«When Love...»

Lecture Room Music Library
of the Friends of Music Association
at the Athens Concert Hall

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | 20:30

This recital takes us on a journey through a rich tapestry of musical textures and soundscapes, exploring the many facets of love.

Love-an intense and multifaceted emotion, shaped both by the self and by social conventions-is approached here in fragments, gradually revealing its many dimensions.

The first half, through the lens of German Romanticism and Robert Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben (A Woman's Love and Life), presents love within an established social framework: the story of a relationship that unfolds over the course of an entire lifetime. From the first glance, to longing, union, marriage, family, and ultimately death, this well-known narrative traces a familiar path while revealing the boundless emotional worlds it contains.

The second half embarks on a journey through the many reflections of intimacy, connection, and surrender. The French mélodies of Gabriel Fauré and Henri Duparc create a dreamlike exploration of the meaning of human connection, viewed through the delicate haze of impression and atmosphere. This ethereal landscape is then grounded by the Greek songs of Manolis Kalomiris and Theophrastos Sakellaridis, which introduce the element of folk wisdom-a truth that embraces both life's hardships and its beauty, expressed through fairytale-like imagery and symbolism.

The journey concludes in the world of opera, where everyday emotions are magnified and transformed into profound dramatic expression. In doing so, the program creates a musical universe that serves as a mirror of our own.

Eftychia Giannakakou began her journey in the world of music at an early age. Her first experience on the opera stage came through her participation in the Children's Choir of the Greek National Opera from 2012 to 2016. During this period, she appeared in productions including Tosca, Werther, La Bohème, The Cunning Little Vixen, Carmen, The Murderess (I Fonissa), and others. She later studied under Mata Katsouli at the Athenaeum Conservatory, where she was granted her Diploma in Classical Singing as a mezzo-soprano in January 2026. In parallel with her musical studies, she completed her studies at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens in February 2025.

Eftychia is accompanied on the piano by the distinguished pianist Dimitris Giakas.

Born in Athens, Dimitris Giakas received his Piano Diploma from the National Conservatory, where he studied with Myrto Mavrikou. He continued his musical studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, specializing in piano, chamber music, and opera coaching. He subsequently studied vocal accompaniment with the renowned accompanist Dalton Baldwin. From 1982 to 1991, he served as pianist and vocal coach at the Paris Opera and, at the invitation of its Music Director Kent Nagano, at the Opéra de Lyon. During this period, he also performed extensively as a collaborative pianist with singers in Paris and at numerous festivals and concert venues throughout France. Since returning to Athens in 1990, he has maintained a long-standing collaboration with the Greek National Opera and the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Mousikis). He regularly accompanies both Greek and international singers in concerts throughout Greece and abroad.