Events
The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances; The Odeon has hosted Maria Callas, Maurice Béjart, the Bolshoi Ballets, Karolos Koun, Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Nikos Koundouros, Spiros Evangelatos, Giannis Markopoulos, George Dalaras, Haris Alexiou, Marinella, Dionysis Savopoulos and many other important artists and artistic organizations. It was the venue for the Miss Universe 1973 pageant and hosted Yanni's Live at the Acropolis performance in September 1993. Another memorable performance at the Odeon of Herod Atticus was given by the Greek singer Nana Mouskouri in 1984; after 20 years of absence she returned to her country. In 1957, Edith Hamilton was pronounced an honorary citizen of Athens at ninety years of age. Sting performed at the venue during his Mercury Falling Tour on May 17, 1996. Elton John performed 2 concerts at the venue during his Medusa Tour in 2000. In September 2010, tenor Andrea Bocelli held a concert at the Odeon, attended by then prime minister George Papandreou, and Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens, to raise funds for Cancer research. Mario Frangoulis has performed at the historic theatre with Yiannis Markopoulos Orpheus in 1996 and also played the role of Erotokritos in his work based on Vintentzos Kornaros's 'Erotokritos'. He performed Axion Esti by Odysseus Elytis music by Mikis Theodorakis and conducted by the composer himself in May 1998 to benefit Elpida for childrean suffering from cancer. In the Year 2012 Mario Frangoulis performed the leading role in Carl Orffs Carmina Burana at the Herod Atticus amphitheater.
Read more about this topic: Odeon Of Herodes Atticus
Famous quotes containing the word events:
“If I have renounced the search of truth, if I have come into the port of some pretending dogmatism, some new church, some Schelling or Cousin, I have died to all use of these new events that are born out of prolific time into multitude of life every hour. I am as bankrupt to whom brilliant opportunities offer in vain. He has just foreclosed his freedom, tied his hands, locked himself up and given the key to another to keep.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“One of the extraordinary things about human events is that the unthinkable becomes thinkable.”
—Salman Rushdie (b. 1948)
“On the most profitable lie, the course of events presently lays a destructive tax; whilst frankness invites frankness, puts the parties on a convenient footing, and makes their business a friendship.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)