Classic Rock 9
The Athens State Orchestra
collaborates with SEPTICFLESH

Classic Rock 9

HERODEION

Saturday, September 27, 2025
[sold out]

Friday 26 September 2025
[** EXTRA SHOW **]

The Athens State Orchestra

collaborates with

SEPTICFLESH

the Greek rock band with an impressive international career

Featuring the
Piraeus Vocal Ensemble LIBRO CORO

Conductor
Koen Schoots

Guests:
Fany Melfi, Aphrodite Patoulidou (Soprano/Nyckelharpa), Vahan Galstyan (Duduk)

The audience demanded it persistently! After the sold out of the first concert of the season within just 40 hours, many were left without a ticket for the unique experience of the SEPTICFLESH concert beneath the Acropolis, in a meeting with the symphonic brilliance of the Athens State Orchestra featuring 60 musicians on stage.

This year with a renewed Set List.

Three distinct Guests join the band, adding even more atmosphere to this one-of-a-kind live show. On vocals, Fany Melfi and Afroditi Patoulidou, and on duduk, Vahan Galstyan.

The Piraeus Vocal Ensemble LIBRO CORO and its children's choir complete this unique listening experience (Musical Coaching Anthi Gouroundi).

With nine albums, countless concerts and ongoing tours around the world, appearances at international festivals, and 24 years of career in the global rock/metal scene, SEPTICFLESH have written their own chapter and earned a distinct place in their genre, capturing the hearts of thousands of fans worldwide.

On February 8, 2025, SEPTICFLESH performed at the legendary Pepsi Center in Mexico City, accompanied by over 200 people on stage – including a full symphony orchestra and a double choir – delivering one of the most ambitious and grandiose live performances in the band's history.

The symphonic/metal live show of SEPTICFLESH was first presented in 2019 at the Metropolitan Theater of Mexico City with the Mexico Symphony Orchestra, featuring 140 musicians and a 40-member choir. It was an outstanding concert attended by over 3,500 people and completely sold out.

After last year's triumph at the Herodeion, the time has come to relive this unique musical experience in the world's most iconic venue, under the Acropolis and the starlit Attic sky. The concert will feature a renewed setlist including songs not performed last year.

The experience is elevated by the majestic symphonic sound of the Athens State Orchestra with 60 musicians on stage, under the baton of internationally acclaimed Dutch conductor Koen Schoots.

SEPTICFLESH live shows are a unique aesthetic spectacle. Their vision is to present a fully integrated audio-visual result with emphasis on theatricality, always striving to include elements of Greek culture in the imagery, as is also reflected in their lyrics.

From Japan, Mexico, and South America to every corner of Europe, Septicflesh have been touring for two decades building a remarkable international career.

The group has a vast and widespread global fan base.

Discographically, the band collaborates with one of the largest rock/metal labels, Nuclear Blast Records based in Germany, and their latest release "Modern Primitive" received a very warm response.

The international recognition of the band is undeniable. Notably, in 2021, sheet music from four of their compositions was selected by the prestigious Berklee College of Music to be included in its music library for student study.

The production and execution of Classic Rock 9 will once again be handled by the acclaimed company Robin 4 Arts.

Biography

SEPTICFLESH was formed in Greece in the early '90s by Spyridon Antoniou (vocals/bass), Christos Antoniou (guitar), and Sotiris Vayenas (guitar/vocals). From their very first album "Mystic Places of Dawn", they experimented with cinematic elements through the nine-minute instrumental “Mythos.” Many of their lyrics draw inspiration from the mythology of ancient civilizations, especially Greek. This became more prominent in their next album titled "ΕΣΟΠΤΡΟΝ" (Esoptron), which had a more philosophical orientation. Greek cultural elements have accompanied their musical journey with songs like “Morpheus the Dreamlord,” “Narcissus,” “Tartarus,” “Prometheus,” and “Martyr,” which refers to the pioneering mathematician and philosopher Hypatia, who was brutally murdered.

Musically, beyond their dominant metal identity, the band has always flirted with symphonic music, increasingly incorporating it over time. In their early days, they collaborated with Natalia Rasouli (daughter of the late lyricist Manolis Rasoulis), adding operatic female vocals to their compositions. For the past seven consecutive releases, they have maintained a steady collaboration with the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague. Notably, Christos Antoniou holds a Bachelor's in music composition from the London College of Music and a Master's in composition and orchestration. Among his professors was Adam Gorb, head of composition at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Spyridon Antoniou, apart from being a composer, graduated with honors from the Athens School of Fine Arts in the 1st Painting Workshop, studying under professors Dimitris Mytaras, Zacharias Arvanitis, and Angelos Antonopoulos. He later pursued photography under Professor Manolis Babousis.