5th AEGINA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Artistic Director: Dora Bakopoulou

The first Aegina International Music Festival was held between 25 August and 9 September 2006 on the beautiful island of Aegina, with the internationally renowned pianist Dora Bakopoulou as its artistic director. The Festival included performances by fifteen distinguished Greek and international artists from the world of classical music.

The Island of Aegina

Aegina has to date played an important role in the cultural life of Greece, most notably in the spheres of literature and the visual arts. Thanks to its beautiful historic remains and numerous monuments (dating from antiquity through to the Byzantine period and down to more recent times, when Aegina served as the capital of Greece), but also its pleasant climate and serene landscape, and its favourable location and proximity to Athens, the island makes the perfect permanent home for a high culture event of this sort dedicated to classical music.

The Aims of the Aegina International Music Festival

The main aim of the Aegina International Music Festival is to establish a forum in which both emerging and established Greek and international musicians can come together and explore some of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written for small music ensembles. Furthermore, the Aegina Music Festival seeks to contribute, in its own way, to a broader educational process, which is a responsibility all artists have towards the younger generation.

In addition, the long-term aim of the Festival is for the creation of the necessary infrastructure on Aegina; the island, which acts as a meeting place for a large number of intellectuals and artists, requires a permanent outdoor venue for the staging of cultural events. Such a venue would in future host both the Festival and other events, thus promoting the island in terms of culture, development, and even tourism.

The Organising Body

The newly founded Festival organising body, is the civil non-profit society named Enastros; legal trustee of the organisation is Dora Bakopoulou, who also serves as Artistic Director of the Festival. The main purpose of the society is to organise the Aegina International Music Festival, along with educational seminars and lectures on music and the theatrical arts; the society also seeks to promote and develop the arts and cultural output in general, especially in the peripheral regions of Greece.

Enastros has already put together the programme of the 6th Aegina International Music Festival 2011, in collaboration with and under the auspices of the Municipality of Aegina, with eleven concerts to be held from August 5th to September 2nd 2011. (Please refer to the detailed programme for more information.) The organization of the festival is supported by the newly found Friends of the Aegina Music Festival Society (for more information please contact us).

Festival Audiences and Venue

The Festival has already established itself as an attractive musical event for both the inhabitants of the island, and the large numbers of holidaymakers who make their way to Aegina during the summer months, as well as those on weekend trips away. It has also drawn music-loving visitors from Athens and the rest of Greece, and indeed even international tourists, since a summer trip to the island can now offer evenings of music excellence in an idyllic setting.

The Festival is staged on the charming Avra Beach against the backdrop of the Kolonna archaeological site, the landmark of Aegina town and a three-minute walk from the town centre.

The Festival Logo

The  Festival logo is the bronze relief "Couple" (1975) by the great Greek artist, and long-standing admirer of Aegina, Yannis Moralis, who offered the art work for use, seeking in this way to contribute to the success of this endeavour.

Festival Sponsors

It is quite clear that in addition to the support of the Municipality of Aegina and other local authorities, the organisation of this event requires the financial support of sponsors with an interest in cultural events of the highest quality, and in promoting the further development of a beautiful and historic island.

Interest in and support for the 4th Aegina International Music Festival has already been expressed by the following major sponsors: Click >>