Faidra Giannelou conducted the Oratorio: “The United Nations – Hope of Mankind” by Panagiotis Karousos with a great success

30 January 2019. The renown conductor Faidra Giannelou directed the Oratorio: “The United Nations – Hope of Mankind” under the name "The Song of the Nations" by Panagiotis Karousos, with the amazing opera soloists Irini Konsta and Vasilis Asimakopoulos, the “Graduates' Choir of Music School Pallini”, the Attiki Educators' Choir “Choremus”, and the Hellenic Symphony Orchestra of remarkable young musicians.

The stunning concert organized by the Club for UNESCO of Piraeus and Islands, and dedicated to the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, was presented with great success to the crowded theater of the Municipal Theater of Athens “Anna & Maria Kalouta” to a warm audience, applauding continuously the artists.

The new conductor, Faidra Giannelou, took over the project to run the Oratorio: "The Song of the Nations" by Panagiotis Karousos, a project of a difficult modern neo-romantic writing. Although she collaborated with the orchestra young musicians and teachers' choir, and she achieved an amazing result in a short time, preparing the work and interpreting it with great success.

Soprano Irini Konsta impressed with her big voice full of finesse, and with her imposing stage presence.

Vasilis Asimakopoulos, a great bass, interpreted the work with a velvety voice and vocal intensity that often covered the orchestra.

The two outstanding soloists of the concert were surprisingly also performing the dramatic duet (Prometheus - Io) from the opera "Prometheus Bound" by P. Karousos.

The talented musicians almost all played soloistically with great enthusiasm and musicality, especially in the two Overtures of the oratorio and the opera "Prometheus Bound".

The Attiki Educators' Choir “Choremus, was performed three choruses from the operas, "Prometheus Bound", "Trachiniae", and "Alexander the Great", by Panagiotis Karousos.

The concert was presented by Ioannis Maronitis, President of the Club for UNESCO Piraeus and Islands. Greeting gaved by Maria Tsianti, director of the political office of SYRIZA Giorgos Tsogas MP, George Tsoukalis, private researcher and consultant of cultural heritage of the Club for UNESCO Piraeus and Islands, and the composer Panagiotis Karousos.

The "Song of the Nations" or Oratorio: “The United Nations – Hope of Mankind” by Panagiotis Karousos is an oratorio dedicated to the United Nations. It was first presented in Montreal, Canada, with the collaboration of the United Nations Department (ICAO) under the auspices of UNESCO Canada, and with the funding of the City of Montreal with a great success in 2003 at the Cathedral Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.

ICAO President Assad Kotaite said after the concert: "The work of Panagiotis Karousos is a masterpiece of art that brings us the message of unity and peace, a magnificent hymn dedicated to the United Nations."

The Oratorio: “The United Nations – Hope of Mankind” consists of 6 poems representing the 6 official languages ​​of the United Nations: Russian "The singer" Alexander Pushkin, Chinese "A Day of Spring" Li Po, Arabic "Divine Music" Khalil Gibran, Spanish "Canción del gitano apaleado" Federico Garcia Lorca, French “The harp of the Songs" Lamartine, English "I Hear America Singing" Walt Whitman.

The work was applauded by the audience that gave the artists a standing ovation.