UNESCO MARIA CALLAS AWARDS 2014

WEDNESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2014. THE UNESCO CLUB OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PIRAEUS & ISLANDS ORGANISED AN OPERA GALA HONORED MARIA CALLAS AT THE MUNICIPAL ART GALLERY OF PIRAEUS
The glamorous Opera Gala was made in order to mark the anniversary of Maria Callas (1923 – 1977).
The UNESCO presented some of the finest Greek opera talented artists and works by renowned
Greek-Canadian opera composer Panagiotis Karousos.
Greetings gave Mr. Ioannis Maronitis, President of Club for Unesco of the Departments of Piraeus and Islands, and Vice President of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA) for Europe and North America.
At the Gala starred up leading soprano Irene Konsta, great bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos, fine soprano-coloratura Vanessa Kalkani, tenor Anastasios Stellas,and soprano Nansy Papakonstadinou.
The soloists accompanied Eleni Liggri, viola and Victoria Kiazimi, piano.

Program:

Giacomo Puccini - Madame Butterfly - Un bel di vedremo

Nansy Papakonstadinou, soprano

Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto - La donna è mobile

Anastasios Stellas, tenor

George Frideric Handel - Serse - "Ombra mai fu" 

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Leo Delibes - Lakme - Bell Song (L'Air des clochettes)

Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

Giacomo Puccini - Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore – Tosca

Irene Konsta, soprano

Arias from "Prometheus Bound" by Panagiotis Karousos

Via aria Nansy Papakonstadinou, soprano

Prometheus aria Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Hermes aria Anastasios Stellas, tenor

Hera aria Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

Panagiotis Karousos - Olympic Flame - Deianira aria

Irene Konsta, soprano

Verdi - La Traviata –Brindisi: Libiamo ne' lieti calici

Irene Konsta, Vasilis Asimakopoulos, Nansy Papakonstadinou, Anastasios Stellas, Vanessa Kalkani 

Mr. Maronitis gaved the Maria Callas Award 2014 to all artists, and it was followed a reception.
The concert presented mezzo Ifigenia Ioannou-Ralli where also performed Panagiotis Karousos songs, "To My Country" and "Underground" in the poem of USA President Barack Obama.
Maria Callas, (Greek: Μαρία Κάλλας; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977), was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic gifts. Her repertoire ranged from classical
opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner.
Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina.

Nansy Papakonstadinou, soprano

Anastasios Stellas, tenor

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Vanessa Kalkani, soprano

Irene Konsta, soprano

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass

Irene Konsta, soprano

Victoria Kiazimi, Vanessa Kalkani, Ifigenia Ioannou-Ralli 

Eleni Liggri, viola

Successfully celebrated the International Mountain Day 2014 in Greece

Thursday, December 11 2014. Athens, Greece
With great success at the Concert Hall "Parnassus" presented a concert dedicated
to the International Day of Mountains as declered from the United Nations in 2003.
Greece honored the mythological mountains of Olympus, Parnassus, Athos and more with
famous Greek opera soloists and musicians.
Bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos and the sopranos Irene Konsta and Vanessa Kalkanis performed
highlights from the operas "Prometheus Bound" and Olympic Flame" by Greekcanadian composer
Panagiotis Karousos.

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, Irene Konsta

The concert began with a World Premiere of the Tuba Concerto by P. Karousos performed by Panagiotis Kamvisidis this work was especially composed and performed to mark the event and dadicated to the International Day of Mountain 2014.
Cellist Spyros Heimarios performed the "Cello Concerto", flutist Zacharias Tarpagos the "Flute Romance" "Pan" and Violonist Efi Christodoulou  the "Violin Concerto" all created by the composer of the evening Mr. P. Karousos.

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, Vanessa Kalkanis

The Hellenic Orchestra Ensemble and soloists was conducted by great maestro Eleftherios Kalkanis.
Soprano Irene Konsta has been a part of dramatic presentation of the opera Prometheus Bound in New York in March 2014.
Bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos had performed the role of Prometheus in the United Nations Headcourters in Manhattan in March 2014 where he was the best participation among 80 countries.
Soprano-coloratura Vanessa Kalkanis sung also in the concert an aria of the Oratorio "The Song of the Nations" dadicated to the UN.

The concert ended in a standing ovation with a duet from the opera "Olympic Flame" sung so beautifully with splendid bass V. Asimakopoulos and the wonderful soprano Vanessa Kalkanis.
Guest of Honour Mr. Ioannis Maronitis Vice President of the World Federation of Clubs, Associations and Centres of UNESCO (WFUCA) for Europe and North America, honored maestro Eleftherios Kalkanis, the composer Panagiotis Karousos and all soloists and artists with the UNESCO certificate Mr. Maronitis mentioned the importance of the mountains on environment and ecosystems of the earth.

HELLENIC ORCHESTRA ENSEMBLE CONDUCTED BY ELEFTHERIOS KALKANIS
Violins: Efi Christodoulou, Stavroula Menti, Christina Valder, Paraskevi Kourkoumeli,
Stella Ziopoulou, Maria Orfanou-Heimariou - Violas: Eleni Liggri, Rania Zetta
Cello: Spyros Heimarios - Contrabass: Anastasia Siachou - Oboe: Georgia Kostantopoulou
Flutes: Nadia Lidiridi, Zacharias Tarpagos - Horn: Christos Kaloudis - Clarinets: Thanasis Katerinakis, Panagiotis Markou - Tuba: Panagiotis Kamvisidis
Vasilis Asimakopoulos, bass - Irene Konsta, soprano - Vanessa Kalkanis, soprano