|
Nikos Spanatis, countertenor
"S.T.A.B. Quartet" (Saxophone Quartet)
Guido De Flaviis (Soprano Saxophone)
Stathis Mavrommatis (Alto Saxophone)
Babis Vlachοs (Tenor Saxophone)
Ilia Samsonov (Baritone Saxophone)
Dimitris Tigkas (Double Bass)
“Sacri Respiri”
"Sacred Breaths: The Christian Lament through the Baroque Mystagogy of Transcendence"
On Holy Wednesday, April 8, at 20:30, within the Neo-Gothic architecture of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Athens, the Days of the Passion meet the spiritual musical realms of Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, and contemporary Italian composer Marco Rosano, in a mystical concert dedicated to the Divine Drama.
The music engages in a profound dialogue with the lament of the archetypal Mother through Vivaldi’s dramatic masterpiece, Stabat Mater, and the first two movements of Marco Rosano’s Stabat Mater. Dedicated to the renowned countertenor Andreas Scholl, Rosano’s work reimagines religious dramatic sentiment, bridging contemporary and Baroque mystagogy. This musical prayer culminates in Pergolesi’s deeply devotional Salve Regina, a hymn to the Virgin Mary radiating ethereal serenity and awe, which meets the architectural perfection of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.
The evening’s uniqueness lies in the original soundscape created by the "S.T.A.B. Quartet." The brass and woodwind timbres of the saxophones, complemented by the profound depth of the double bass, elegantly embrace the singular voice of the countertenor, creating a ritualistic, transcendent, and deeply moving atmosphere. The renowned acoustics of St. Paul's Anglican Church, with its austere Doric stone beauty, provide the ideal setting for this musical encounter, inviting the audience to reflect upon the Christian Lament and the tragic figure of the Virgin Mary during the Crucifixion.
Ticket Sales:
TICKET SERVICES
Box Office: 39 Panepistimiou St, Athens (Pesmazoglou Arcade)
Telephone: +30 210 7234567
Online: www.ticketservices.gr
Venue:
St. Paul's Anglican Church, 27 Philellinon St, Syntagma, Athens
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Nikos Spanatis, countertenor
Born in Frankfurt, Nikos Spanatis holds an Integrated Master’s degree and a Doctorate (PhD) with honours from the Department of Music Studies at the Ionian University. He studied advanced music theory, piano, trumpet, and voice under Aris Christofellis and Rosa Poulimenou, and earned his Soloist Diploma in Classical Singing (First Prize) under Mata Katsouli. He has performed as a soloist in all of Greece’s major theatres and has been invited to international festivals and institutions across Greece and abroad (London, Tallinn, Amsterdam, Venice, Finland, San Sebastián, Belgium, Madrid). He has collaborated with all major Greek orchestras and has performed numerous operatic roles, some of which were composed specifically for him. He currently teaches Classical Singing at the University of Ioannina and serves as Artistic Director and Professor of Vocal Performance at the National Conservatory of Ymittos.
(Official website: https://www.nikosspanatis.com)
S.T.A.B. Quartet
Formed in Athens in 2012, the S.T.A.B. Saxophone Quartet has performed at prestigious venues including the Onassis Stegi, the Greek National Opera, the Rethymno Summer Festival, the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron), the Acropolis Museum, the Patras Music Festival, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Thessaloniki. Their repertoire spans 20th-century classical music, Baroque, cinematic arrangements, contemporary music, jazz, tango, and original works written specifically for the ensemble. With a strong emphasis on contemporary repertoire, they have collaborated with distinguished Greek composers such as Giorgos Koumendakis. The ensemble consists of prominent soloists, each with an illustrious individual career.
Guido De Flaviis: Soprano Sax | Stathis Mavrommatis: Alto Sax
Babis Vlachis: Tenor Sax | Ilia Samsonov: Baritone Sax
Dimitris Tigkas, double bass
Born in Patras, Dimitris Tigkas studied double bass in Greece and violone (historical double bass) at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is a graduate of the Department of Music Studies at the University of Athens. Since 2010, he has been based in Athens, performing extensively with symphony orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and in theatrical productions.
Guido De Flaviis:
Italian saxophonist Guido De Flaviis studied in Milan and Amsterdam. As a soloist, he collaborates with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome), the Orchestra of La Scala (Milan), the Greek National Opera, the Athens State Orchestra, the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, the ERT National Symphony Orchestra, and the Camerata – Armonia Atenea. He has recorded for Warner Classics. His repertoire ranges from pre-classical to contemporary music. He is a member of the Artefacts Ensemble, Tettix, Ventus Ensemble, and Medea Electronique. He has appeared in productions for the French channel Arte and regularly collaborates with the Rafì Music Theatre Group at the Athens Festival, the Alternative Stage (GNO), and the Athens Concert Hall. He performed the solo saxophone parts in Giorgos Koumendakis’ opera The Murderess (2014, 2015, 2021), which was broadcast on Mezzo. He teaches at the Municipal Conservatory of Heraklion.
Stathis Mavrommatis:
Born in Athens in 1974, Stathis Mavrommatis studied Mathematics at the University of Patras and Saxophone at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory under E. Kiosoglou, followed by studies in Band Conducting and Composition at the London College of Music. He is the principal saxophonist of the Athens Philharmonic Wind Orchestra, a regular collaborator with the Athens State Orchestra, and a professor at the Apollonion Conservatory. Numerous Greek and international composers have dedicated works to him, which he has premiered in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, the USA, Canada, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Italy. He has released three CDs: the first with pianist Christina Panteli; the second, Three Greek Concertos for Soprano Saxophone and String Orchestra with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra (honoured by the Union of Greek Critics for Drama and Music); and the third, Dancing with Centaurs – Stories for Saxophone, featuring works by G. Kontogiorgos, which received a Global Music Award in 2019. He has been named a "Distinguished Member" of the Mantzaros Philharmonic Society of Corfu and a "Yamaha Artist." He is the Artistic Director of the SaxAthlon Orchestra and, since 2015, President of the Panhellenic Association of Professional Saxophonists.
Babis Vlachos:
Born in Corfu in 1988, Babis Vlachis received his early musical training on the island. He earned his Saxophone Diploma from the Orpheum Conservatory of Athens (First Prize) under E. Kiosoglou. He also holds degrees in Harmony, Instrumentation, and Wind Conducting (Corfu Conservatory) and Counterpoint and Fugue (Philippos Nakas Conservatory) with honours. In 2009, he won First Prize at the 1st Panhellenic Saxophone Competition (State Conservatory of Thessaloniki) and at the Classical Music Competition of the European University Cyprus. In 2012, he completed his Master of Music (MMus) in Classical Saxophone at the ArtEZ Conservatorium Enschede (Netherlands) under Johan van der Linden. He has performed as a soloist and orchestral musician with ensembles such as the Athens State Orchestra, the ERT Symphony Orchestra, the Greek National Opera, the AHSO (ArtEZ/HKU), and the NJFO (National Youth Fanfare Orchestra).
Ilia Samsonov:
Born in Ukraine in 1991, Ilia Samsonov studied saxophone at the Donetsk School of Music. In 2014, he joined the class of Theodore Kerkezos at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory, graduating with honours in 2018. In 2016, he won First Prize (Category E) at the Panhellenic Saxophone Competition in Larissa. He has been a member of the S.T.A.B. Saxophone Quartet since 2012 and has collaborated with the ERT Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata, and the Jeju Philharmonic Orchestra (South Korea).
|
