A new tradition is coming to Nafplio, the 1st Acronafplia Festival, from August 26th to September 6th 2024, in order to keep us entertained by art and culture, with lasting magic until the autumn!
It is a new Festival, characterized by extroversion, high quality and aesthetics, inspiration from the past and an open view of the future. Its program was announced at a press conference on July 31st 2024 and includes events at iconic sites, while not following the beaten track.
The program of the Akronafplia Festival consists of six productions, which bear the seal of the Municipality of Nafplion and are presented for the first time. The performers are outstanding artists, such as Reni Pittaki, Karyofyllia Karampeti, Nefeli Fasouli, Fotis Siotas, Akylas Karazisis, Renos Charalambidis, Christina Maxouri, Konstantinos Evaggelidis, Maria Papageorgiou, Euripides Zemenidis, George Theodoropoulos, Olia Lazaridou and Cora Karvouni.
Program of events
Monday, August 26th 2024, small Theater in Akronafplia castle, at 21:00
Yannis Ritsos - The Moonlight Sonata, featuring Mrs. Reni Pittaki
"I want to make poetry 'seen' and 'heard' again, and not just read. I also want to make the viewer able again, not only to read poetry, but also to hear it first hand. And I think, what would the Sonata be like, for example, if it were "performed" by real, experienced and cultured actors. I think that in this way, even the simplest and most uninformed listener and viewer could feel the text in its most subtle and difficult parts and be moved".
So, guided by these words of Yannis Ritsos, the poet of great narratives, and performed by Mrs. Reni Pittaki, we present the Moonlight Sonata, perhaps the most emblematic monologue of the Fourth Dimension.
Lady in Black: Reni Pittaki
Directed by Thodoris Gonis.
On-stage musician: Fotis Siotas
Monday, August 26th 2024, small Theater in Akronafplia castle, at 21:00
Andreas Karkavitsas - The prisons of Nafplion, with Karyophyllia Karambetti
His first tour of the Peloponnese (1891-92) brings Andreas Karkavitsas to Nafplio. He visits the prisons there and is shocked by the inhuman situation he sees. His impressions, published shortly afterwards in the Estia magazine, are both a cry of the soul against a world of tragic misery, the existence of which he had not imagined, and a complaint about the cruelty of the state towards convicts. Karkavitsha Prison is the Dante's hell of a place that is far from being a paradise.
Read by the actress Karyophyllia Karabetti.
Monday, August 26th 2024, small Theater in Akronafplia castle, at 21:00
Nefeli Fassoulis - Fotis Siotas concert
The excellent singer and musician Nefeli Fassouli and the versatile composer-songwriter Fotis Siotas present their songs: "Your World" by Phoebus Delivorias , "The Garden" by Antonis Apergis, with the voice of Nefeli Fassoulis, "the second" and "two mistakes", with music by Fotis Siotas and lyrics by Thodoris Gonis.
Nefeli Fassouli - song
Fotis Siotas - song, violin, guitar
Kostis Kostakis - guitar, havaja
Dimitris Tsekouras - double bass
Giorgos Fountoukos - classical guitar
Wednesday August 28th 2024, Agios Spyridon Square, at 21:00
Pantelis Boukalas - Peter of Mani and the spectrum of factions
A double monologue
Petrobeis Mavromichalis and the spectrum of factions, by Pantelis Boukalas.
Calliope Kalpodimou presents the book and talks with the author. Pantelis Boukala will read excerpts from his work. While Dimitra Tsagaraki together with three musicians (Nikolaos Dalianis, Pavlos Kordis, Petros Christakis), in conversation with the text of Pantelis Boukala, will present the musical performance entitled "Fragments of Memory - A musical dialogue of life and death" with songs and lamentations of Mania.
Saturday August 31st 2024 - Acropolis of Ancient Assini , at 21:00
George Seferis & Nikos Karouzos: The King of Asini - In Assini the orange trees
A conversation between two poets and two poems.
George Seferis meets Nikos Karouzos at the Acropolis of Ancient Assini! The poet and scholar of the work of George Seferis, Dimitris Daskalopoulos, will talk about this "meeting".
The poems will be read by Olia Lazaridou and Cora Karvouni.
Saturday August 31st 2024 - Acropolis of Ancient Assini, at 21:00
"The cycle of poets in music" - Concert with Christina Maxouri and Konstantinos Evaggelidis.
A poetic musical narration by Christina Maxouri and Konstantinos Evaggelidis, guided by the works set to music on the words of great poets, such as Odysseas Elytis, Miltos Shachtouris, Napoleon Lapathiotis, Nikos Kavvadias, etc.
Excerpts from the poetic works of Dionysios Solomos, K.P. Cavafy, Dinos Christianopoulos, Maria Polydouris, Katerina Angelakis-Rouk and the accompaniment of short classical music. Timeless compositions by Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hadjidakis, Dimitris Lagios, Nikos Xydakis, Thanos Mikroutsikos etc., are in conversation with the words of the great poets and works by the Romantics Erik Satie and Claude Debussy.
A selection of songs and texts - interpretation by Christina Maxouri.
A selection of classical pieces - piano: Konstantinos Evaggelidis.
Tuesday September 3rd 2024 - Old Railway Station of Nafplio
"36, Dimitriou Soutsou str."
A conversation between Nikos Karouzos and Yannis Zouganelis.
On June 13th 1986, Yannis Zouganelis arrives at 36, Dimitrios Soutsos street, in the semi-basement where Nikos Karouzos lived. Zouganelis arrives there at the poet's invitation, with a tape recorder in his hands.
"One day he asked me to talk to him. Come, he says, I want to talk. You take a piece of paper and write. I want you to talk about me. It's not easy for me to write, I said, I'll get a tape recorder."
Reading: Akilas Karazisis & Renos Charalambidis
Tuesday September 3rd 2024 - Old Railway Station of Nafplio
"Tales of the street, tales of joy"
Musical performance with Michalis and Pantelis Kalogerakis.
Michalis and Pantelis Kalogerakis present a part of their work from the albums Varvara Project (2023), The Tales of Melpomene (2024) and the beloved Rebotika (2021).
With them Stratos Grindzalis, bouzouki, mandolin.
Wednesday September 4th 2024 - Kolokotronis Park
Photos that "speak"
Citizens of the Municipality of Nafplio, but also of neighboring municipalities, who were photographed in the park by the two outdoor photographers, come with their photos and tell their story.
From the adjacent jukebox you can hear folk songs of the '60s and '70s and the waiters from the wooden pavilion-coffee shop of the Manitara brothers offer refreshments, cold beer and of course, the legendary submarine...
Friday September 6th 2024, small Theater in Akronafplia castle at 21:00
Concert with Maria Papageorgiou - "3 in loop"
With Dimitris Bakoulis
Maria Papageorgiou, after a series of important performances in emblematic concert venues in Athens and after the special sensation caused by her recent performance - proposal to the work of Thanos Mikroutsikos, comes to the small Theater in Akronafplia, with the special project "3 In Loop".
With her personal discography, which now spans ten years, and her ability to create new readings of beloved songs, through the broader concept of musicality, Maria creates a rare sonic environment, where decades, languages, songwriters and their stories are interwoven, and invites us to a mystical performance, full of the thrill of returning -and of her art.
Performing on stage:
Maria Papageorgiou - guitar, loops, davul, handpans
Euripides Zemenides - electric guitar, programming
Giorgos Theodoropoulos - synths
"Returning - that's the miracle -
to return to your good side.
Cut a song from the blossoms
with nostalgic fingers.
To be returning - that's the miracle.
Nikos Karouzos
Artistic Direction
Mr. Thodoris Gonis
Organization
The production and organization of the events is underwritten by the Municipality of Nafplion, in cooperation with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolis.
Admission
Free to all events
Reservations
To attend the events, early arrival is sufficient.
Contact: offices of the Mayoralty of Culture of the Municipality of Nafplion, address Asklipiou Ave., (Zymvrrakaki villa)
Information
Τ. +30 27520 27153
Did you know that?
The production and organization of the events is underwritten by the Municipality of Nafplion, in cooperation with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolis.
The poster of the Akronafplia Festival was digitally painted by the illustrator and visual artist Dimitris Hatzopoulos.
