Music Dept. Activities

"THE FABULOUS ADVENTURES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT"

An Opera for Soloists, Choir and Youth Orchestra

Music: David Blake
Libretto: John Birtwhistle
Greek Translation: Anna Papastavrou
Director: Guy Rettalick
Set Designer: John Clarke

Soloists:

Production:

Research-Evaluation:

The July of 1998 we are initiating a new International Music Festival for Children in Mytilene, Greece.

    For this year, we comitioned an opera which was composed by the English composer David Blake, and is entitled: "The Fabulous Adventures of Alexander the Great". This opera for youth, with a Greek libretto is written in two acts. The production of its world premier involves the cooperation of a large children choir (140 members), soloists and  a fifty-member orchestra from England and Greece. The children of the choir come from England (Finchley Childrens Music Group)-one of the best youth choirs in England- from Germany (Berlin Radio Youth Choir) and from Greece (the Ionian Conservatory Youth Choir and the Youth Choir of the Municipality of Mytilene). The premier in Mytilene will be sung in Greek, while a second performance in English is scheduled to take place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in England, in November of 1998.

    The main objectives of this project are to bring together youth music ensembles from Europe, to provide opportunities for the development of creative skills and to offer new cultural, social and educational experiences. The young musicians who will participate, will be able to work on choral music in a unique setting. Through the rehearsals, the children will have a close cooperation with the composer/conductor, the professional musicians, the singers and the technicians.

    This project was envisioned, and is being fully organized by Miranda Caldi, Instructor at the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University in Greece.

    It is -sponsored by the Ionian University (Research Committee) and the Municipality of Mytilene. The funding is mainly covered by the Kaleidoscope program of the E.C. and the Municipality of Mytilene.

    We are inviting all music educators and music lovers young and old to come to Mytilene on the 11th and 12th of July for the first two performances of the "Fabulous Adventures of Alexander the Great."