Friends of Paxos has put together another exciting summer season of concerts, exhibitions, lectures, art and ceramic workshops as well as nature and cultural walks.

East Meets West
Piano Duet presents a virtuoso program for piano duo and solo works from the 19th to the 21st centuries, covering diverse musical traditions from the East and West. At the beginning we will hear some the most celebrated works by Johannes Brahms and Edvard Grieg. The concert will then take us to the Far East with sounds of Japan - Yoshimatsu and Moriyama - and China through the music of Minimalist composer John Adams. We will end with the famous ballet music from “Petrushka” composed by Igor Stravinsky for Sergei Diaghilev’s celebrated “Ballets Russes” company in 1911.

Program:
Edvard Grieg : Four Norwegian Dances
Johannes Brahms : Hungarian dances (First book)
Takashi Yoshimatsu : Pleiades Dances VIII (solo Beata Pincetic)
Regulus circuit (solo Beata Pincetic)
Tomohiro Moriyama : Let’s play a duet!
John Adams : China gates (solo Christos Sakellaridis)
Igor Stravinsky : Three movements from Petrushka (piano duo version)

Date: Friday 21 June 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:30 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

Christos Tsogias-Razakov took part in the first Fireflies program of the the Paxos Festival in 2016. This summer he is back as graduate student on scholarship at he Alexander Onassis Foundation and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, as well as professional performer in Holland.

Anastasia Kurilko completed her studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with professor Naum Grubert graduating with hornors in 2018. She has performed as soloist in numerous orchestras in Europe - Hungary, Bulgaria, Holland. she is currently part of ’Eden Piano trio’ as well performing with Maria and Anushka Pentano at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

Christos and Anastasia will be presenting in Paxos a musical program covering the beginning and end of the Romantic period.

Program:
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) - Introduction, Theme & Variations, opus 102 (14’)
Bernhard Crusell(1775-1838) – Divertimento for oboe and piano
Intermission (10’)
Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) - Trois pièces (Pavane, Elégie et Pastorale) (12’)
Frédéric Chopin(1810-1849) - Etude Opus 25, no.12 in C minor
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) - Sonata in F major, andante & allegro (8’)

Date: Wednesday 26 June 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:30 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

This second photography retrospective held at John Gough Hall in Paxos, brings together older and new work by Paxiot photographer Dimitri Kintzios and four photographers from former summer residencies on the island. Introducing the Paxos photographs of the latest summer resident - Guido Maria Isolabella - who will be photographing this summer the churches of Paxos for a new book to be published in 2020 by the Friends of Paxos.

Opening date: Sunday 30 June 2019
Exhibition: 30 June to 30 July (open daily 8-11pm)
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 7:30 to 11 pm
Free entry

Four of the best known current Greek ceramicists will be exhibiting their latest ceramic jewellery creations at Chris Boïcos Fine Arts in Gaios. After major exhibitions in 2018 in Patmos and this year in Athens, Lamia and the Archeological Museum of Messinia we are delighted to welcome the four creators in Paxos for an exhibition and a ceramic jewellery workshop in July.

Opening date: Monday 15 July 2019
Exhibition: 15 July to 10 August (open daily 10-1:30 pm, 7-10:30 pm)
Venue: Chris Boïcos Fine Arts, Gaios (Central street, opposite Bar Kalimera)
Time: 7:30 to 11 pm
Free entry

Presenting Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh accompanied by her guitarist, Gerry O’Beirne, for a concert of three female voices on Paxos as part of a season introducing the Sean-nós singing style and exploring the connection between Greek and Irish musical traditions.

What would inspire a highly-trained classical pianist and singer from Greece to go to Ireland to study one of the oldest and most difficult styles of Irish singing? And why would a Greek folk and traditional singer set up a Celtic music festival in Greece and from a Celtic group, Iernis? You can find out in the Irish Wings concert in Loggos, Paxos, on 23rd July, when Labrini Gioti and Chrysoula Kechagioglou join Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh for a concert exploring women’s experiences in both Greek and Irish traditions.

Muireann is a multi-award-winning singer who specialises in the Sean Nós or ‘Old Style’ of singing, which is in the Irish language, highly ornamented and in free rhythm. Her voice has been described as ‘one of the earthiest and most distinctive … not just in Irish traditional circles but anywhere’ – and Dónal Lunny, who appeared in Paxos two years ago, has called her performances, ‘mysterious perfection’.

In this concert Muireann, her student Labrini, and Chrysoula will be joined by Gerry O’Beirne on guitar, George Tsimbouksis on bouzouki and Elsa Papeli on cello, for a concert of songs in Irish, English and Greek, in which they explore together themes common to both traditions – themes of love, emigration and nature.

This event is supported by Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Greece. It will be attended by the Irish Ambassador to Greece, Ms Orla O’Hanrahan.

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh with Gerry O’Beirne (guitar)

Labrini Gioti with Giorgos Tsimbouxis (guitar, bouzouki)

Chrysoula Kechagioglou with Elsa Papeli (cello)

Date: Tuesday 23 July 2019
Venue: John Gough Yard (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:30 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

It is with great joy that we host the class of the Paxos-born professor of guitar, Christina Veroniki. After many years of absence Christina returns to the Paxos Festival stage to present her work by introducing us five of her best guitar students in an ambitious program that guitar aficionados will love.

Participating are students Andreas Anatolitis, Alexandros Gitsas, Elias Londos,
Vasiliki Petrou and Konstantinos Tantaros.

Program:
First Part
1. Konstantinos Tantaros: Joao Pernambuco - Sound of Bells (Sons de Carrilhoes)
2. Elias Londos: Francisco Tarrega - Capricho árabe
3. Vasiliki Petrou: Heitor Villa-Lobos - Study No. 1
4. Andreas Anatolitis: Agustin Barrios - El ultimo tremolo
5. Alexandros Gitsas - Agustin Barrios - La Catedral
Second Part
Music Ensembles:
Dmitri Shostakovich - The Second Waltz
Enrique Granados - Spanish Dance No. 2
Enrique Granados - Spanish Dance No. 5
Enrique Granados- Spanish Dance No. 10
Dieter Kreidler - Rumba
Heitor Villa-Lobos - Danza Cubana
Anonymous - El Vito
Anonymous - Popular Andaluz
Astor Piazzolla - Libertango

Date: Saturday 27 July 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:00 pm
Tickets: 10 € / 7 € for Friends of Paxos

Piano Professor and soloist Valeria Vetruccio and one of her best postgraduate students return to Paxos this year to present to us a program of Argentinian tangos and some of Astor Piazzolla’s most exciting piano works for four hands. As a special surprise the premiere of a tango specially written for the Paxos Music Festival.

Date: Wednesday 31 July 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:00 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

The well-known painter, based in Athens, Pavlos Habidis is the illustrator of the first Paxos watercolor book published by Chris Boïcos Fine Arts in 2015, as well as numerous other books on Greek cities, islands and also the Greek temples of Sicily. The watercolours presented in this exhibition will be included in a new book on the old city of Corfu which will be published and presented in Paxos and Corfu in 2020. Πάβλος will be conducting a watercolor workshop in Paxos at the beginning of August.

Elias Papanikolaou is an up-coming Athenian artist who completed a summer residency in Paxos in August 2018. The paintings in the current exhibition were inspired by his experience of our beautiful island.

Date: Saturday 3 August 2019
Exhibition: 3 - 31 August (open daily 8-11pm)
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 7:30 to 11 pm
Free entry

A family affair: Siblings of French and Greek origins, Marie-Claudine and Dimitri-Stéphane join forces with Alexandre Vay, Marie-Claudine’s husband to present an original 20th century program evoking the moods and cycles of Nature.

Program:
First Part
Gabriel Fauré: Trio op. 120 in D minor
Maurice Ravel: Trio in A minor
Second Part
Astor Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires

Date: Wednesday 7 August 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:30 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

Two of the most renowned, traditional musical performers of Greece, Kyriakos Gkouventas, an exceptional fiddler and Vassilis Smanis, a wonderful lute player will guide us through the musical culture of the Aegean islands. The emblematic voice of Chrysoula Kehagioglou guarantees a unique acoustic experience.

A guest star appearance adding to the evening’s uniqueness will be confirmed soon.

Date: Monday 19 August 2019
Venue: Lakka old schoolyard, Lakka
Time: 8:30 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

In this concert, we will accompany three musicians in a journey through 18th-century Italy, Germany and France. Along the way, we will discover a rich variety of works, with solo pieces and chamber music, for recorder, violin and basso continuo.

Program:
Francesco Barsanti (1690–1775): Sonata for recorder and Basso continuo in F major, Op.1 No.2.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767): Trio Sonata in F-major, TWV 42:F8.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750): Prelude and Fugue B flat major, BWV 866.
Jean-Marie Leclair (1697 – 1764): Sonata in G-major for recorder and Basso continuo, op.9 No.7.
Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713): Sonate a violino e violone o cembalo Op.5, Sonata V in G minor.
Georg PhilippTelemann (1681 - 1767)– Duetto Sonata for recorder and violin in B-flat major, TWV 40:111.
Francesco Barsanti (1690–1775): Sonata for recorder and Basso continuo in G minor, Op.1 No. 3.
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767): Trio Sonata A minor, TWV 42: a4

Date: Friday 6 September 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:00 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

The work is based on a true story that took place in a poor mountain village of Southern Greece around 1850. The young heroine bride is put to death by her family after her husband discovers she is not a virgin on her wedding night. The original story is transposed to a timeless environment, in a Dante-like Limbo, a place for forgotten souls. In this space, the characters co-exist without, however, ever meeting each other, forced to confront their own memories, their rage, guilt, past loves and sorrows. By accepting responsibility for their past sins they are lead to penance and in the end, self-forgiveness.

From a musical and theatrical perspective “The Silent One” is connected to the ancient Greek traditions of lamentation. The characters mourn their fate and lament until they reach forgiveness and redemption.

Duration: 70’

Composition – Instruction: Dimitra Trypani
Poetic Text: Padelis Boukalas
Rehearsals Manager on Paxos & Corfu: Miranda Kaldi
Stage Settings: Katherine Wise
Fine Arts Associate – Costumes Designer: Nikos Kokkalis
Lights Designer: Valentina Tamiolaki
Sound – Lights Mechanic on Paxos: Spyros Mastoras
Participants:
Milia, The Daughter: Sophia Ketentzian
Milia’s Mother: Aliki Siousti & Georgiana Filippaki
Brother 1 – Kyriakis: Adonis Vasiliadis
Brother 2 – Sotiris: Alexandros Psychramis
Brother 3 –Diakoumis: Giorgos Kassavetis
Brother 4 – Panagiotis: Rafael Kritoulis
Brother 5 - Konstantis, the youngest brother: Nikos Zaziaris
Father: Giorgos Nikopoulos & Vasilis Pelantakis
Tiresias, the Oracle and Harpe: Gogo Xagara
God Observer and Cello: Dimitris Travlos

Following the Paxos Festival premiere, the production will travel to Athens for a series of three performances on the Alternative Stage of the National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on 11, 12 and 13 October 2019.

Date: Monday 9 September 2019
Venue: John Gough Hall (Old Schoolhouse) in Loggos
Time: 8:00 pm
Tickets: 15 € / 10 € for Friends of Paxos

Four walks on Paxos footpaths are planned this summer on 20 June, in July and in August dates tba by the Friends of Paxos, during which will be discover Paxos churches, old houses and historical cisterns.

The times and locations will be announced the week before each walk.

A slide lecture on the ecological state of the Mediterranean sea will be given by Chris Boïcos in collaboration with the local group "Plastic Free Paxos" at the Paxos public library in Gaios.

Date: tba in July 2019
Venue: Gaios Public libary (KIP) - Opposite Gaios children’s playground
Time: 8:00 μμ
Languages: English and Greek
Suggested donation to the Friends of Paxos: 5 €

A slide lecture by Tenia Rigakou, Director of the Corfu Antiquities Department, will focus on the history of three of the oldest surviving architectural monuments of Paxos and the current projects for their preservation and restoration.

Date: To be confirmed
Venue: Gaios Public libary (KIP) - Opposite Gaios children’s playground
Time: 8:00 pm
Languages: English and Greek
Suggested donation to the Friends of Paxos: 5 €

Organised by friend of Paxos Martine Berthelémé in the olive grove of Ioanna Desila’s Orkos Estate, this concert of Central European Jewish folk music by the Klez band, based in France, aims to raise funds for the West African charity "Couleurs sans frontières".