Hellenikon Idyllion
for choirs, orchestras and other creative groups

Request of opera performance about the sunken ancient city `Helike`
 with your choir and/or orchestra
you are invited to live one or two weeks without charge at “Hellenikon Idyllion

Dear Sir or Madam,

„Hellenikon Idyllion“ is an international musical-cultural meeting place at the northwest coast of the Peloponnese in Greece. Until September 2010 it is arranging an international opera composition contest to an already written libretto in honor of an archaeological research project which aims at the localization and excavation of the famous ancient city Helike near Egion (jury members: Prof. Dr. Werner Schulze, composer and professor at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Austria); Alois Springer, conductor, Frankfurt/ Main (Germany); Dr. Spyros Mazis, composer, Athens (Greece)).

The underlying opera libretto of the composition contest is written in old Greek language and begins in ancient time with the story of a love couple, who survives the earthquake and the tragic destruction of their hometown Helike. Also the sweets of the ancient symposium are placed in the story. Turning point of the story is the leap in time to the present, when a team of archaeologists is desperately looking for the sunken city. During this search, but a second earthquake shakes the earth and causes an earth wall to collapse, what brings some of the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon and the Poseidon statue to light. The success of the long and exhausting search for Helike is coming: The entire site is exposed. The opera ends in a grand and triumphant celebration with choir chants and ancient as modern Greek dances in honor of archaeology, the home and the immortal love (literary and textual transformation into ancient Greek language: Dr. Franz Knappik, MA (philosophy, ancient Greek, musicology) Munich (Germany); ideas given by Andreas Drekis).

It is expected that the performance of this opera will attract people from around the world as well as from your country to Greece: Archaeology enthusiasts, aficionados of ancient Greek language and ancient Greek culture, but also aficionados of impressive opera music, which is represented musically by the two different earthquakes. Because of the love story, the first tragic earthquake and the second one, which is transferring joy in a very unusual way, as well as the leap in time to the modern world, this opera will inspire a broad audience for the Greek culture.

Because of the characteristics listed above the opera competition has spurred composers from around the world to start with setting the libretto into music. Some of the participating composers have accepted our invitation to stay for a week or two free in “Hellenikon Idyllion” so that they could visit the archaeological site where the ancient Greek city Helike and its early detection is expected, and could be inspired by it.

We strongly believe our opera competition will achieve wonderful and unique musical results that will enthuse you and we would be delighted if we could awaken your interest. Please share our enthusiasm and consider the performance of the opera! It would be a great honor to us if you want to perform the opera in both in your home country and in Greece. In Greece, we seek here in particular the performance in ancient Greek theaters or even in the original excavation site of Helike. Furthermore, all the ensemble members who perform the opera are invited to live one or two weeks without charge at “Hellenikon Idyllion”. Even otherwise, we would like to assure you of our maximum support to bring the opera to a successful performance.

If you are interested to perform the opera in your house, please contact us. On request, we will send you immediately the entire libretto in ancient Greek, German and English as well. From the beginning of October 2010 we can also provide you with excerpts of the three award-winning operas.

In case of further questions please, do not hesitate to contact me at any time by phone: 0030 - 26910 72488, mobile: 0030 - 69722 63356 or e-mail to hellenikon@idyllion.gr.

If you require further information on our center and our history, the international opera composition contest or the excavations of the ancient city “Helike”, you are also kindly invited to visit our website on www.idyllion.gr

We look forward to hear from you soon. Thank you for your cooperation.

 Yours sincerely

Andreas Drekis

- Director -

August 2004

Video1   and  Video2

The "Sinfonic Wind Orchestra"
of the youth's music school of Singen, Germany

July 2003: Youth Symphony orchestra of Strasbourg

Some of our guests in 2002: Neckarsulm Youth Symphony Orchestra,Germany, Youth Wind Orchestra of Frankfurt, choolorchestra of the Rudolf Steiner school Basel, Wood and Metal Connection Symphony Orchestra, Switzerland

Some of our guests in 2001:  The Youth Symphony Orchestra  Zürich ,

 The Youth  Chamber Orchestra Schleswig Holstein and the schoolchoir of Gera, Germany -the last two even for the 3rd time - 

Pavilion in the garden for concerts and theatre

Dear friends, our centre for music and culture "Hellenikon Idyllion" at the northcoast of the Peloponnese offers choirs and orchestras an ideal forum to prepare concerts or just to rehearse intensively. In the flowering garden creative work can be combined with recreation and international contacts.

Painting and playing in the idyllic garden    The famous british celloplayer Stefan Popov

Ancient Theater of Egeira in the near                                                                                                              
Location
The genuine greek village Selianitika with its small taverns and traditional coffeeshops is placed at the coast between Patras and Korinth. The surrounding is full of flowers, fig-, olive-, orange- and lemontrees, palms and has lots of pitoresque cottages and villages.

Accommodation
The bungalows and flats with two or more beds are provided with bathroom and kitchen. "Hellenikon Idyllion" offers space for 70 people more people until 120 persons in the hotel nearby,  Breakfast, lunch and dinner can either be prepared individually or be taken in the tavern nearby.

                               Chamber music and classic ballet in the garden

                            Travel
We recommend to travel to Athens by plane. We help you to organize your transport from the airport to Egion/Selianitika (about 2 hrs.). If you go by car or bus you take the ferry boat from Ancona or Bari/Italy to Patras/Greece.

Facilities for Rehearsing
In the wide and shadowy garden there is a Schimmel Grand piano in a glaspavilion. Furthermore we can offer two big rooms with pianos and many shadowy places in the garden   .Video                                

Due to a nice breeze from the sea it will never be too hot. There are two stages for rehearsals, concerts, dance, theatre and performances of any kind. Concerts in the surrounding countryside for instance, in an antique theater, can be organized.

Surroundings
The famous antique places like Olympia, Delphi, Mykene and Epidauros can easily be visited from Selianitika. Mythological landscape and old greek monuments can be enjoyed. There is also the possibility to relax in the garden or at the beach or to go for a swim in the sea which is just in front of "Hellenikon Idyllion.

 Video 3

Playing together  with Greek musicians : The young Guitar Orchestra, Maria Petemerithou, soprano, and the choire of Egion (on the left hand) and Maria Kavouni, concertguitar, playing together with guests of Hellenikon Idylion in the beautiful concerthall of the archaeological museum in Egion (on teh right hand)

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