Athens to Host First-ever Piano City Festival in May

Piano City Athens. Photo source: Piano City Athens.

The Greek capital will be transformed into a massive piano concert hall between May 12-14, with the arrival of Piano City Athens, the first festival of its kind in the city.

Piano City was originally launched by Andreas Kern, an artist and visionary from Berlin, Germany and has since been organized in many cities across the globe such as Madrid, Milan, and New York.

The festival promises to be a unique experience for music lovers, breaking from traditional concert hall settings and taking performances to unconventional spaces such as public squares and even private homes.

Photo source: Piano City Athens.

The festival is being organized “by” and “with” the city, through a collaborative process that involves local and international institutions, artists, clubs, networks, and partners.

More specifically, Piano City Athens aims to bring together people of all ages and interests through music on a very personal level, using the piano as its central instrument.

In the three-day event, the residents of Athens will be treated to a rich program that includes house concerts, piano concerts in public and private spaces, and more.

Piano virtuosos and amateurs selected by an artistic committee will open their homes to the public and demonstrate their talent and skill by giving small piano concerts in their homes.

Photo source: Piano City Athens.

From classical to contemporary music, the repertoire will cater to everyone’s taste. Enthusiasts, as well as the public, will have the unique opportunity to enjoy these intimate musical experiences. Seat reservations are required for these events.

Apart from house concerts, piano concerts will be organized in public and private spaces all over Athens. The closed areas will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations to events taking place in open-air public spaces are not required.

The Stavros Niarchos cultural Center. Photo source: Piano City Athens.

Program highlights include: A piano recital by Elke Robersscheuten at the National Garden on May 12, a sunset concert with Andreas Kern at the Lighthouse of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on Saturday May 13 at 19:00 and a house concert linking Athens to Buenos Aires at the Alpha Conservatory on Sunday May 14 at 20:00, among others.

The Piano City Athens festival is being implemented under the auspices and financial support of the Culture Ministry, in co-organization with the Attica Region, under the auspices of the Tourism Ministry, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and with the support of the City of Athens Culture, Sport & Youth Organization (OPANDA) as part of the Athens City Festival.

For more information and to explore the Piano City Athens program (in English) press here.