Microcosmos: Mario Batkovic

Is electronic music the classical music of the 20th (and now the 21st) century? Perhaps this question is not as provoking anymore, as we have seen electronica transmute into various different kinds of music, serving various different purposes: experimental, dance, closer to jazz, pop music, or other genres.

Still, the term "neoclassical" has been predominantly used over the past few decades to refer to modern composers of classical music who use (or build on) electronic elements to develop their work.

Such artists are the Swiss accordion player Mario Batkovic (20/11) and the Italian multi-instrumentalist Federico Albanese (04/12), two prominent contemporary musicians and distinguished guests of the concert series Microcosmos that will be taking place at the SNFCC over the coming months.

The series will be kicked off with Suzanne Ciani (23/10), a pioneer of electronic vanguard for the past 50 years with a decisive production in both musical composition and sound design.

Three atmospheric nights at the SNFCC Lighthouse, featuring three contemporary musical geniuses who have been constantly renewing the avant-garde throughout their career, making it more accessible while also exploring the unlimited possibilities of sound.

Mario Batkovic

One of the names that renewed the roster of the avant-garde in the 2010s, Swiss Mario Batkovic combines the classical with the contemporary and the "hypnotic" with the "grandiose," having worked together with a highly diverse array of creators, including electronic music producer James Holden, saxophone virtuoso Colin Stetson and drummer Clive Deamer (Radiohead/Portishead). And he has done all this with the accordion as his "weapon" of choice; a traditional instrument, which may be more associated with street performers, but Batkovic has reinvented, exploring its potential without effects or loops. With the accordion at the center of his symphonic vision, Batkovic earned widespread critical acclaim for his debut album in 2017 and brought his work to the next level with his album Introspectio (2021). He has also been widely discussed for performing in extremely diverse events and venues such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Fondation Cartier in Paris, the Hamburg Philharmonic, and the famous Berlin nightclub Berghain.

Watch videos of Mario Batkovic here.

Sunday 20/11, 21.00

LIGHTHOUSE

Advance Ticket Sales Points:

• Online on Ticket Services website
• By phone: 210 7234567 (Ticket Services)
• At the Ticket Services Box Office (Panepistimiou 39, Athens)

Booking period

• Pre-sale for Members starts on Tuesday 18/10 at 12.00 (limited number of tickets).
• Pre-sale for the public starts on Wednesday 19/10 at 12.00.

Ticket Prices:
General entrance €15, reduced €10

Concession tickets of €10 are available to students, people aged 65+, children and young people aged up to 18 years old, the unemployed, companions of Persons with Disabilities, multi-child families and residents of the Municipality of Kallithea.

On the day of the event, concession ticket holders will be asked to show their ID, as well as supporting documentation (student card, unemployment card, family status certificate for multi-child parents, utility bill for residents of Kallithea)

Free tickets are available to Persons with Disabilities, by contacting the call center at 210 7234567 or via email at info@ticketservices.gr and by showing their ID and certification of disability on the day of the event.

Important information:

• Doors open at 20.00
• We suggest that you be at the location no later than 30' minutes before the commencement of the event.
• Entrance will be possible up to 10 minutes before the event's commencement.
• Pre-sale is required. No order of priority will be available on-site.
• All SNFCC areas are accessible to people with disabilities.
• For more information or clarifications, please contact the SNFCC switchboard on 216 8091000.

This event comes under a grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Alongside the majority of its events, which are free thanks to a series of SNF grants, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center also organizes a number of events with affordable tickets, thus enriching its income sources and securing its long-term financial integrity.