Stavros Niarchos Foundation presents a week full of music, dance, arts, and sports; the 8th SNF Conference and the 2nd SNF Agora Institute Workshop; the SNF RUN: Running into the Future; kids and family activities; an impressive fireworks show; and much more!
You know it’s summer when you can feel the warm sun on your face and the last thing you want to do is stay home. But you really know it’s summer when it’s time for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) Summer Nostos Festival (SNFestival)! The SNFestival is back, from June 23rd to 30th, 2019, as always with free admission for all, and it’s ready to sweep us away with its carefree, fun-loving mood.
Modern pioneers, internationally acclaimed performers, and leading Greek artists from every field make up the program of this year’s SNFestival, which will take place once again at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC).
At the SNFestival, among other events, Schoolwave meets Medea, the voice of Neneh Cherry meets authentic Greek laiki music as performed by Yorgos Margaritis, Low’s indie rock sounds meet Akram Khan’s choreographed world, and a new composition by Bryce Dessner (The National) meets Ernő Rubik, creator of the eponymous cube.
Explore a detailed program of the Summer Nostos Festival 2019, and save the dates for the coming summer!
Admission to all events is free.
Music | Performing Arts | The SNF RUN: Running into the Future | The 8th SNF Conference | The 2nd SNF Agora Institute Workshop| Visual Arts | Sports | Kids & Family Activities | Nostos University | and much more!
The Summer Nostos Festival is organized and takes place thanks to an exclusive grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, in collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
MUSIC
CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY-CLASSICAL MUSIC
Lisa Hannigan & s t a r g a z e
Lisa Hannigan, in collaboration with the music collective s t a r g a z e, an ensemble of European classical musicians, presents reworkings of songs from three of her albums. (30/6)
Sō Percussion
A collaborative percussion quartet from New York with a repertoire ranging from well-known contemporary composers such as Steve Reich, David Lang, Caroline Shaw, Bryce Dessner, and Julia Wolfe, to new works for listeners who love adventure. (23/6)
Tetraktys
One of Greece’s leading chamber music ensembles, acclaimed as one of the most dynamic and avant-garde European quartets and renowned for its musical experimentation, presents works by Beethoven, Schnittke, and Steve Reich. (25/6)
Yale Alumni Chorus & El Sistema Greece
SNFestival’s most populous production for 2019: 125 chorus singers from Yale University, the El Sistema Greece choir, and a symphony orchestra will appear on the stage at Stavros Niarchos Hall and perform works by Brahms and Christopher Theofanidis. (29/6)
STAGED PRODUCTIONS
Triptych (Eyes of One on Another)
A new composition by Bryce Dessner (The National), directed by Kaneza Schaal, with libretto by Korde Arrington Tuttle (with words by Essex Hemphill and Patti Smith), based on the work of American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Also featuring the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth and the Greek chamber music ensemble Ergon Ensemble. (26/6)
Medea (operetta)
A new operetta by composer Nikos Kypourgos based on Medea, a parody of Euripides’ play by the Greek playwright Bost, featuring the orchestra, choir, and singers of the Greek National Opera. (27/6)
Bells & Spells
by Victoria Thiérrée Chaplin
The latest performance by Victoria Thiérrée Chaplin, daughter of the legendary Charlie Chaplin, starring her daughter Aurelia Thiérrée, and Jaime Martinez. Curious mechanisms, enchanted encounters, and mysterious musical boxes mark the passage of Aurelia and Jaime through the Summer Nostos Festival, in a spectacle that balances between dream and reality. (26/6)
Her Mind's I
A lyrical myth based on the story of the first mortal woman, Pandora. A project using multimedia. Concept and stage sets by Alexandros Tsolakis. (28/6)
Circus Cosmos
Comedian Giorgos Xatzipavlou and magician Mark Mitton return to the Summer Nostos Festival with international stars from traditional and contemporary circus. This year’s show features performers who push their art forward by incorporating state-of-the-art movement.
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
(indie rock, folk, pop, R&B, country)
Neneh Cherry
More mature than ever, the British-Swedish 90s icon presents her fifth album, a personal yet minimal project with clear references to her concerns and struggles as a socially aware citizen of the world. (25/6)
Low
In this, the 25th year of their shared life both on and off the stage, Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, acclaimed representatives of slow tempo rock, return with their dynamic new album Double Negative, which UNCUT magazine declared the #1 album of 2018. (27/6)
Αndrew Bird
Shortly after the release of his single “Bloodless,” the American indie rock singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, violin virtuoso, and expert whistler (!) appears in Greece for the first time. (24/6)
Local Natives
With a sound that’s matured through time, the Californian indie-pop band visits Greece for the first time with songs from their much-anticipated new album due to be released in the spring. (28/6)
Balthazar
Well-known in Greece from his project Warhaus, Maarten Devoldere and his Belgian band present their new album due to be released in late January. (25/6)
Rita Wilson
World-famous for her career as an actor and producer, the multi-talented Rita Wilson turned to pop-country music six years ago and has already released four albums and collaborations with leading artists of that genre. We will enjoy her in a live session full of country charm. (29/6)
Nakhane
“One to watch,” according to The Guardian, this award-winning South African artist, a newcomer to the world music scene who set aside his fear and embraced his sexuality, is coming to Greece for a concert that is sure to be talked about. (26/6)
L.E.J.
This trio of Frenchwomen with millions of views on YouTube, which became world-famous for its covers and mashups of summer hits in 2015, is coming to Greece for the first time in a super up-tempo mood! (29/6)
Soap&Skin
After six years of silence and intense changes, Austria’s Anja Plaschg returns to the music scene with her album From Gas to Solid, presenting a live show with her distinctive experimental pop sound. (24/6)
Choir! Choir! Choir!
Here’s your chance again this year to become part of the world’s largest intercultural choir, even if you have never sung before in your life. Choir! Choir! Choir! that unique pair from Toronto, which has collaborated with major artists such as Patti Smith, David Byrne, and Rufus Wainwright, and made appearances at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, returns to the Summer Nostos Festival. (29 & 30/6)
Schoolwave Rewind
A concert by bands and musicians who have performed in the Schoolwave festival as students, now returning as “graduates.” (30/6)
THE GREEK MUSIC SCENE
Yorgos Margaritis
The leading performer of Greek laiko, popular city music, whose faithful audience spans all ages, has collaborated with the most notable composers and lyricists of the genre. Accompanied by a large orchestra, he will present a selection of the highlights from his music career, as well as a tribute to laika and rebetika songs. (26/6)
YALLA 2.0
The multi-talented performer and artist Marina Satti together with Fonés, and Chóres, her electric band and a number of surprise collaborations on stage present a multinational program that will take us on a journey through traditional and contemporary sound, but—most of all—will give rhythm and color to the Summer Nostos Festival music stage. (29/6)
Mihalis Kalkanis Group
The Greek ethnic jazz ensemble of bass player Mihalis Kalkanis, showcases his compositions in an atmospheric performance where music coexists with video art and narrative. The Siberian multi-instrumentalist and composer, Nadishana, will be a special guest for this evening. (28/6)
Antonis Martsakis – Antonis Foniadakis
Authentic Cretan music and rizitika songs meet the present, with internationally acclaimed Antonis Foniadakis choreographing the music of the talented Antonis Martsakis. An original composition which skillfully walks the line between music and movement. (27/6)
*Due to the nature of piece, its description reappears under the Performing Arts category.
DJ SETS
Out of Africa – a collaboration with the Nyege Nyege Festival
This is the second year of the Festival’s collaboration with the Ugandan electronic music festival, with rousing DJ sets by amazing musicians from across Africa that will give rhythm to the Summer Nostos Festival nights!
PERFORMING ARTS
One. One & One – Vertigo Dance Company
Impressive choreography by Noa Wertheim forcefully and movingly addresses the individual’s inner desire for fulfillment, while it is constantly challenged by a fragmented reality. (23/6)
Portraits in Otherness - Akram Khan Company
Curated by Akram Khan and Farooq Chaundry, Portraits in Otherness begins a new chapter in the history of the Akram Khan Company, providing a forum to the new generation of dancers and choreographers who continue the tradition and reasoning of the emblematic artist. It presents a series of solo projects, created by Akram Khan’s associates, a group of particularly charismatic young artists.
Drawing inspiration from a blend of cultures, myths and rituals, Indonesian-born Rianto presents “Medium,” while Maya Jilan Dong presents “Whip,” based on the folk dances of the Bai, an ethnic minority in China to which she belongs. (27/6)
Boy Blue
The super-talented duo behind Britain’s award-winning hip-hop group Boy Blue and artistic associates of the Barbican present hip-hop in the world as a pure art form through avant-garde choreography performed by young dancers to the sound of innovative music compositions.
Antonis Martsakis – Antonis Foniadakis
Authentic Cretan music and rizitika songs meet the present, with internationally acclaimed Antonis Foniadakis choreographing the music of the talented Antonis Martsakis. An original composition which skillfully walks the line between music and movement. (27/6)
Dance of Colors
A performance that focuses on the work of visual artist Garip Ay, a master of the Turkish technique of ebru painting (paper marbling), flanked by music, dance, and projections. (28-30/6)
Seven to the Seventh
Theatre enCorps Collectif and choreographer Ana Sanchez-Colberg will connect seven cities of the world, for seven days, seven dancers and the audience to do away with the concept of distance.
SNF RUN: RUNNING INTO THE FUTURE
As they have every year, sports play a central role in this year’s Summer Nostos Festival program, culminating in the evening race known as the SNF RUN: Running into the Future which will take place on Olympic Day. The race offers three different courses: 10 km, 6 km, and 1 km for Special Olympics athletes (23/6).
In addition, every day, kayaking, rock climbing, STEAM games, capoeira, table tennis, and a host of other fun activities will be waiting for Festival-goers young and old at the Running Track, the Stavros Niarchos Park, and the Canal.
The SNF RUN and all the other sports events during the SNFestival are carried out under the supervision of the Regeneration & Progress non-profit organization.
SNF CONFERENCE
The 8th SNF Conference
The 8th SNF Conference will take place on June 24th and June 25th, 2019. The theme of the conference is [Untitled].
It is widely acknowledged that creating positive social change and trying to address seemingly intractable problems require upending conventional patterns of thought, and opening up to new possibilities. What does it mean, though, to put this idea into action?
We invite you to explore this question with us at the 2019 Stavros Niarchos Foundation Conference. Our goal is to bring together innovative thinkers and doers from a wide variety of areas, approaches, and backgrounds and provide an experimental framework that invites unconventional thinking.
Το read more about the conference speakers click here.
The conference schedule will be updated as soon as new information becomes available.
The 2nd SNF Agora Institute Workshop
On June 26th, 2019, Johns Hopkins University and SNF will co-organize the 2nd SNF Agora Institute Workshop as part of SNF’s monthly DIALOGUES series. The workshop, “Talking (and Listening) Across Divides,” will explore what experience and science can teach us about the requirements for productive dialogue and engagement.
How can we open our minds to new, different, and conflicting ideas or values? How can we effectively communicate our own ideas or values in ways that allow others to hear us? How do we create environments that support meaningful and sometimes difficult conversations? What is happening in our brains during these interactions?
This workshop will be led by a diverse group of scholars and practitioners whose research and work will help to shed light on how we might resolve, mediate, or even just consider, competing claims—essential work for any thriving democracy.
The SNF has supported the establishment of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University with a $150 million grant. The mission of the SNF Agora Institute is to enhance civic engagement in democratic processes, to promote civil discourse, and to help address polarization in our societies.
VISUAL ARTS
The SNFestival presents the artists of ARTWORKS
ARTWORKS was created in 2017 to provide fertile ground for Greek artists. Its main activity is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship Program. Through it, ARTWORKS awards cash prizes to artists as a moral and material reward, in recognition and appreciation of their individual abilities.
As it completes its first cycle, ARTWORKS presents the work of 60 artists who took part in the first Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship Program. Paintings, sculptures, audio works, installations, video art, photography, and performance converse and pose important questions about the role of art and the artist today. Along with the exhibition and throughout the duration of the Festival, screenings will be held of the short films shot by ARTWORKS’s award-winning filmmakers. (all days)
Tape Αrt
The Tape Art movement, using only paper tape as its medium, has been producing public art for the past 28 years. At the Summer Nostos Festival, Tape Art’s founding members create a unique project which will be completed with the public’s participation. (all days)
KIDS AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Nostos University
Nostos University, which has already become a favorite with our young “brainiacs,” is back again, and this year’s topic is the Rubik’s Cube! With Ernő Rubik, the creator of the eponymous cube as its official guest, Nostos University has planned a series of activities around this puzzling object. We will have a "Rubik’s Rally" on the 28th, the night before the competition, and at that time Rubik will participate in a Q&A, while Cubing champions will amaze us with their spectacular skills, teach us the secrets of the cube, and offer us solving tips in a daily program of events for young and old. (all days)
The Chessboard Runaways: A dream play with the music by George Kouroupos and libretto by Eugene Trivizas
Following a fierce chess battle the White Queen secretly meets the Black Knight. Frustrated by their monotonous black and white universe and inspired by the piano music played by a little girl, they declare their love and escape in order to explore the wonderful and dangerous world beyond the borders of the chessboard. The white king, the jealous black Queen and the rest of the chess pieces are determined to pursue, capture and punish the runaways.
A dream play, with the music of George Kouroupos and a libretto by Evgenios Trivizas. The magical tale of a black bishop and a white queen who dare to defy the limits of the chessboard. (23-27/6)
Circus Outdoors
Street performers will dazzle and delight audiences of all ages with shows around the SNFCC and in the Stavros Niarchos Park. Come and be amazed by their impressive, daring, and silly feats! Join us for nightly all-star shows in the Agora after the Canal Stage concerts. Circus Outdoors features circus star Anna Jack, award-winning physical comedian Grant Goldie, crowd-pleasers the Red Trouser Show, and special guest performers every night. (23-28/6)
Circus Workshops
Have you ever dreamed of running away with the circus? Come and learn exciting new skills from circus stars from around the world. Discover your inner acrobat! Kids and adults are welcome to try juggling, hula hoops, contortion, wire-walking and aerial arts that can increase your balance, coordination, and flexibility. (all days)
Finally, a series of sports and leisure activities, educational workshops, and spectacular shows await you and your children for endless hours of fun and entertainment. All you have to do is bring along your hat, your sunscreen, a change of clothes, and your high spirits!
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Note:
Detailed updates on the Summer Nostos Festival’s performances and actions will follow.
There may be additions and modifications to the program.