9th International Music Days of Kalamata

Kalamata welcomes the International Music Days for the ninth consecutive year. This renowned institution has established itself as an important cultural event for classical music in Greece and the wider region. From August 24th to September 6th, the city transforms into a vibrant centre of artistic creation, hosting distinguished musicians and soloists from Greece and abroad.

The festival offers high-level concerts and masterclasses, highlighting this year, through a multitude of combinations of different musical genres and styles, the concept of diversity. Starting from the differentiation between the Middle Ages' written and oral musical traditions and reaching the dialogue between pop and avant-garde creation of recent decades, this year's program seeks the timeless common ground of human creation and artistic expression. In a world on fire, this cannot be located in the common experience of being human, an experience that transcends any cultural and individual differences.

This year's program includes concerts with leading international artists such as cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, violinist Ionian Elias Kantesa, mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, the cello and percussion duo of Hugo Rannou and Emil Kuyumcuyan, the vocal ensemble TRËI, the Balkan music ensemble TRI i DVE, and the Greek medieval and Renaissance music ensemble Lycabettus.

At the same time, masterclasses are offered in piano, violin, viola, cello, vocals and chamber music. Finally, for the first time, the festival is organising an International Competition for Young Artists to highlight new talents.

The festival is artistically directed by cellist Indira Rahmatulla, composer Stathis Gyftakis and cellist Dimitris Lambos. Since 2017, it has promoted creative collaboration, artistic exchange and the development of new talents through education and live musical productions.

The events will occur in venues such as the Church of Ancient Messina and the Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage). The festival promotes collaboration between different generations and backgrounds, strengthening the presence of music in various arts and laying the foundations for future creations.

The festival is organised by the Municipality of Kalamata, the FARIS Public Benefit Corporation of the Municipality of Kalamata, the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata and the Association of Parents and Guardians of Students and Friends of the Municipal Art Schools of Kalamata "TERPSIS" and is held under the auspices and with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.

The George and Victoria Karelia Foundation has been the major festival sponsor since 2018.

The Ioannis F. Kostopoulos Foundation supports the festival, and the Captain Vasilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation sponsors it. The Association "The Friends of Music of Kalamata" has offered scholarships to city students for several years.

The Kalamata International Music Days are additionally distinguished with the European recognition of quality art festivals EFFE LABEL 2024-2025.

CONCERT PROGRAMME:

(You can find the complete programme here.)

Monday 25.08.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) - Admission: 10€, 5€

TRI i DVE: BALKAN O'CLOCK: A musical journey through the Balkans

The multicultural ensemble TRI i DVE, with members from Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria and Japan, is based in Lausanne. Its name, "three and two" in Bulgarian, expresses the group's flexibility to move between duets, trios and quintets, drawing inspiration from asymmetrical Balkan rhythms. With a classical background, the group marries Roma, Klezmer and Balkan music with traditional instruments and contemporary compositions. It has performed at festivals such as Vivacello Liestal and Lavaux Classic, collaborating with artists such as Nebojsa Zivkovic and Wynne Evans. It recently premiered Nathan Stornetta's Images Balkaniques with the Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden and the Sinfonietta de Lausanne.

Performers: Felix Froschhammer: violin, Nico Prinz: cello and tambourine,

Ivaylo Dimitrov: accordion, Tashko Tasheff: double bass, zurnas

Tuesday 26.08.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) - Admission: 10€, 5€

LYCABETTUS ENSEMBLE: THE CASTLE OF MORIA

Written and oral musical traditions of the Middle Ages

Irini Bilini Moraiti (voice, medieval viol, sazi, percussion) and Athanasia Teliou (medieval viol, viola da gamba) perform music of the European Middle Ages and the Renaissance and oral traditions from the Mediterranean. The ensemble was founded in 2021 in Athens and explores the historical and cultural connections between recorded and oral musical traditions.

Wednesday 27.08.2025

I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) - Free Admission

1st International Competition for Young Artists: Final Round

Young, talented musicians will perform works for soprano, piano, violin and cello. Lidiia Nochovska, a Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music in Kiev graduate with international studies and experience in essential music scenes, will be the accompanying pianist.

Thursday 28.08.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) - Free admission

THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS: Music for the whole family

A musical performance for the entire family with the famous work of Camille Saint-Saëns, which brings animals to life with humour and imagination through musical images.

Performers: Vicki Vassiliadi: flute, Ioannis Manolakakis: clarinet, Emil Kuyumcuyan: xylophone, Hypapanti Alexandropoulou: Glockenspiel, Lidiia Nochovska, Maria Papapetropoulou: piano, Felix Froschhammer, Antonios Maziotis: violin, Sofia Anagnostou: viola, Indira Rahmatulla: cello, Tashko Tasheff: double bass, Lilly Triantari: narration, Panagiotis Adam: scenography

Friday 29.08.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission

FINAL CONCERT CELLO

Masterclass with Jean-Guihen Queyras

Jean-Guihen Queyras

Curiosity, diversity and dedication to music characterise Jean-Guihen Queyras's work. He humbly brings out the score's essence, interpreting old and contemporary music. He was a founding member of the Arcanto quartet and a member of the trio with Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov. He has been distinguished as an Artist in Residence at major festivals and venues, and his discography is impressive. He is a professor at the University of Music of Freiburg and Artistic Director of the Rencontres Musicales de Haute-Provence festival.

Saturday 30.08.2025 I 20:30

Church of Ancient Messina – Free admission

QUEYRAS – NIKOLOVSKA – KADESHA

Works by Bach, Saariaho, Ravel and Villa-Lobos

The concert is co-organised with the Region of Peloponnese and in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia.

Jean-Guihen Queyras

Curiosity, diversity and dedication to music characterise Jean-Guihen Queyras's work. He humbly highlights the score's essence, interpreting old and contemporary music. He was a founding member of the Arcanto quartet and a member of the trio with Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov. He has been distinguished as an Artist in Residence at important festivals and venues, and his discography is impressive. She is a professor at Freiburg University of Music and the Artistic Director of the Rencontres Musicales de Haute-Provence festival.

Ema Nikolovska: Mezzo-soprano

She started as a violinist and, with innate musicality, she embodies musical and operatic roles "with confidence and impact" (Opera Today). She graduated from the International Opera Studio of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where in 2023 she made her debut as Octavian in "Der Rosenkavalier". In the 2023/24 season, she appeared with the Canadian Opera Company ("The Cunning Little Vixen") and the Royal Opera's Linbury Theatre ("Picture a Day Like This"). She recently debuted in Japan singing Mozart arias with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Petr Popelka. Ema, already an accomplished recitalist, has recently collaborated with Martha Argerich, Sir András Schiff, Charles Richard-Hamelin and Sean Shibe.

Ionian Elias Kantesa: Violinist

He has performed as a soloist throughout Europe. He is a co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard, a member of the Kelemen Quartet and Artistic Director of the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Born in Athens, of Albanian and Greek descent, he studied at the Musikhochschule Würzburg and the Kronberg Academy.

Sunday, 31.08.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission: 10€, 5€

RANNOU – KUYUMCUYAN: DANCESUITE

A modern… "dance soiree" for cello and percussion

Hugo Rannou

The French cellist from Picardy lives in Stuttgart. He studied with Michel Poulet, Véronique Marin, Adriana Contino, Daniel Grosgurin, Conradin Brotbek and completed his studies in 2018 with David Eggert in Bern. He has won 1st Prize at the International Knopf Competition in Düsseldorf and 2nd at the International Julio Cardona Competition in Portugal. He is a member of TRIO vis-à-vis and Christopher James Hall Trio. He was the first cellist at the Pforzheim Opera (2020-2024). He also plays jazz and chanson and teaches cello and pedagogy at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts (HMDK).

Emil Kuyumcuyan

Internationally recognised percussionist, composer, and electronic musician originating in Croatia, Greece, Armenia, and Africa, born in Istanbul. He has won 1st Prize at the Tromp, Stockholm and Luxembourg International Competitions. He performs worldwide as a soloist and with ensembles such as Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Trio K/D/M, Ensemble Intercontemporain and the French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. His work includes contemporary classical, electronic and multimedia music, with his first electronic album released in 2023. He studied in Stuttgart and Lyon and is a percussion professor at the Frankfurt School of Music and Performing Arts HfMDK, having also taught at CRR Rennes and RNCM Manchester. Kolberg Percussion and Turkish Cymbals support him.

Monday, 01.09.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free admission

FINAL VIOLIN CONCERT

Masterclass with Felix Froschhammer

Felix Froschhammer

The German violinist captivates the audience with his broad musical abilities. He is the first violin of the CasalQuartett and the exarch of the Ensemble Symphonique Neuchâtel and the Sinfonietta de Lausanne. An active soloist, he participates in the Ensemble Chaarts and Tri i Dve ensembles, emphasising Balkan music. He has appeared at major festivals such as the Salzburger Festspiele, the Beethoven Festival (Warsaw) and the Lucerne Festival. Since 2018, he has been the Artistic Director of the Festival du Jura (Switzerland).

Tuesday 02.09.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Entrance: 10€, 5€

TRËİ: ONE'S FOR SORROW, TWO'S FOR JOY

Fortune tellers, midwives, fortune tellers, witches: the ensemble sings about persecution and empowerment and honors all the women who, for centuries, have been singing for those who cross the thresholds of life and death.

The ensemble TRËİ performs vocal folk music from various cultures and its members' compositions. The theme that runs through their music is the search for the essence of what it means to be human. The three women intertwine their opposites and honour diversity in all its forms. TRËİ is based in Basel, and the trio's name comes from Romansh, a minority language dialect of the Alps.

Performed by: Abélia Nordmann, Gizem Şimşek, Mara Miribung: conception, compositions, transcriptions, vocals, cello, harmonium, psaltery

Wednesday, 03.09.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Admission 10€, 5€

NIKOLOVSKA – KNUTSON: LES BONNES CHANSONS

Lind's tradition in Germany, France and the Czech Republic

Ema Nikolovska: Mezzo-soprano

She started as a violinist and, with innate musicality, she embodies musical and operatic roles "with confidence and impact" (Opera Today). She graduated from the International Opera Studio of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where in 2023 she made her debut as Octavian in "Der Rosenkavalier". In the 2023/24 season, she appeared with the Canadian Opera Company ("The Cunning Little Vixen") and at the Royal Opera's Linbury Theatre ("Picture a Day Like This"). She recently debuted in Japan singing Mozart arias with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Petr Popelka. Ema, already an accomplished recitalist, has recently collaborated with Martha Argerich, Sir András Schiff, Charles Richard-Hamelin and Sean Shibe.

Cole Knutson: Piano

The Canadian pianist has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin Konzerthaus, Salle Bourgie and Salle Cortot. In 2025, with Jeeyoung Lim, he won First Prize at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition. He has received a full scholarship from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and support from the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, Métis Nation Saskatchewan, Gabriel Dumont Institute, SK Arts, Guildhall Trust and Art Song Foundation of Canada. He has participated in residencies at the Musée d'Orsay and in programs such as the SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, Académie Royaumont and Liedakademie Heidelberger Frühling. Major influences include Julius Drake, Eugene Asti, Wolfram Rieger, Graham Johnson, Rudolf Piernay, Thomas Hampson and Renée Fleming.

Pablo Hernán Benedí: Viola

Born in 1991 in Madrid, he studied violin with Polina Kotliarskaya at the Antonio Soler Conservatory in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. He then continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London with David Takeno and András Keller. In 2010, he joined the Chiaroscuro Quartet, whose first recording in 2011 received excellent reviews. As a soloist, he has appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and Concerto Budapest.

Thursday, 04.09.2025  I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free Admission

FINAL LIDT AND ARIA CONCERT

Workshop with Ema Nikolovska and Cole Knutson

Ema Nikolovska: Mezzo-soprano

She started as a violinist and, with innate musicality, she embodies musical and operatic roles "with confidence and impact" (Opera Today). She graduated from the International Opera Studio of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where in 2023 she made her debut as Octavian in "Der Rosenkavalier". In the 2023/24 season, she appeared at the Canadian Opera Company ("The Cunning Little Vixen") and at the Royal Opera's Linbury Theatre ("Picture a Day Like This"). She recently debuted in Japan singing Mozart arias with the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Petr Popelka. Ema, already an accomplished recitalist, has recently collaborated with Martha Argerich, Sir András Schiff, Charles Richard-Hamelin and Sean Shibe.

Cole Knutson: Piano

The Canadian pianist has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin Konzerthaus, Salle Bourgie and Salle Cortot. In 2025, with Jeeyoung Lim, they won First Prize at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition. She has received a full scholarship from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and support from the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, Métis Nation Saskatchewan, Gabriel Dumont Institute, SK Arts, Guildhall Trust and Art Song Foundation of Canada. He has participated in residencies at the Musée d'Orsay and in programs such as the SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, the Académie Royaumont and the Liedakademie Heidelberger Frühling. His major influences include Julius Drake, Eugene Asti, Wolfram Rieger, Graham Johnson, Rudolf Piernay, Thomas Hampson and Renée Fleming.

Friday, 05.09.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Free Admission

FINAL CONCERT OF STRINGS AND PIANO

Masterclasses with Hernán, Cantesa and Mouza

Ionian Elias Cantesa: Violinist

He has performed as a soloist throughout Europe. He is co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard, member of the Kelemen Quartet and Artistic Director of the Caerus Chamber Ensemble. Born in Athens, of Albanian and Greek descent, he studied at the Musikhochschule Würzburg and the Kronberg Academy.

Pablo Hernán Benedí: Viola

Born in 1991 in Madrid, he studied violin with Polina Kotliarskaya at the Antonio Soler Conservatory in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. He then continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London with David Takeno and András Keller. In 2010, he joined the Chiaroscuro Quartet, whose first recording in 2011 received excellent reviews. As a soloist, he has appeared with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and Concerto Budapest.

Alexia Mouza: Piano

She is renowned for her explosive energy, purity, and performance precision and has made many distinctions in international piano competitions. He studied at the International Piano Academy of Imola with Leonid Margarius and Anna Kravtchenko. He completed his postgraduate studies at the Boston University School of Music with Boaz Sharon, with scholarships from the Hellenic State and Boston University, and at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv with Arie Vardi. He has given concerts in Europe, Asia and America. She has appeared with orchestras such as the Tokyo State Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic and Camerata, the Mexican Symphony Orchestra, the Simon Bolivar, the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano, as well as the State Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki and the Soloists Academy of Kazakhstan.

Saturday, 06.09.2025 I 20:30

Kalamata Dance Megaron (Alternative Stage) – Entrance 10€, 5€

FROM FOOTPRINTS TO MILESTONES

Modern jazz

The four musicians met at the Jazzart school and, influenced by artists such as Miles Davis (second quintet), Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers, Paul Bley and Karin Krog, decided to create the quartet. The ensemble functions as a field of experimentation, where improvisation, composition and orchestration are combined. It moves away from conventional performance and gives space to more abstract, free forms of expression.

Sofia Braila: Singing

Born in Athens, she started classical piano at a young age and continued contemporary singing and jazz at the Conservatory of Music Practice, participating in jazz ensembles. Since 2020, she has been studying jazz improvisation with Sylvios Syrros at the Jazzart school. She has performed at festivals and concert venues throughout Greece, while also working as a freelance graphic designer, having graduated from the Department of Graphic Design of the University of West Attica.

Gabriele Milozzi: Alto and soprano saxophone

She started playing the saxophone at 11 and graduated from the "G. Rossini" Conservatory of Pesaro. In 2011, she won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where she studied with artists such as George Garzone, Hal Crook, Bob Gullotti and Jason Palmer, graduating with honours. He continued his studies in Athens with Sylvios Syrros. He has collaborated with Arion Gyftakis, Spyros Manesis, and Anastasios Gouliaris and has performed on stages in Greece, Italy, and the USA.

Sotiris Houtos: Guitar

Born in Athens in 1986, he grew up listening to folk and traditional music, starting with the bouzouki and was fascinated by the electric guitar through Kazantzidis vinyls and rock records. He studied classical theory at the Raymondi Conservatory (Harmony degree, 2006) and electric guitar with Ioannis Kousis and later with Achilleas Diamantis, who brought him closer to jazz. In 2015, he graduated from the S.E.M.F.E. (NTUA); in 2016, he obtained a performance certification from the University of West London. Since 2018, he has been studying at JazzArt and has played in ensembles of various styles.

Arionas Gyftakis: Double Bass

Born in 1995 in Kalamata, he started playing the violin at seven and then switched to the electric bass. His interest in jazz led him to the double bass, where he studied jazz improvisation with Sylvios Syrros and classical double bass with Takis Kappogiannis. In 2013, he won a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with important professors such as John Lockwood and Eddie Gomez. Since 2021, he has taught at Jazzart and collaborated with artists such as Giorgos Kontrafouris, Spyros Manesis and Daniel Rotem.

Information

Artistic Direction: Indira Rahmatulla, Stathis Gyftakis, Dimitris Lampos

Production Assistants: Alexandra Theogianni, Konstantina Malapani

Graphic Design: Lavrentis Choraitis

Website Design and Development: Giota Vergopoulou

Photographer: Stylianos Papardelas

Sound Engineers: Alex Beck, Lennart Pieper

Communication - Public Relations: Eleftheria Sakareli