“Greek Composers Travel the World” Concert – (Videos)

On Saturday March 18, 2017, the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal had the privilege to host an exceptional concert at the Hellenic Community Centre Adrian Maris. Over 600 guests had the opportunity to witness the extraordinary talent of Greek classical singer Kleoniki Demiri, recognised as one of the most gifted artists of her generation. She has performed worldwide with countless renowned musicians. On this night, she was accompanied by Achilles Gouastor on piano, Stavros Parginos on the cello and Lefteris Grivas on the accordion.
This concert was unique opportunity for attendees to experience a wide variety of music. It was not just the music, however, that made this performance a success, it was also the atmosphere. There was a pleasantness and ease about the whole performance. That first Mikis theodorakis’ instrumental song “Hartaetoi”, filled the entire hall, and marked the beginning of an exceptional night of phenomenal Greek music.
What following were 30 songs composed by the greatest Greek composers, with such musical depth that touched listeners’ hearts. Kleoniki delivered charismatically, guiding her listeners’ ears to the melodic line. Kleoniki concluded her program with another work by Theodorakis, “Strose to Stroma Sou”.
On her final note, the audience quickly rose for a standing ovation, punctuated by frequent cries of “Bravo!” as a member of the Atelier Folklorique joined her on stage to present Kleoniki with a bouquet of flowers. The audience’s continued applause signified their plea to hear more, a request to which she gladly honoured with one encore, “Tis Dikaiosinis Ilie”, also by Theodorakis.
Kleoniki was not only perfect in terms of technical skill, but also demonstrated her exceptional expressive and poetic depth of her talent. For those two hours, all those in the Hellenic Community Centre Adrian Maris were united and completely captivated by her performance.

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