Sophocles opera "Trachiniae" by Sophocles directed by Irini Konsta and music by Panagiotis Karousos was presented at the Gymnasium of Filothei with great success

Filothei Gymnasium, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Athens Secondary Education Division, Ministry of Culture and Sport, Municipality of Filothei - Psychiko
Friday, December 20, 2019. Sophocles opera "Trachiniae" by Sophocles directed by Irini Konsta and music by Panagiotis Karousos was presented at the Gymnasium of Filothei with great success.
The students participated to the performance under the supervision of Kosmas Stamatios, director of the school and the teachers, and they gave a great result, with lots of applause and excitement.

 
The opera "Trachinies" was performed by the great soprano Irini Konsta (Deianira), bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos (Heraklis), mezzo Katerina Botoni (Alkmena), soprano Marianthi Grigoriadou (Ioli), and Pandelis Legakis accompanied at the piano.
Greetings were made by: Kosmas Stamatios, Director-Principal of Filothei Gymnasium, Maxouris Panagiotis, Deputy Director of Filothei Gymnasium, Fotiadis Dimitrios, Chairman of the Secondary Education School Board, Charalambos Giannakopoulos, philologist, and Panagiotis Karousos, composer.
The Mayor of Filothei-Psychiko Mr. Dimitris Galanis, represented by the Municipal Advisor of of the Municipality of Filothei - Psychiko Mrs. Sofia Vithoulkas - Chatzigeorgiou, President of the Social Solidarity - Protection of Culture and Sport Organization of the Municipality of Filothei - Psychiko (OKAPA).
Ms. Christiana Chalkiopoulou - Daniilides from the Parents and Guardians Association of Filothei Gymnasium also contributed to the educational event.
The interactive participation of the students of Filothei Gymnasium under the supervision of the teachers was also impressive.

 
Filothei Gymnasium Theatre Group in directing and editing texts by philologist-rhetorician Marso Markesini: Students: Pythia: Samara Ioni, Hyllus: Marios Daniilidis, Kirikas-Lichas: Vasilis Troizis, Koryphae: Xanthou Natalia and Christina Alvanou, Chorus: Paris Alexis, Akramos Vassi -Malafi, Christina Albanou, Orpheus Theodosiou, Emilia Vihou, Dimitra Papidi, Sarantos Stenos, Dionysis Vakrakos, Vassilis Troizis, Marios Daniilidis, Athletes: Kratinos: Kyriakos Mirmiroglou, Nikomachos: Giorgos Christou.
Filothei Gymnasium Choir under the direction of musician Ourania Willielmou.
Students - Choir Students: Albertis Viktoras, Anthimos Michalis, Samara Ioni, Vafopoulos Hector, Lytra Michaela, Karkanis Dimitris, Xanthou Natalia, Alexiou Paris, Pyramis Eleni, Paliali Eleni, Gamila Albanians Christina, Govopoulou Natalia, Tsoukala Eleni, Mirmiroglou Kyriakos, Natsinas Konstantinos, Zannos Konstantinos, Kassouras Anastasia, Bathrellos Dimitris, Koukiou Athina Maria, Vergitsis Giorgos, Vakrakou Dionysos, Stenos Sarantos.

 

 Background of the opera: "Trachinies" by Panagiotis Karousos
The Trachines describe the suffering of Hercules and the atonement of Deianira, with her tragic death. The operatic tragedy presents Greek mythology and philosophy with Doric lyricism. In Trachiniae, as in other works of Panagiotis Karousos, the ancient Greek tragedy is combined with the melancholic romanticism of the arias in bel-canto style, which highlights this opera as an important operatic work of the modern era, "an original burst of lyricism in the opera" .

 
Contemporary opera "Trachinies" by Sophocles by Panagiotis Karousos was presented:
In USA, at Lincoln Center in New York on March 26, 2016 under the name "Olympic Flame", this performance was the first Greek opera in history to be presented at Lincoln Center.
At the Astoria Summer Festival in the United States on July 5, 2016 on the occasion of the 2016 Olympic Games, as an open-air opera performance with great opera artists from New York.
In Canada, at the Montreal Cathedral (Basilica of Notre-Dame) with soloist, choir and large symphony orchestra under the direction of conductor Andre Gauthier.
In Greece, the opera premiered in the Parliament Old House, in costumes directed by bass Vasilis Asimakopoulos who starred as Hercules and in the role of Deianira the soprano Irini Konsta.

                                                                
Also, at the Ancient Sikiona Stadium, at Ancient Corinth, at the Open-air Theater of Koropi, at the 3rd Aigina Municipal Theater Festival, at Papagos Gardens Theater, at Lamia Municipal Theater, at Loutraki Alexandrio Convention Center with Corinth Philharmonic under the direction of Eleftheria Moraitaki. Excerpts from the opera presented at "Parnassos"  Concert Hall under the direction of maestro Eleftherios Kalkanis, and at Athens Municipal Theater “Anna & Maria Kalouta” with the Graduates’ Choir of the Music High School of Pallini and Music Educators’ Choir of Attiki “Choremus” under the direction of maestro Faidra Giannelou.
The Trachiniae Chorus (Olympic Flame) was presented in The Hague, Netherlands with the Gunst wat'n Kunst Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the direction of Rafael Pylarinos.