The Voyage of Odysseus, by composer Kostis Kritsotakis, also known for his expansive collaboration with the Orchestra of Colours, was performed by New York’s Albany Symphony Orchestra in three concerts that took place last February. The choir of the local Greek Orthodox Church of Aghia Sofia, the tenor of Greek decent, Giorgio Aristo and the American conductor David Allan Miller, also participated in the concerts.
The composition, commissioned by the orchestra, was based on the poem by Seferis Upon a Line of Foreign Verse (translated into English by Edmund Keeley), which was accompanied by poems about the sea by Empeirikos, Kariotakis, Elytis, Sarantaris and Iliopoulou. The choice and editing of the texts was realized by the poet Ioulita Iliopoulou.
Furthermore, on the 9th of June 2007, the composer’s work entitled Games, conducted by D.A. Miller, was presented at the New York Festival of Contemporary Music, “New Paths in Music”. Under the general title “Mediterranean Festival”, the concerts also featured works by Greek composer Panagiotis Liaropoulos, Spaniards Gabriel Erkoreka and David del Puerto and Italians F. Antonioni and Filippo del Corno.
Kosti Kritsotaki’s ballet Carmen, which is based on the music by Bizet but includes original music by the Greek composer, will be staged at the Karlsruhe State Theatre next November.
