Symphony Orchestra – KSOFM – Kalamaria Symphony Orchestra Friends of Music

The Symphony Orchestra

The Kalamaria Symphony Orchestra has completed 22 years of artistic presence in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, carving its own distinguished path in the musical life of the city and the country in general. During these years, the orchestra has given numerous concerts in Greece and abroad, constantly expanding its repertoire from pre-classical to contemporary music. KSO has participated in international festivals, while also establishing traditions such as the New Year’s concerts in Kalamaria. The KSO was the first Greek orchestra to perform suchlike celebratory concert in 2004 and its model was adopted by other ensembles. The culmination of the orchestra’s dense and upward course as well as a subsequent recognition of its work, was the ensemble’s participation in the opera “Baptist” by Sakelaridis following an honorary invitation by the Thessaloniki Opera, a subpart of the National Theatre of Northern Greece.

The beginning

The birthdate of the KSO is considered to be the decision taken by the Cultural Department of the Kalamaria Municipality in January 1999 to establish a symphonic ensemble in addition to the already existing ones. This ambitious plan was embraced by the young Thessalonian musicians who were looking for performing opportunities. What is more, the initiative was warmly received by the public as well. Companions of the first timid and careful steps of the orchestra were young musicians mainly from Kalamaria, the majority of whom were still studying in conservatories. Under the guidance of the conductor Kostis Papazoglou the nursery of young musicians gradually transformed into a fully competitive symphonic orchestra. Year after year the orchestra’s stage appearances were rising while new initiatives were constantly undertaken, and which later developed into regular events. To date, the KSO counts for over fifty renowned musicians, some of whom began their careers alongside the orchestra’s first steps. The performances of the ensemble have been embraced by the Thessalonian audience, since the percentage for its events attendance has fluctuated between 90% to 95%.

Kostis Papazoglou

Cultural Director

Kostis Papazoglou is a graduate of the University of Music of Vienna (Universitaet fuer Musik Wien), where he studied the flauto dolce and conducting and he graduated with honours.
He is also a graduate of the State Conservatoire of Thessaloniki, where he studied the transverse flute (in the class of I. Makovey) and harmony. His teachers in the flauto dolce were E. Schaeftlein, R. Hofstoetter, H. M. Khneins T. Kock, (seminars with Walter van Hauwe) and in conducting H. Reiter, A. Glassner and J. Prinz.. He also took courses in the Department of Music Teaching of the University.

Kostis Papazoglou has appeared as a soloist with the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Municipal Symphony Orchestra and with «Sinfonietta Beograd». He is the founder of the Hellenic Baroque Orchestra “Concerto Ellenico” and the ensemble “CODEX”, which specializes in medieval and Byzantine music. Since 1995 he conducts the choir of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, which specializes in conserving the Jewish tradition of the city (Sephardic melodies, religious songs etc.) and has recorded a CD with the CODEX ensemble, titled “en la mar ay una torre” EMI. He was the conductor of the Children’s Choir of the Friends of Music in Thessaloniki Concert Hall the years 2008 -2012, the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Kalamaria since 2001 and the Symphony Orchestra of the State Conservatorium of Thessaloniki. He is currently head of the Early Music Department of the New Conservatorium in Thessaloniki. The vocal ensemble “en horo”, which he founded in 1996, is exploring and presenting religious works from the Baroque era and works of Greek modern composers.

2001

2001 A tribute concert to composer Stavros Kougioumtzis at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall under the guidance of conductor Akis Gerontakis while the same year Kostis Papazoglou took over

2001

2002

2002 The Greek premiere of the opera “Acis and Galatea” by Handel which was enthusiastically received by both audience and critics. Since 2002 to date, the KSO has been collaborating with renowned artists such as Vasilis Lekkas, Melina Kana, Dimitris Zervoudakis, Lizeta Kalimeri, Andreas Karakotas, Miltos Paschalidis, Kostas Thomaidis, Kostas Pratsinakis, Dilek Kots, Georgia Velivasaki, Michalis Papazisis, Natasa Christidou, Foteini Darra, Gerasimos Andreatos, Giorgos Kazantzis and others within the festival “Para ‘thin alos”

2002

2003

2003 The Kalamaria Friends of Music Association was founded by musicians of the KSO which has assisted the ensemble’s work, especially in the fields of communication and sponsorships

2003

2004

2004 The organisation of the first New Year’s concert on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Athens the same year. The event has been repeated ever since while the idea was adopted by other Greek organisations and orchestras. What is more, the KSO started collaborating with the TV channel ERT3, covering its artistic programmes.

2004

2005

2005 The KSO’s first CD which sold 25000 copies. The recording has been mentioned by the Tamvakos archive for the performance of the works by Nikos Skalkotas. In addition, a CD of Theofilos Sotiriadis was recently released which featured the orchestra in the composition “Family Triptych” by Dinos Konstantinidis by magni publications. The latter is a professor of composition at the Louisiana University, USA – a Greek expatriate who has been an inspiration for the orchestra. In July 2005, the KSO participated in the festival Cantus Salisburgensis in Salzburg winning much praise. In the same year, the New Choir of Kalamaria Municipality was founded in order to expand the repertoire of the orchestra in symphonic choral music.

2005

2006

2006 The KSO performed songs and film music by Mimis Plessas featuring the composer himself on the piano. Two years later the same programme was repeated at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall featuring the singers Antonis Remos and Evi Siamanta.

2006

2008

2008 Organisation of the first concert for the Amnesty International, which is now performed every year at the ceremony hall of AUTH

2008

2009

2009 Collaboration with the Thessaloniki Opera for the production of the work “Baptist” by Theofrastos Sakellaridis, directed by Harris Roma. At the same period, the KSO has almost doubled its annual concerts and has performed often at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Moni Lazariston and abroad (Austria, Slovakia). The orchestra also collaborated with the Children Choir of the Thessaloniki Friends of Music Association and the Thessaloniki Opera.

2009

2010

2010 The KSO has established a cycle of ten annual concerts and has participated in festivals and art events in other cities, such as Veria, Grevena, etc

2010

2011

2011 Co-production of “Axion Esti” by Theodorakis/Elytis with the Municipalities of Artistotle (Ouranoupolis Tower of Prosforio), Neapolis (Zeitenlik Cemetery, a memorial park for the fallen in the WWI) and Kalamaria (Hellenic Refugee Square). The concerts were brightened by the voices of Manolis Mitsias and Grigoris Valtinos, while the latter were accompanied by the New Choir of the Municipality of Kalamaria and other vocal ensembles.

2011

2014

2014 Since September that year, the KSO has been managed by the Kalamaria Friends of Music Association. This implied the establishments of smaller ensembles, such as Camerata Artistoteles and Concerto Quartet in that the country’s economic crisis did not allow public bodies to deal with cultural organisations on a regular basis. The director of the orchestra remained in the staff of the Cultural Department of the Municipality of Kalamaria. The above-mentioned ensembles continue their activity to date.

2014

Contributors

Aggeliki Kathariou

Manolis Mitsias

Maria Farantouri

Vassilis Lekkas

Melina Kana

Dimitris Zervoudakis

Lizeta Kalimeri

Andreas Karakotas

Miltos Pashalidis

Kostas Thomaidis

Kostas Pratsinakis

Dilek Kots

Georgia Velivasaki

Michalis Papazisis

Natasa Christidou

Foteini Darra

Gerasimos Andreatos

Antonis Remos

Evi Siamanta

Anila Teli Tersana

Vaska Pozidou

Grigoris Pirialakos

Panagiotis Maniatis

Elena Nota

Soloists

Simos Papanas

Omiros Yavroumis

Giorgos Zacharoudis

Raissa Popailidi

Dimitris Karakantas

Borislava Ilcheva

Aaron Farell

Theofilos Zachariadis

Eva Fampa

Eleni Tsaousaki

Giannis Karagiannis

Kostis Papazoglou

Miltos Kassaras

Kosta Kabadais

Giorgos Laskaridis

Nikos Baharidis

Giannis Karagiannidis

Fotis Baxes

Dora Nakou & Pedro Izquierdo – Duo Noiz

Composers – Conductors – Orchestrators – Choir conductors

Alexandros Myrat

Konstantinos Romanos Papazoglou

Dinos Konstantinidis

Akis Gerontakis

Klaus Wilsch

Mimis Plessas

Stavros Kougioumtzis

Giorgos Kazantzis

Dimitris Papadimitriou

Alkis Baltas

Kostis Papazoglou

Babis Navrozidis

Kostas Matsigos

Manolis Andouladakis

Petros Bekiaridis

Anastasia Koumpaki

Eleutheria Metaxa

Other Collaborations

choir “Giannis Mantakas”

New Choir of Kalamaria Municipality

en horo – vocal ensemble

Children’s Choir of the Thessaloniki Friends of Music Association

Choir of M.S. Sidirodromikon Thessaloniki “The Thermaikos”

Charis Romas, film director

Alexandros Euklidis, director

The Symphony Orchestra

The beginning

Kostis Papazoglou

Cultural Director

Contributors

Soloists

Composers – Conductors – Orchestrators – Choir conductors

Other Collaborations

Kalamaria Friends of Music Association

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