The Second Cycle, titled “Active Pasts” and curated by distinguished conductor Markellos Chryssicos, is grounded in the belief that Early Music is not an outdated fossil but an active field of listening and reinterpretation that continues to generate new meanings even today. In this context, new commissions from Greek composers, jazz interpretations of Bach’s variations, electronic sounds, and sound and lighting design create a seamless artistic setting in which the historical material is reactivated.

The archetypal medieval story of Tristan, associated in literature with the King Arthur cycle and the Holy Grail, has inspired all art forms to this day and has gained wide recognition through Richard Wagner’s work. The performance contrasts medieval music played on period instruments with electronics and contemporary musical compositions. The programme includes works by Bernart de Ventadorn and Guillaume de Machaut; a polyphonic piece from the Bamberg Codex (13th century); works from the French and Scandinavian traditions; and a composition for a medieval ensemble with electronics by composer Thanos Polymeneas-Liontiris, commissioned by the GNO Alternative Stage.