in two special performances

 

Music Director: Vasilis Tsamproboulos

A magical journey into the music of the North through the works of the famous composer Jean Sibelius will be presented by the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Athens, under the direction of Vasilis Tsamproboulos on the 9th and 10th of March 2015, at 21:00 at its concert house at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation.

 

The ultimate musical symbol of Finland, Sibelius work, Finlandia, which became the second national anthem of the country, lending inspiration to the Finnish people in their fight for national liberation, via its explosiveness and its magnificent lyricism, will be combined in the MSO of Athens concerts with the well-known 2nd Symphony by the Finnish composer. The 2nd symphony is a characteristic example of the pure and crystal sound of the musical verbalism of Sibelius time. The work also constitutes a milestone as to the demands that a composer must meet in order to tap into and uncover the remarkable qualities of Sibelius musical identity whilst the work is also noted for the use of elaborate woodwind instruments.

 

Taking part in the concerts are two soloists and top musicians from the 80-member newly established Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Athens which has brought a breath of fresh air to the musical scene in Greece and is already paving its way with the enthusiastic support of its audiences.

 

On the 9th of March, the accomplished soloist and principal cellist of the MSO of Athens, Constantinos Sfetsas, will interpret Boccherinis concerto (in B-flat major, G.482), whilst on the 10th of March the acknowledged flutist and principal member of the MSO of Athens, Natalia Geraki, will be interpreting Francois Bornes Fantasie Brillante (on themes from Bizets Carmen).

 

 

Constantinos Sfetsas was born in Paris. He grew up in a family of artists. Son of the violoncellist, Christos Sfetsas, and the painter, Cleopatra Diga, he began to study the violoncello with his father at the age of five whilst at the same time taking his first lessons in music theory from his uncle, Kyriakos Sfetsas. He continued his studies in the class of Sotiris Tachiatis at the Central Conservatory of Athens and his theoretical studies in the class of the composer Michalis Travlos at the Nikos Skalkottas Conservatory.

 

With a scholarship for the Athens Academy he continued his higher education in Paris at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris in the class of Reine Flachot where he obtained his teaching diploma and the Diplôme Supérieur dExécution (cello). At the same time he took lessons with Philippe Muller and Toshiro Takemoto. With a scholarship from the A. Leventis Foudation, he completed his studies at the Schola Cantorum of Paris in the class of Erwan Faure where he obtained the Diplôme de Virtuosité and the Diplôme d’études Musicales, summa cum laude.

 

He took part in many concerts and recitals in Paris with the Polyphorum Ensemble.

 

He was a member of the State Orchestra of Athens and the Orchestra of Colours. Since 1998 he has been a member of the ERT National Symphony Orchestra.

 

He has recorded works by W.A. Mozart (sonata for bassoon and cello), J.S. Bach (Suite no 2), J. Haydn (concerto in D major), Ed. Elgar(Concerto op.85), E. Grieg ( sonata for cello and piano op.36), P.I. Tchaikovsky (The Seasons), F. Chopin (Nocturne), for the Third Programme of Greeces State Broadcaster.

 

Since 2001 he has been collaborating with the pianist, Nelly Semitekolo. They have given recitals of chamber music in most Greek cities covering a vast part of the classical and contemporary repertoire for both instruments.

 

He has collaborated, as a soloist, with well-known orchestras and ensembles amongst which the OORT Sofia Symphonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of Colours, the ERT National Symphony Orchestra, the ERT Contemporary music Orchestra, the Nirikos Chamber Orchestra, the ERT Mixed Choir, interpreting not only concertos from the classical and romantic repertoire of the instrument (Vivaldi, Haydn, Elgar, Schumann), but also contemporary works of the twentieth century in worldwide and nationwide first performances, such as A. Porteras concerto Dreaming Crystals and Fluids (Athens Concert hall, International Competition D. Mitropoulos 2005) and J. Taveners Svyati for cello solo and mixed choir (Athens Concert Hall 2013). He has collaborated with well-know conductors such as I. Voudouris, Th. Magriotis, A. Pylarinos, R. Pylarinos, M. Logiadis, V. Tsampropoulos, D. Bouzanis and others.

 

Tributes have been made to him in productions for Greek National Television (ET1-NET), in A. Kostalas programme Megales Parastaseis, D. Trikas Simeio ART as well as on national radio (third programme) on the radio shows of Ch. Papageorgiou, M. Messini, M. Papadimitriou, A. Sakali and others.

 

He was recently selected for international competitions, for the place of cello solo, with prominent orchestras abroad (Gulbenkian Orchestra Lisbon, Tonkunstler Orchestra Vienna).

 

At the same time as having a career in the field of classical music he has also supervised the musical accompaniment for theatrical performances as well as collaborating and recording with various groups from the pop scene, from time to time.

 

Since 2012 he has been teaching the cello at the British Campion school.

 

He holds the position of principal cellist within the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Athens.

Constantinos Sfetsas plays Wilhem Welge of 1909 and Ivan Kaloferov of 1970 on the cello.

 

 

Natalia Geraki is a Greek flutist of international renown (she has participated in festivals throughout Germany, in many other European countries, in Asia, Africa and South America). She moves her audiences with her lively interpretations and her unique personal touch. She is regularly invited to tutor at international seminars (Springiersbacher Meisterkurse, Germany / European Academy of Camerata Europaea, Germany-Greece / Adams European Flute Centre, Holland / International Forum for Flute and Piano, Luxembourg / Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband Instrumentenkurse, Germany / Semaine de la Francophonie Lusaka, Zambia) and she teaches flute methodology at the Stuttgart State University of Music and Performing Arts. She has vast experience as an orchestral musician, collaborating with among others the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, the Stuttgart State Opera and she has been principal flutist of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. She has done recordings for Bavarian radio and the third programme of Greeces state broadcaster. She has had two CDs of her work released: Terra e Aria with works for the flute and the harp (Spektral Records) and CLAUDE DEBUSSY la musique à moi (Utopia/Mikri Arktos). She studied music in Paris (Conservatoire Municipal Nadia & Lili Boulanger, graduating with the 1er Prix de la Ville de Paris, and in Stuttgart (Staatliche Hochschule für Musik & Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, class of Prof. Jean-Claude Gérard) on a scholarship of the Greek State whilst she had also received a scholarship from the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation.