This year, expanding its multi-level educational work, the Athens State Orchestra (ASO) inaugurated its Pilot Laboratory for Contemporary Music in Spetses.
Addressing young conductors and composers, the Lab provided participants with a complete artistic experience along with the opportunity to work in a creative environment. The Pilot Laboratory was held between August 26th and September 5th 2024, with intensive masterclasses along with group and one-on-one sessions held over a ten-day intensive course. The amazing venue, the renovated Anargyrios & Korgialenios School of Spetses, provided this ideal incubator for the project and the Athens State Orchestra laid the foundations for a new educational and artistic institution at which young musicians can engage in a fruitful exchange and dialogue with both their professionally established colleagues from the ASO and with internationally renowned conductors, soloists and composers.
Participants were also given a unique opportunity to perform and conduct new and emblematic works from the repertoire, with and without an audience. Through this Laboratory, the Athens State Orchestra opens up a new world of collaboration and engagement and facilitates live performances that allow composers and conductors to test their material.
The already enormous benefits are further enhanced by the full and professional audiovisual recordings of all the workshops that are made of its complete proceedings.
The Conducting and Composition masterclasses are led by the conductor Lukas Karytinos and the composer Yannis Kyriakides. The Workshop is conducted in English.
-
View MoreΜε τη στήριξη του Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και της Περιφέρειας Αττικής, μέσω της συγχρηματοδότησης του ΕΣΠΑ 2024-2027, η Κρατική Ορχήστρα Αθηνών οραματίστηκε και διοργανώνει για πρώτη φορά το «Πιλοτικό Εργαστήριο Σύγχρονης Μουσικής της Κρατικής Ορχήστρας Αθηνών».
Η δράση αυτή, έχει στόχο να διευρύνει και να εμβαθύνει το εκπαιδευτικό έργο της Ορχήστρας και να δώσει την ευκαιρία σε νέους μουσικούς από την Ελλάδα και από όλο τον κόσμο να βρεθούν στις Σπέτσες και να συνεργαστούν με την Κρατική Ορχήστρα Αθηνών, μέσα σε ένα περιβάλλον δημιουργικότητας, συνεργασίας και επαγγελματισμού.
Η ΚΟΑ φιλοδοξεί κάθε χρόνο να δέχεται δέκα νέους συνθέτες και δέκα νέους μαέστρους, που θα δουλέψουν από κοινού με την Ορχήστρα, για ένα εντατικό δεκαήμερο, μετά από διεθνή ανοιχτή πρόσκληση και διαδικασία αξιολόγησης. Η πρόσκληση δημοσιοποιείται εγκαίρως στο website και τις πλατφόρμες της ΚΟΑ, σε διεθνή μουσικά websites, ενώ παράλληλα επικοινωνείται και σε ελληνικά και διεθνή μουσικά εκπαιδευτικά ιδρύματα.
Τα σεμινάρια διεξάγονται στην αγγλική γλώσσα και δεν έχουν κόστος συμμετοχής. Οι συμμετέχοντες έχουν τη δυνατότητα να φιλοξενηθούν έναντι ειδικών τιμών που τους προσφέρει η Αναργύρειος και Κοργιαλένειος Σχολή, ειδικά για τη συγκεκριμένη δράση.
MASTERCLASSES
For the first time in Greece, young conductors had the opportunity to conduct a professional symphony orchestra within an educational seminar process designed according to international standards, under the auspices of the Athens State Orchestra (ASO) and its Artistic Director, Lukas Karytinos. With a particularly generous amount of podium time and access to the top musicians of the Orchestra for ten days, the young conductors gained complete educational and concert experience, while simultaneously enriching their portfolio with high-quality audiovisual recordings. Similarly, young composers had the rare opportunity to work on new works, which have not been presented before or were especially for the Laboratory, in collaboration with the musicians of the Orchestra, gaining a vast amount of experience and knowledge. With Yiannis Kyriakides at their side, the young composers completed their works and had the chance to hear them being performed, in front of an audience, by A.S.O. at the final concert on 25/08/2025.
-
More DetailsMasterclass in Conducting
26/8/2024-4/9/024
Under the guidance of Lukas Karytinos, ten young conductors, selected through an international open call, each had 240 minutes on the podium to work on symphonic and lyrical repertoire:
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, Intermezzo Interrotto
M. von Weber: Oberon, Overture
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9, 1st movement
Schumann: Symphony No. 1
Puccini: La Bohème, aria Rodolfo “Che gelida manina”, aria Mimi “Si, mi chiamano Mimi”, duetto Mimi - Rodolfo “O soave fanciulla and Tosca, aria Tosca “Vissi d’ arte”, aria Cavaradossi “E lucevan le stelle”
At the final concert, that took place at the open-air theater of the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School, the participants took turns conducting parts of the works they have worked on during the seminar.
In the spirit of synergy between the two seminars, participating conductors were also given the opportunity to conduct the works of the young composers, creating a framework for co-creation and fostering a sense of community.
Lukas Karytinos was assisted by conductor Katia Molfessi.
Masterclass in Composition
26/8/2024-2/9/024
Composer Yiannis Kyriakides selected a large chamber music ensemble for the composition seminar, offering young composers the opportunity to write new works that they refined and perfected under his guidance, together with some of the best musicians in Greece.
The young composers worked on their compositions with the following musicians:
1st Violins
Giorgos Mandylas
Panagiotis Tziotis
2nd Violins
Triantafyllos Loukas
Faidon Miliadis
Viola
Ilias Livieratos
Cello
Asterios Pouftis
Double Bass
Angelos Repapis
Seraina Seidou
Flute
Frank Yarke
Oboe
Dimitris Vamvas
Clarinet + Bass Clarinet
Mercourios Karalis
Bassoon
Alexandros Oikonomou
Horn
Christos Salvanos
Trumpet
Panagiotis Balamos
Trombone
Andreas Rolandos Theodorou
Tuba
Giorgos Rarakos
Percussion
Katerina Koskina
Harp
Georgia Xagara
Piano
Thodoris Iosifidis
Composers had both group and individual lessons with Yiannis Kyriakides, presented their work separately, and they also had the opportunity to observe the development of all the works by the other participants.
The new works were presented at a concert open to the public in the Gardens of the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School, following the conclusion of the seminar.
Yiannis Kyriakides was assisted by composer Michalis Paraskakis.
Concerts
Anargyrios and Korgialenios
School of Spetses
Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses
The Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses is a historic educational institution founded in 1928 by the national benefactor Sotirios Anargyros. It is located on the island of Spetses, near the traditional settlement and the unique pine forest of the institution, covering an area of 130 acres and providing an excellent environment for educational and cultural activities.
Historically, the research-educational programs promoted by the School aimed to connect the diverse research of various academic fields with society, the lives of students, and citizens. The Anargyrios and Korgialenios School has made significant contributions to promoting Greek culture and literature, while also being a venue for cultural and artistic events. Indeed, prominent figures have studied at the School, such as the composer and mathematician Iannis Xenakis and the later Prime Minister George Rallis.
Today, the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School continues to operate as a modern educational and cultural center. Within its state-of-the-art facilities, it remains true to the values and vision of its founder, offering high-level educational services and promoting the dissemination of knowledge and culture.
The historic complex of the School consists of four buildings. Building A, known as the teaching building, serves as a conference space, while Buildings B, C, and D are used for student accommodation, with a rate of €80 per person per night, including half-board.
