The French Connection
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The French Connection
The French Connection: Athens International Music Festival
- October 23, 2025
- 8.30 PM, Thursday
- Parnassos Literary Society
About the Program:
An evening of vibrant contrasts and refined lyricism, this program explores the wide-reaching influence of French musical style across borders and genres. Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat, written during his Swiss exile but steeped in the elegance and irony of French neoclassicism, opens the night with theatrical flair. A selection of vocal arias by Delibes, Fauré, Mozart, and others showcases the expressive beauty of the art song tradition. The evening culminates in Chausson’s luminous and emotionally charged Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet — a masterwork that blends French sensitivity with romantic grandeur.
Stravinsky – L’Histoire du soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)
Julien Hervé, clarinet
Tosca Opdam, violin
Victor Stanislavsky, piano
G. Fauré — Le papillon et la fleur
W.A. Mozart — Non mi dir, from Don Giovanni
A. Thomas — Je suis Titania, from Mignon
C. Debussy — Beau Soir
F. Liszt — Pace non trovo, from ‘Tre sonetti di Petrarca’
L. Delibes — Ou va la jeune Indoue, from Lakmé
Christina Poulitsi, soprano
Victor Stanislavsky, piano
E. Chausson – Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet, Op. 21
Asi Matathias, violin
David Kadouch, piano
Tosca Opdam, violin
Kristina Georgieva, violin
Wenting Kang, viola
Gabriel Scwhabe, cello
Festival Artists
The Parnassos Literary Society
A Beacon of cultural prestige in Athens
The Parnassos Literary Society Mansion was established in 1865 and has since been one of the most prestigious venues for concerts, lectures and various cultural events. Today, the mansion stands as a preserved historic building, officially designated as a cultural monument. The Central Hall is renowned for its exceptional acoustics and it was electrified immediately after the Hellenic Parliament, making it one of the earliest buildings in Greece to receive electric lighting. Over the years, distinguished figures such as Pierre de Coubertin, Arthur Evans, Georges Clemenceau, Winston Churchill, and Eleftherios Venizelos have delivered speeches from its esteemed stage.
Named after the mountain dedicated to Apollon and the Muses, Parnassos Literary Society — one of the oldest cultural institutions in Greece —established this mansion not merely as a venue, but as a sanctuary for the arts, where music, literature, and scholarship converge in harmony.
To attend an event at the Parnassos Literary Society Mansion is to partake in a tradition of refinement, intellect, and artistic brilliance—a truly essential experience for any connoisseur of the arts in Athens.
Join us in the heart of Athens for a transformative celebration of classical music, culture, and creativity.
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