From Monday 7 July to Wednesday 9 July, the Kalogeropoulos Foundation opens its doors to welcome the distinguished faculty of the Thessaloniki State Conservatoire for a Summer Music Academy.

Joining us are piano professors and soloists Georgios-Ioulios Papadopoulos (Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki State Conservatoire) and Vasilis Varvaresos, violin and viola soloist and professor Yannis Korbetis, and cello soloists and professors Yannis Tsitselikis and Dimos Gkountaroulis, together with their participating students.

Alongside the masterclasses, the following events will be open to the public free of charge-  a gift from the Kalogeropoulos Conservatoire and the Thessaloniki State Conservatoire to the audiences of Corinthia and all of Greece.

Monday 7 July-  Kalogeropoulos Foundation, 20:30

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION: “Improvisation in Mozart: the Piano Concerto in D minor, K. 466, with further examples from piano and violin concertos”

In this audiovisual presentation, Thessaloniki State Conservatoire Director, musicologist and pianist Georgios-Ioulios Papadopoulos explores the nearly lost art of spontaneous and pre-planned improvisation. Where, when and under what conditions may a performer depart from the original score? What sources inform such interventions? And what are the essential elements of a successful improvisatory act? Musicians of all instruments, singers, theorists and music lovers are all warmly welcome.

Monday 7 July- Kalogeropoulos Foundation, 21:30

MASTERCLASS FACULTY CONCERT

Masterclass tutors and distinguished soloists Vasilis Varvaresos (piano), Dimos Gkountaroulis (cello) and Yannis Tsitselikis (cello) will perform works by Bach and Schumann.

Tuesday 8 July-  Kalogeropoulos Foundation, 21:00

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION: “Myths and Truths about the Life and Work of Mozart”

In this audiovisual presentation, Georgios-Ioulios Papadopoulos poses a series of compelling questions. Who was Mozart? How did the child prodigy-  who began composing at the age of five and by ten had already completed his first tour of the great courts of Europe, leaving audiences speechless-  become, by the age of 35, a tragic artist writing one opera after another with breathtaking speed and consummate mastery, as though racing against fate? The answers will reveal everything you ever wished to know about the life and music of the great Austrian composer, brought to life through a richly illustrated presentation with musical examples drawn from his best-known orchestral and operatic works.

Wednesday 9 July-  Kalogeropoulos Foundation, 21:00

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION: “The Comic in Music: Humour, Wit, Parody, Irony, Satire”

Can music express the humorous or the witty? This question has occupied generations of musicians, philosophers and critics. In literature and the visual arts-  and even in theatre and cinema-  the comic element is relatively easy to identify. But in music? Most people doubt its ability to convey comedy clearly without the support of text or image. In a two-hour multimedia presentation rich in audiovisual examples, we will explore the theories and categories of the Comic and the ways in which they manifest in music from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Moving from theory to practice, and drawing on the reflections of philosophers, critics and composers, we will analyse comic moments in music with the aim of understanding compositional intention and deepening our enjoyment of the music itself. As informed listeners and performers, we will discover new layers of meaning in both familiar and lesser-known works of the classical repertoire. No prior musical knowledge is required.