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:
“There are no little events in life, those we think of no consequence may be full of fate, and it is at our own risk if we neglect the acquaintances and opportunities that seem to be casually offered, and of small importance.”
—Amelia E. Barr (1831–1919)
“Individuality is founded in feeling; and the recesses of feeling, the darker, blinder strata of character, are the only places in the world in which we catch real fact in the making, and directly perceive how events happen, and how work is actually done.”
—William James (1842–1910)
“By many a legendary tale of violence and wrong, as well as by events which have passed before their eyes, these people have been taught to look upon white men with abhorrence.... I can sympathize with the spirit which prompts the Typee warrior to guard all the passes to his valley with the point of his levelled spear, and, standing upon the beach, with his back turned upon his green home, to hold at bay the intruding European.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)