SUCCESSFUL "UNESCO AWARDS MARIA CALLAS 2015"

"UNESCO AWARDS MARIA CALLAS 2015"

AN ANTHEM TO GREAT DIVA OF OPERA FROM THE CLUB FOR UNESCO OF PIRAEUS AND ISLANDS

For the second consecutive year the UNESCO Club of the Department of Piraeus and Islands held its awards «UNESCO MARIA CALLAS» with great success and participation of remarkable lyrical artists.

Participants:

Vanessa Kalkanis, soprano - Dionysis Melogiannidis, tenor

Victoria Chorosounova-Diakaki, soprano - Renisa Latska, soprano,

- Despina Panayiotou, soprano - Georgia Tsolakis, violin -

- Irene Tsolakis, piano - Panagiotis Karousos, composer

Artistic Direction: Irene Tsolakis, piano

The fine program included arias from the operas that performed Maria Callas as well as other parts from operettas, Lieder and arias from the opera “Prometheus Bound” by Greek-Canadian composer Panagiotis Karousos. All performers were solid technical with fine voices capable to perform in opera stages.

Program:

Gounod Charles: "Je veux vivre" from Roméo et Juliette

Vanessa Kalkanis, soprano

Panagiotis Karousos: Sonnet 109 by William Shakespeare

Angeliki Vardaka, soprano

Panagiotis Karousos: La Harpe des Cantiques by Lamartine

Despina Panayiotou, soprano

Verdi Giuseppe - Bolero of Elena" Merce, dilette amiche" from "I vespri Siciliani"

Renisa Latska, soprano

Panagiotis Karousos: "Prometheus, your black luck" Prometheus Bound

Victoria Khoroshunova-Diakaki

Verdi Giuseppe: "D'amor sull'ali rosee" from Il Trovatore

Angeliki Vardaka, soprano

Panagiotis Karousos: "To you the wise" Prometheus Bound

Dionysis Melogiannidis, tenor

Alfredo Catalani: "Ebben, ne andro lontana" from La Wally

Victoria Khoroshunova-Diakaki

Franz Lehar: Meine Liebe, deine Liebe from Land des Lächelns

Dionysis Melogiannidis, tenor

Panagiotis Karousos: "On the road of heaven" Prometheus Bound

Vanessa Kalkanis, soprano

Giuseppe Verdi: "Libiamo Ne'lieti Calici '(Brindisi) La Traviata

Vanessa Kalkanis, soprano - Dionysis Melogiannidis, tenor - Angeliki Vardaka, soprano - Renisa Latska, soprano - Victoria Khoroshunova-Diakaki, soprano - Despina Panayiotou, soprano - Georgia Tsolakis violin - Irene Tsolakis piano.

The delegation of UNESCO Club of Piraeus and Islands held the awarding of prizes "Maria Callas UNESCO 2015».

Ms. Angeliki Pitsoli, Director of Gender Equality, the Group for Unesco for Piraeus and Islands, was carrying the message and greetings from Mr. Ioannis Maronitis, President of the Club for UNESCO of Piraeus and Islands and Member of the Executive Council of the World Federation of Clubs, Associations and Centres of UNESCO (WFUCA) for Europe and North America.

The presentation made by Panagiotis Karousos, composer and director for the Department of Opera and Classical Music for  the UNESCO Club of the Department of Piraeus & Islands.

At the cheer audience were many personalities of Classical Music and Opera. Among others Georgios Sioras, Founder and Director of the International Conservatory of Athens, the soprano Irene Konsta, prized with the award "Maria Callas UNESCO 2014», the protagonist of the National Opera of Greece Martha Arapi, the professor and Opera Coach Larisa Iasonidou, etc.

The contribution of Maria Callas to opera was so great that changed the history of opera that today we talk about before and after Maria Callas.

The "Maria Callas Prize" of the UNESCO Club for the Department of Piraeus & Islands given in honor of talented Greek lyric artists at the instigation to offer in the space that achieved the La Divina Maria Callas.