WORLD PREMIERE

ATHENS & EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL, GREECE 2021



WHAT IF YOU WATCHED A 3 X 3 SOCCER MATCH WHERE OPERA SINGERS AND DANCERS SERVED AS PLAYERS, WITH TWO RIVAL CHOIRS AS FANS, CHANTING DEMANDING POLYPHONIC SONGS IN PLACE OF MOTTOS? AND WHAT IF THE SPORTSCASTER STOPPED COMMENTING ON THE GAME AND STARTED PROVIDING POLITICAL COMMENTARY ON WORLD NEWS INSTEAD? SET PIECES, PENALTY KICKS, YELLOW CARDS, PROTESTS, GOALS, MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, OFFSIDE, EXTRA TIME; THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS OF A NEW, STRIKINGLY ORIGINAL OPERA COMPOSED BY ELEFTHERIOS VENIADIS, WITH AN UNEXPECTED LIBRETTO BY AUSTRIAN WRITER GERHILD STEINBUCH, DIRECTED INTO AN OPERA BY SOFIA SIMITZIS. THE PERFORMERS ARE JOINED ON STAGE BY THE VENTUS ENSEMBLE AND KALAMATA'S SONORAE YOUTH CHOIR.



COMPOSER: ELEFTHERIOS VENIADIS

DIRECTOR: SOFIA SIMITZIS

ORIGINAL TEXT: GERHILD STEINBUCH

TRANSLATION: MARIA MANTI

STAGE DESIGN: THOMAS GOERGE

COSTUME DESIGN: THOMAS GOERGE, GINA ILIOPOULOU

LIGHTING DESIGN: ELIZA ALEXANDROPOULOU

VIDEO DESIGN: DIONYSIS SIDIROKASTRITIS

SOUND ENGINEER: PANAGIOTIS PARASKEVAIDIS - AUX STUDIO

CONDUCTOR: PHAEDRA GIANNELOU

LIVE COMMENTATOR: ELEFTHERIOS VENIADIS

FOOTBALL PLAYERS:

ANGELIKI ZOE KARAGKOUNI, SOPRANO

IRINI TZANETOULAKOU, CONTRALTO

DIONYSIS MELOGIANNIDIS, TENOR

DIONYSOS TSANTINIS, BARITONE

MIKES GLYKAS, ACTOR

KONSTANTINOS PAPANIKOLAOU, DANCER

VENTUS ENSEMBLE:

DIMITRIS GKOGAS, TRUMPET

FANIS VERNIKOS, TRUMPET

GIANNIS GOUNARIS, FRENCH HORN

SPYROS VERGIS, TROMBONE

MENELAOS MORAITIS, TUBA

GEORGE BOUKAOURIS, PERCUSSION

SONORAE YOUTH CHOIR OF THE MARIA CALLAS MUSIC SCHOOL OF KALAMATA

CHORUS MASTER: KATERINA TSITSA

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: POLYPLANITY PRODUCTIONS ATHENS, YOLANDA MARKOPOULOU, VICKY STRATAKI, IOANNA VALSAMIDOU & CHIOS MUSIC FESTIVAL, IFIGENIA KONDYLI

A WORK COMMISSIONED BY ATHENS & EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL, KATERINA EVANGELATOU



PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHALIS KLOUKINAS, DIONYSIS SIDIROKASTRITIS, THOMAS GOERGE