Byzantine Melodies, Hymns, Tsitsanis, and Theodorakis: What’s On at the Acropolis Museum During the 3rd Sacred Music Festival.

The 3rd Festival of Sacred Music spans 40 concerts, transforming Athens into a spiritual stage. At the Acropolis Museum, two days of performances blend Byzantine hymns, Tsitsanis’ songs with Dimitra Galani, and Theodorakis’ orchestral works, including Epitaphios and the Mauthausen Trilogy.

Article in To Vima.

Sunday, April 13

“Vassilis Tsitsanis 100 Years – The Saint of Love”

Museum Courtyard, 17:00

This concert celebrates the centenary of Vassilis Tsitsanis, one of Greece’s most influential popular musicians. The performance will connect the world of Byzantine hymns with Tsitsanis’ iconic songs, interpreted by acclaimed singer Dimitra Galani, with Manolis Pappos on bouzouki and vocals. Also featured are the Estoudiantina Nea Ionia Orchestra of Volos and the Greek Byzantine Choir, under the direction of Giorgos Konstantinou.

Tsitsanis, known for capturing the passions of everyday people, often focused on women, particularly the image of the mother, whom he likened to the Virgin Mary. His music resonates with the sounds of Byzantine tradition, drawing powerful connections between sacred and folk music. The concert will trace the journey of love, pain, sacrifice, death, and redemption, linking the Divine Drama with Tsitsanis’ evocative folk ballads.

Holy Monday, April 14

“O Sweet Springtime”

Museum Courtyard, 17:30 & 19:30

Featuring works by Mikis Theodorakis and hymns of Holy Friday
Orchestration and music direction: Thanasis Papathanasiou
Bass-baritone: Tasos Apostolou
Performed by: Vamos Orchestra

The Vamos Orchestra, a distinguished Cretan ensemble, offers a fresh perspective on Holy Week, balancing sorrow with the anticipation of Resurrection. The first part of the concert will feature Mikis Theodorakis’ Epitaphios (1958), based on poetry by Yiannis Ritsos. Theodorakis’ symphonic arrangement of Ritsos’ verses reflects the image of a mother mourning her child during the 1936 labour strikes in Thessaloniki.

The second part presents Mauthausen (1965), a work by Theodorakis based on texts by Iakovos Kambanellis, which tells the tragic love story of two prisoners in the Mauthausen concentration camp, where Kambanellis himself was held during WWII.

The final piece, Ai Genai Pasae (“All Generations”), focuses on an excerpt from the Lamentations of Holy Friday, offering an innovative orchestral arrangement that blends instrumental music with Orthodox chant, providing a contemporary reflection on the spirit of Holy Week.

All concerts at the Acropolis Museum are free to attend, with no reservation required. Entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis.