Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival 2013

Jun 26, 2013 — Jul 02, 2013 • Category: Events

Entering its 10th year, the Casa dei Mezzo Music Festival in Makrigialos Crete is the only classical music festival on the island and attracts every year tourists from all the world, especially the Scandinavian countries, coming to Makrigialos only for this purpose.

For 2013, the festival lasts for seven days (from June 26th to July 2nd) and features 12 concerts. Apart from the free opening concert next to the harbour of Makrigialos, all the other festival events will take place at the Villa Casa dei Mezzo. All sorts of music and all sorts of musicians will be presented in the line-up of concerts throughout this seven day event.

Early music is particularly an important feature in this festival and this year it is celebrated will the cellist Maria Martinez playing Bach and pianist Michael Tsalka playing Vanhal.

Covering the music of the 19th and 20th centuries, there will be presentation of the American composer Thomas Sleeper's 2nd Violin Concerto written especially for violinist Hugo Ticciati and Danish composer Jens Vra's Five songs of Death written for tenor Christian Damsgaard.

Grieg Pianoduo and pianist Sveinung Bjelland will honor the 150th anniversary of Grieg's birth, while viola player Raisa Zapryanova will play Lachrymae accompanied by pianist Tarek Al-Shubbak celebrating Britten's centenary.

For the bicentenary of Verdi, artistic director John Lidal has included the wonderful Quartet from Rigoletto in the Grand Opera/Lyric Gala.

Soprano Isa Katharina Gericke performs Alban Berg's Seven Early Songs, baritone Hubert Wild will sing Brahms' Magelone Lieder and mezzo-soprano Hege Hoisaeter performs Elgar's Sea Pictures. Another major work will be the Quintet by Shostakovich played by Zoe Zeniodi (piano), Hugo Ticciati (violin), Katharine Gowers (violin), Raisa Zapryanova (viola) and Maria Martinez (cello).