Scandinavian music breezes through Nafplion

Annual festival to present works by Grieg, Sibelius and others

The Nafplion classical music festival is once again openings its doors, this year from June 19 to June 28, under the artistic direction of Yiannis Vakarelis.

Though one of the country’s most established summer classical music festivals, the event had found itself at a turning point.

The decision to give it a specific theme, usually related to a country or a geographic region, has renewed interest.

This year, the 18th Nafplion Festival is dedicated to the music of northern countries, though the program steers clear of any kind of academic presentation of Scandinavian composers.

In collaboration with the festival’s organizers, the embassies of all four participating countries, namely Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, have come up with a varied program covering the event’s three major aims: to present works by celebrated Scandinavian composers; to give audiences an opportunity to see high-caliber Scandinavian musicians perform live and to discover current developments in the Scandinavian classical music scene. Sweden, for instance, has a noteworthy production by young composers.

Naturally, the program’s core comprises works by major classical music composers such as Carl Nielsen, Jean Sibelius and Edvard Grieg.

Almost all of the participating orchestras and ensembles scheduled to appear in the city’s St George Square, at the Vouleftiko or the Palamidi fortress, will interpret works by the aforementioned composers. Nevertheless, the festival’s program ventures beyond Scandinavia.

The repertory extends to Renaissance Flemish composer Tielman Susato, European classical music composers as well as contemporary Greek, British, Finnish and Swedish composers. The festival opens with Michala Petri, Denmark’s star recorder soloist, who is scheduled to appear alongside equally well-known guitarist, and fellow Dane, Lars Hannibal, while the Royal Danish Orchestra is scheduled to appear the following day. A series of parallel events will also take place during the festival, including an exhibition of paintings by Danish artist Canuto Kallan, at the Vouleftiko gallery, beginning on June 20.

For the festival’s entire program, as well as parallel events, visit www.nafplionfestival.gr.