with Dionysios Sourbis

GNO’s acclaimed baritone Dionysios Sourbis interprets one of the greatest song cycles, Captain Michalis, written for the theatrical adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel which was mounted by the Greek Popular Theatre in 1966 and directed by Manos Katrakis. Following the emblematic first interpretation of Giorgos Romanos, Dionysios Sourbis breathes new life into the work. 
Piano: Thodoris Jovanakis

*Free admission, with online pre-registration for the public begin on Tuesday 16/10, at 16.00 noon.
Waiting list priority passes will be available from 20.00pm.
At the Waiting lists every person can get 2 priority passes.

22.00 GNO STAVROS NIARCHOS HALL
Schoolwave bands “rework” his songs and music

“That short and fat gentleman is our dark hero. He was born 80 years ago, and he never died. He continues to stay up all night and hang out with tramps, poets and naughty students”. That was the caption we wrote next to Hadjidakis’ photo in the tribute we had prepared for him in the fifth issue of our magazine, “Schooligans” (October 2005). Naturally, most of our readers, 16 and 17year olds, didn’t know who he was. It was a chance for them to discover him. A chance just like the one offered now by this tribute which will feature high school and university students’ bands from the Schoolwave festival. A few months ago, most of them hadn’t played Hadjidakis before. Some of them had not even listened to his music. But in their ignorance, they carried him inside them. And when they bowed over his songs and started “reworking” them, they discovered a relative in him. And as far as this “reworking” is concerned, unorthodox as it may sound, it is certain that Hadjidakis himself would enjoy it. He had even said that himself once in a radio comment: “My songs teach disobedience”.

With the participation of School Wave bands:
– Boulevard, Alternative Rock (high school students) band from Athens 
– Mysterios Typos, Hip Hop (students) band from Athens
– Gis Madiam, traditional polyphonic (high school students) band from Serres
– Astrarot, Metal (students) band from Thessaloniki

*Free admission, with online pre-registration for the public begin on Tuesday 16/10, at 17.00 noon.
Waiting list priority passes will be available from 20.30pm.
At the Waiting lists every person can get 2 priority passes.

+ Special participation of the Navy Band at a time and place to be announced in due time