Alternative Stage founding donor
Alternative Stage sponsor: PPC (Public Power Company)
The Thessaloniki Piano Festival will present a concert featuring the three award-winners of the 5th Panhellenic Piano Competition, at the GNO Alternative Stage on Friday 7 June 2024, at 20.30. The concert will feature the talented Greek pianists Apostolos Konstantakakis (1st Prize), Nikolas Pappas (2nd Prize), and Ektoras Karatzios-Papaioannou (3d Prize). Apostolos Konstantakakis will perform Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Nikolas Pappas will perform Danseuses de Delphes" (Dancers from Delphi) from Debussy's Preludes, Book I, and Rachmaninov's Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36, while Ektoras Karatzios-Papaioannou will perform Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870 from Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, Beethoven's Sonata in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 (First part - Allegro vivace), Chopin's Scherzo no. 3 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 39, and Trepak from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in Mikhail Pletnev's transcription.
A few words about the Panhellenic Piano Competition
The Thessaloniki Piano Festival, supported by the Thessaloniki State Conservatory, showcases talented Greek pianists through the Panhellenic Piano Competition. The competition takes place every two years and is open to young pianists up to 27 years old. It is organized in three rounds. In the first two rounds, contestants perform solo recitals with their chosen works. In the third round, which takes place at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the shortlisted finalists perform concertos selected by the organizers accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Thessaloniki State Conservatory. Apart from cash prizes, the winners also have the opportunity to perform in concerts at prestigious venues in Athens, Thessaloniki, and other locations in Greece. The three winners of the competitions were singled out among 38 contestants. In this concert, they will present a captivating programme featuring Mussorgsky's vivid Pictures at an Exhibition and Rachmaninov's masterly Second Sonata, along with other pieces. The next competition has been scheduled for spring 2025.
