Music Connects the Onassis Stegi and the Panteion University, Vol. 10

“Music Connects the Onassis Stegi and the Panteion University,” the collaboration between the two institutions, marks its tenth consecutive edition this year. On the occasion of this anniversary, three young musicians were invited into a broader curatorial group to jointly shape this year’s program. The music proposals of this tenth collaboration take us on a journey to American highways and the mountain paths of the Balkans, as well as one-way streets across existence and daring excursions into spacetime.

1st Concert | 21:00 | “On the Road” / Following the Footsteps of Jack Kerouac

New music from US cities along the writer’s journey

In 1949, a group of young people embarked on their second journey from the East to the West Coast of the USA, as narrated by Jack Kerouac in the iconic “On the Road,” a novel that defined the Beat Generation. In 2025, the musicians of Galan Trio, who have been touring extensively in the USA in recent years, bring with them works from their repertoire by composers who live along—or near—Kerouac’s travel route. How do his footsteps sound today?

Program

• Todd Groves (stop: New York City, NY): “Dance Music for a Frenetic Mind” for piano trio (2022)

“‘Dance Music for a Frenetic Mind’ started as dance music, beginning with three types of dances: foxtrot, waltz, and some type of folk dance with a vaguely Eastern European groove. When I started to write, my ear and mind started wandering in different directions. I tried to resist and stick more closely to the original three dances, but, ultimately, I let the music wander. While the original three dances are still in the piece to some degree, the piece is more about dancing between different motifs, moods, and thoughts. The result sounded somewhat frantic to me, but I did not want to rein that in, so I continued writing with the idea of the music spiraling into something stranger and more intense as it progresses. The final piece struck me as a kind of dance music for a (or my) frenetic mind.”

• Sophia Serghi (b. 1972) (stop: Williamsburg, VA): “Towards the Flame” for piano trio (2010)

The music refers to the circular dance of a moth around a flame. It consists of twenty-one short sections in 7/8, which slowly build from a simple pattern to a frenetic intensity and texture, and back again to simplicity. “Towards the Flame” suggests the cyclical reincarnation of the soul (moth) invited to dance around a burning flame (life and love). As is well known, the moth inevitably engages in a wild dance around the attractive flame only to be burned and emerge into spirit. In a short time, we can expect a new moth to appear or reappear (reincarnation) and perform a similar dance, thus maintaining the perpetual and transcendent dance of the same spirit!

The work was first performed by Trio D’Amici at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., in May 2009.

• Yiorgos Vassilandonakis (b. 1969) (stop: Charleston, SC): “Cyanic Outbursts” for piano trio (2021)

“Cyanic Outbursts” is a brief, virtuoso, jolting mélange of constant and unpredictable texture and energy shifts. It ranges from peaceful stillness to dizzying repeating swirls to frantic dance episodes and everything in between, exploring the piano trio’s rich timbral tapestry. This work, commissioned by and dedicated to Galan Trio, takes abstract motivic and rhythmic materials from Greek island folk music and places them into a contemporary harmonic and gestural context that emphasizes the ensemble’s interplay and musicianship.

• David Carter (stop: Los Angeles, CA): “Sifting Chaparral” for piano trio (2024)

“I was inspired to compose ‘Sifting Chaparral’ by the dense shrubland (chaparral), which is common in Southern California, where I live. There is also an equivalent vegetation in Greece, where the Galan Trio is based. Both Southern California and much of Greece have a dry, mild climate where these plants can thrive in coastal areas. The piece moves through a complex tangle of loops and polyrhythms, occasionally revealing melodic lines and sometimes glittering pizzicato patterns.”

• Cindy Cox (b. 1961) (stop: San Francisco, CA): “La mar amarga” for piano trio (2007)

“You may recognize the wonderful opening of Frederico García Lorca’s famous ‘Romance sonámbulo’ (‘Sleepwalking Romance’), ‘Verde que te quiero verde’ (‘Green I love you green’). The title of ‘La mar amarga’ (‘The Bitter Sea’) comes from a later section of this poem; I loved the sound of the elided repetition of ‘(l)a mar’ and found in it a strong relationship to the kind of covered repetitions in my own piece.

But you probably don’t know of an oddball work called ‘Sensitive Chaos’ (published by the Rudolf Steiner Press) by Theodor Schwenk. He wrote this study in the 1960s and subtitled it ‘The creation of flowing forms in water and air.’ His mix of the poetic and the scientific, with chapter headings such as ‘Archetypal movements of water’ and ‘The formation of vortices’ was particularly inspiring as metaphors for my approach to musical shape and direction. Like the gorgeous pictures of water and wind patterns at the end of the book, my music strives to be in a simultaneously fluid yet architecturally static form.”

Galan Trio: Petros Bouras (piano), Babis Karasavvidis (violin), Marina Kolovou (cello)

Curator: Lorenda Ramou

The concert features excerpts from the book “On the Road” narrated by Jack Kerouac.

2nd Concert | 22:00 | “Off Road” / Balkan Glossolalias

A journey “East of the West” through the violin

From the Balkan north, works of different natures revolve (off-road) around the central protagonist, the violin, balancing between contemporary classical writing and the vibrant elements of the musical roots of these regions. Solo violin, electronics, and duets create a spiraling portrait of the instrument. Contemporary elements are followed by a deeper review of the shared musical idioms of the area through collaboration, alternation, and detachment.

Program

• Diana Rotaru (b. 1981) (Romania): “Glossolalia” for violin and electronics (2010)

“Glossolalia” begins with a shrill violin sound accompanied by pre-recorded sounds. The sharp metallic notes alternate with sounds that mimic wooden percussion, creating an evocative, agonizing atmosphere. The music climaxes with a frenzied, dynamic melody before settling into a quiet, slow-moving finale that leaves a sense of tension and fear. The composition seems to incorporate influences from Romanian traditional music and its instrumental elements, with dynamic contrasts and timbres that allude to local instruments.

• Danai Belosinof (b. 1993) (Bulgaria/Greece): “CRUNNING, for 2” for two violins, commissioned by Onassis Stegi (2025)

“In the fields of mountain poppies & the dunes of sea lilies...short of breath”

Onassis Stegi commissioned composer Danai Belosinof to create a new work especially for this concert that highlights the Balkan musical heritage. Belosinof, who is of Greek and Bulgarian origin, has a strong personal connection to Bulgarian traditional music, which she has been exposed to since a young age. Her love for this tradition and her desire to explore it further are reflected in her work, while her ability to integrate traditional components with modern techniques makes her an ideal choice for this concert.

• Mihailo Trandafilovski (b. 1974) (North Macedonia/UK): “Mozaik” for two violins (2016)

“Mozaik” is a minimalist composition that evolves through a continuous, atmospheric conversation. The piece begins with a harsh sound from the first violin, while the second violin is gradually introduced, providing a smoother, more sonic flow. The two instruments alternate between different scales and blend to form a sonic mosaic. The volume gradually diminishes as the composition ends with a melancholic atmosphere and a sense of emotional fullness. The piece incorporates musical influences from North Macedonia, with the use of violins referencing local tradition, while the minimalist approach also carries contemporary influences from the music scene of the United Kingdom, where the composer lives.

• Tigran Mansurian (b. 1939) (Armenia): “Lamento” for violin (2002)

“Lamento” is divided into two parts. In the first part, the violin produces a dynamic, melancholic atmosphere with rhythm and timbre changes, building to a climax that intensifies the emotional charge. In the second part, the sound becomes quieter and steadier, with low and muffled tones that evoke a sense of loneliness and isolation. The composition alternates between dynamic changes and calm moments, resulting in a multidimensional sonic journey that draws inspiration from the Armenian musical traditions, linked to the expression of mourning and contemplation.

• Hanan Hadžajlić (b. 1991) (Bosnia and Herzegovina): “Ex Machina III” for violin and piano (2016)

“Ex Machina III” is a fiery work in which the music evolves as a pursuit and, at times, a partnership between the two instruments. The dramatic narrative develops through abrupt pauses and shifts in dynamics, evoking a sense of instability and mystery. The violin plays an important role in the gradual climax, while the sudden ending leaves the listener with a sense of anticipation and uncertainty, encouraging them to explore the meanings behind the music. The composition, with its sudden changes, reflects the historical heritage of Bosnia, recalling the musical contradictions and expressiveness of the region’s traditional music.

• Soni Petrovski (b. 1977) (North Macedonia/Australia): “Bric-a-brac” for solo violin (2001)

“Bric-a-brac” unfolds a musical narrative that draws on the composer’s Balkan roots. The piece begins gently and gradually evolves, with the melody line running through different parts of the violin, from the lowest to the highest, while sharp pauses create a distinct rhythmic pattern. Its melodies, reminiscent at times of laments from Epirus and sometimes of the Pontian lyre, evoke images of traditional rituals and celebrations. They recall moments of mourning, but also of joy, capturing the contrasts of life.

Vasilis Soukas (solo violin), Phaedon Miliadis (violin), Lydia Linardou (piano)

Curator: Iro Menegou

The concert features excerpts from the Greek translations of the books “East of the West” by Miroslav Penkov and “Catch the Rabbit” by Lana Bastašić narrated by Danai Belosinov and Milena Milanovic.

3rd Concert | 21:00 | “Parallel Roads” / An Ordinary Day

Two parallel explorations of postmodernism for voice and cello

Two parallel beings contemplate life, death, and nature. The double recital “Parallel Roads” attempts to capture the psychological state of the moment where these two beings coexist mentally but never actually meet.

Program

• Caroline Shaw (b. 1982): “In manus tuas” for cello (2009)

“In manus tuas” is based on a 16th century motet by Thomas Tallis. While there are only a few slices of the piece that reflect exact harmonic changes in Tallis' setting, the motion (or lack of) is intended to capture the sensation of a single moment of hearing the motet in the particular and remarkable space of Christ Church in New Haven, Connecticut. “In manus tuas” was written in 2009 for cellist Hannah Collins, for a secular solo cello compline service held in the dark, candlelit nave.

• Meredith Monk (b. 1942): Selections from “Book of Days” for voice (1988)

“Book of Days” is a film about time, originally drawing parallels between the Middle Ages, a time of war, plague, and fear of the Apocalypse, with modern times of racial and religious conflict, the AIDS epidemic, and fear of nuclear annihilation. . . . While the film provides no answers, it nevertheless is a tribute to vision and the imagination, and a poetic incantation of that which connects us. “Book of Days” has aired on PBS, was shown at the New York Film Festival, and was selected for the Whitney Biennial.

• Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023): “Sept papillons” for cello (2000)

“Sept papillons” was the first piece Saariaho wrote after her opera “L’Amour de loin,” and it was partly written during the rehearsals of the opera in Salzburg. One can sense the desire to find a new world, which has nothing to do with the opera neither in style nor in language. From the metaphors of the opera which all have an eternal quality—love, yearning, and death—she moved now to a metaphor of the ephemeral: butterfly. Also, from the long times-spans of the opera she moved to these seven miniatures, which each seem to be studies on a different aspect of fragile and ephemeral movement that has no beginning or end.

“Sept papillons” was commissioned by the Rudolf Steiner Foundation and was first performed by Anssi Karttunen in Helsinki in September 2000.

• Filippos Sakagian (b. 1992): “metaph” for voice and electronics, commissioned by Onassis Stegi (2025)

Language originates as fantasizing communication but often grows into a symbiotic infection. From politics to everyday life, words and concepts are degraded, perverted, and emptied. Mutation is unavoidable. Language crumbles, is devoured, and reborn. Speech becomes constricted and altered. Seraph (the character of the piece) is not a voice, but rather a sign of detachment from language and a shift towards metaphor.

• Ana Sokolović (b. 1968): “Vez” for cello (2005)

Vez in Serbian means embroidery, needlework. The piece is inspired by traditional Balkan music. Repeated notes, irregular rhythms and tiny “embroidery” between accented structural pitches are in the main features of this piece.

• Morton Feldman (1926–1987): “Only” for voice (1947, written for Joan La Barbara)

“In 1988, the Holland Festival presented a John Cage circus of musical events from various locations around Amsterdam and in addition to several of Cage’s works, in memorium to Morton Feldman who had died the previous autumn, I was asked to sing ‘Only.’ I sang it for the first time on June 23, from the roof of the State Opera House on the Leidseplein, at midnight, in the rain. I am sure only the angels heard it… and, perhaps, Morty. It is so uncharacteristically brief and so openly poignant that I wanted to find out more about the circumstances surrounding its composition. The manuscript I had gave the publishing copyright date as 1976, but none of Morty’s friends or students from around that time could shed any light on its mystery. It remained an enigma until I learned that it had been written when Morty was just 21 years old, in 1947. For me, Rilke's text is an eloquent epitaph for a soul flown too soon.”―Joan La Barbara

Marios Maniatopoulos (tenor), Anastasia Deligiannaki (cello)

Curator: Pavlos Kordis

The concert features excerpts from the Greek translation of “Exercises in Style” by Raymond Queneau narrated by Manon Fabre.

4th Concert | 22:00 | “Crossroads” / Traveling through Time and Sound

A journey through natural and electronic sounds from the Middle Ages to today

The program “Crossroads” explores the relationship between the natural, the electronic, and the metaphysical using primary sources of sound, percussion, and voice, traveling through time and sound and blending ancient and contemporary musical realms.

Program

• Ash Fure (b. 1982): “Shiver Lung 2” for percussion and electronics (2017)

Inside every speaker you’ve ever seen is a cone that does one very simple thing: it moves up and it moves down. As it does, that cone bumps into air, which bumps into more air, which bumps into more and more air and then bounces off walls and floors and objects and bodies and eventually, if you’re close enough, bumps right into your ear drum.

At the heart of “Shiver Lung 2” are two subwoofer speaker cones doing their thing: moving up and moving down. But here, for the bulk of the piece, the subs are moving so slowly we can’t actually hear the sound they make. Performers slide their palms and fingernails and chains and pieces of paper and rattles and chimes across the surfaces of these subs while they shake, drawing them into the realm of audibility through touch.

“Shiver Lung 2” was composed for Ross Karre and premiered at Issue Project Room in New York, New York on September 29, 2017.

• Mark Andre (b. 1964): “S2” for percussion (2015)

"Disappearance as a compositional and transcendental experience is the central category of my music. Observing and allowing music to be observed before, during, and after disappearance makes it possible to experience compositional borderline situations and transcendental experiences. I am concerned with life, with the experience of composing in a kind of ‘transit zone.’ This transitional area contains the most fragile, most fluctuating situations of composing in the confrontation between presence and absence.

‘S2’ addresses the thresholds (S), transitions between sound/time levels and types of disappearance.

Disappearance is one of the central themes of the Gospel, as the famous episodes of Noli me tangere (John 20:17) and the Last Supper at Emmaus show. ‘S2’ allows music to be incorporated and experienced as a potentially transcendental experience."

• Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179): “O pastor animarum” for voice

Hildegard’s antiphon is based on an ancient form of prayer (namely, “collect”) of the Catholic Church that addresses Christ as the Good Shepherd and “first voice” of creation. The melodic repetitions create a sense of connection between the human voice and divine guidance, fostering an atmosphere of reflection and plea.

• Iason Maroulis (b. 1999): “Aulis” for tenor and percussion, commissioned by Onassis Stegi (2025)

“Aulis” is a work that deals with the content of the myth of Iphigenia’s sacrifice as presented in Euripides’ “Iphigenia in Aulis.” The narrative dimension that is naturally inherent in the myth is completely absent from “Aulis,” the temporal dimension of which is synthesized not in the context of narration or performance but through a purely musical logic, with the goal of an in-depth exploration of the aspects of the human being revealed through the events of the myth. In the setting of the work, the sound itself shares the foreground with the two musicians’ own bodies. This work on the body is not done in the framework of theatrical thinking or performance, although the actions of the musicians obviously have a visual dimension. Instead, this focus stems from the effect that the process of sound has on and within the musicians’ bodies, resulting in musical relationships and dramaturgy that are inextricably linked to the human body and the conscious experience of embodied existence.

Marios Maniatopoulos (tenor), Giannis Psarakis (percussion)

Curator: Filippos Raskovic

“I listen, I write, I play with sounds” | Galaxy Studio | 16:00—21:30

A modular music workshop with three 90-minute sessions, each of which will be presented by the new curators of this year’s “Music Connects the Onassis Stegi and Panteion University” program.

In the first session (16:00—17:30), entitled “Listening Guide,” Pavlos Kordis introduces participants to the discovery of active listening as a means of exploring a musical work. Works of the 20th and 21st centuries included in the concert program of “Music Connects the Onassis Stegi and Panteion University vol. 10” will be heard and commented on.

In the second session (18:00—19:30), entitled “Forming sounds: Introduction to creating electronic music through sampling,” Filippos Rascovic will focus on creative sound processing using the music program Reaper, which participants should have installed on a laptop they bring with them. Through experimentation, they will learn techniques such as time stretching, pitch bending, and using effects to create soundscapes that will be used in the next workshop.

The third session (20:00—21:30) is entitled “Random or not: A workshop on methodical improvisation” and is introduced by Iro Menegou. It is addressed to musicians of any level who would like to explore the possibilities of group playing around a piano (or not!). The aim is to understand how group dynamics and decision-making produce unique musical results.

Information

Basic musical knowledge (reading music and playing an instrument at any level) is required to participate in the workshop.

You can participate by filling out a form. Those interested will be notified of their application acceptance.

There is a maximum limit of 20 participants.

The workshop is free of charge.

Email for inquiries: piano20-21@hotmail.com

Galan Trio

The Galan Trio, based in Athens, is renowned for its vibrant and dynamic performances both in Greece and internationally. The trio has focused on premiering new compositions, leading to the development of distinctive programs, most notably their recent project, “Kinesis,” which features works by five acclaimed American composers. This project laid the groundwork for their first US tour in October 2021, and since then, they have presented “Kinesis” at over 30 universities across the United States, including prestigious institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, the Rice University (Houston), and the Temple University (Philadelphia). The members of the Galan Trio are Babis Karasavvidis (violin), Marina Kolovou (cello), and Petros Bouras (piano).

Vasilis Soukas

Vasilis Soukas (b. 1993, Athens) is a violinist and a permanent member of the Athens State Orchestra since 2017. He studied violin at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, specializing in modern and baroque repertoire. He has performed both as a soloist and with international orchestras, is a founding member of the Aenaon Quartet, and is highly active in contemporary music.

Faidon Miliadis

Faidon Miliadis has been a member of the Athens State Orchestra since 2017 and, since 2023, holds the position of principal second violin. He studied violin at the Royal College of Music in London and continued his postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with a scholarship from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation. He has performed in major concert halls and festivals across Europe, with a particular focus on chamber music. He is a founding member of the piano trio “el Greco” and has appeared as a soloist with the State Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki.

Lydia Linardou

Lydia Linardou is a pianist and music educator specializing in contemporary piano repertoire. In recent years, she has been researching new teaching methods for music education aimed at multicultural and vulnerable populations. She holds a degree in Musicology from the University of Athens and has studied piano and advanced music theory in Greece and abroad. In 2021, she completed her master’s in music education and piano at the Maastricht Conservatorium in the Netherlands. Currently, she works as a music educator and piano teacher at private schools and conservatories. She has attended various piano seminars and has performed both as a soloist and as a member of chamber music ensembles in classical and contemporary music concerts in Greece and the Netherlands.

Anastasia Deligiannaki

Anastasia Deligiannaki began cello lessons with Marina Kislitsina and received her cello diploma with distinction in 2014. In 2015, she started her Bachelor’s degree in Germany under the guidance of Daniel Geiss. She continued her postgraduate studies as a scholarship recipient from the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation with cellist Gregor Horsch at the Düsseldorf Music Academy until February 2024. She won first prize at the Maria Chairogiorgou-Sigara Music Competition in Athens in 2014 and 2018. She was a European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) member in 2021 and 2022. She has performed with leading German orchestras, including the Duisburger Philharmoniker (2020–2021), Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin (2022–2023), Bergische Symphoniker, and Klassische Philharmonie Bonn. As of February 2025, she holds a permanent position as Associate Principal Cellist (Vorspielerin) at the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared in major European concert halls, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Essen Philharmonie, and Teatro Comunale di Ferrara. She regularly participates in the Cyclades International Classical Music Festival.

Marios Maniatopoulos

Marios Maniatopoulos is a tenor whose repertoire includes leading roles in operas such as “The Magic Flute,” “The Abduction from Serai,” “Idomeneo,” “Dido and Aeneas,” “Bastien and Bastienne,” and “Rigor Mortis” (Francisco Lima da Silva). As a soloist, he has performed pieces including Mozart’s “Requiem,” Rossini’s “Petitte Messe Solennelle,” Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy,” and Saint-Saëns’ “Christmas Oratorio.” He has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as the National Theatre of São Carlos (Lisbon), Teatro Micaelense (Azores), Teatro Grattacielo (New York), the International Festival of Religious Music of Guimarães, Operafest (Lisbon), the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Patras, and the chamber orchestra Divino Sospiro. He has worked alongside Harrison Birtwistle, Myron Michailidis, Frank Van Aken, José Eduardo Gomes, Jan Wierzba, Miguel Sepúlveda, Georgios Galanis, and Phaedra Giannellou. Marios began his studies at the Drama School of the Municipal and Regional Theater of Patras and completed his vocal training with Eleni Liona at the Opera Studio of the same theater. He continued his vocal studies in Portugal under Elisabete Matos and Dora Rodrigues.

Yiannis Psarakis

Yiannis Psarakis is a percussionist born in Athens. He graduated from the Athens Conservatory under the tutelage of Dimitris Desyllas and has been awarded multiple scholarships and distinctions. As a member of the Percussion Ensemble of the Athens Conservatory, he has collaborated with the Athens State Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Athens, and the Onassis Stegi. Under the George and Mary Vergoti Music Scholarship program, he has performed as a soloist at the Alternative Stage of the Greek National Opera. He has also collaborated with chamber music ensembles, ranging from baroque to contemporary repertoire, and is a member of the contemporary music ensemble “àktapha.” He has attended masterclasses and workshops with Rainer Römer, Edoardo Giachino, and George Willis.