Composers

Leo Muscato and the Greek National Opera return to the Herod Atticus Theater in Athens this week with the Italian director's 2018 production of "Nabucco," the first major opera by Giuseppe Verdi.

His main enemy is still Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder and leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
Prigozhin spoke out again today, publishing a video of himself standing in front of the dead bodies of his soldiers in Ukraine, insulting the Russian military leadership, which again blames the death of Wagner's soldiers.

An 18-year-old Turkish student from the western province of İzmir has won the International Mozart Piano Competition.

Nehir Özzengin, a young piano student from İzmir, won the first prize at the International Mozart Piano Competition in Serbia.

The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens is planning a six-month tribute to the life and work of Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), the avant-garde music composer and theorist, architect, engineer and stage director.

One of Greece's most influential composers of the 20th century, Yannis Markopoulos, was admitted on Friday to the intensive care unit of the Alexandra General Hospital in Athens after complications that occurred during treatment of the cancer he has been suffering from for the last year. 

He warned that the Ukrainian counter-offensive could turn into a "tragedy for Russia".
"We (Wagner) only have 10-15 percent of the ammunition we need," said the Wagner leader in a conversation with war correspondent Semyon Pegov, who is close to the Kremlin.

The Thessaloniki Concert Hall (tch.gr) presents Piandaemonium, an orchestra comprising six pianos and 12 players, who will be performing a selection of compositions by Greek and foreign greats, ranging from Nikos Skalkottas and John Cage to Sergei Prokofiev.

Paying tribute to French music, the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Byron Fidetzis will be performing at the Athens Concert Hall (megaron.gr), with Theodore Tzovanakis on piano.

Starring Cellia Costea, Alisa Kolosova, Diamanti Kritsotaki and Andrea Care, Puccini's popular masterpiece "Madama Butterfly" is being brought to the Herod Atticus Theater this summer by the Greek National Opera (nationalopera.gr). The ambitious production is directed by the Avignon Festival's Olivier Py and conducted by Vassilis Christopoulos. Ticket prices range from 25 to 100 euros. 

Renowned Italian chamber orchestra I Solisti Veneti and celebrated Greek contralto Marita Paparizou will perform a seasonal Easter concert at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (snfcc.org) to mark the beginning of Holy Week. Titled "Passion and Myth" and conducted by Giuliano Carella, the concert will feature pieces by Vivaldi, Handel and Nicola Porpora, among others.