On Saturday, November 18, 2017, at 18:00, an impressive event took place in the amphitheater of the Cultural Center of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana. The orchestra of Mr. Mikis Theodhorakis performed a magnificent concert in which the singers Ms. Sofia Papazoglou and Mr. Kostas Makedhonas sang some of the most famous songs of the world-known composer. This event was organized by the Archiepiscopate of Tirana, the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania and the League of the Orthodox Intellectuals.
The activity was opened with a word by the writer Minas Vindiadhis whereas the daughter of the composer, Ms. Margarita Theodhorakis read Mr. Mikis Theodhorakis’s greeting letter to Archbishop Anastasios and the audience. In this greeting, she extended the composer’s heartfelt thanks to His Beatitude who had made possible the organization of the concert and expressed his sincere feelings of friendship towards the Albanian people, as well as the joy and the emotions that Mr. Theodhorakis had experienced many years ago when he had visited our country.
The concert sparked exceptional interest to the public attending the concert, the number of which extended the seats capacity of the cultural hall. But in the end everyone was given the chance to enter the hall, which this time seemed quite small in size. Because of the crowded place, the concert was attended also on large screens placed outdoors.
Besides the musicians, the artists, the diplomats, the intellectuals and the numerous personalities present in the concert, there was also the President of the Republic, Mr. Ilir Meta who honored the event with his presence.
In the end, Archbishop Anastasios greeted the orchestra and the participants highlighting in his word that the bridges of communication between persons and peoples should be the truth, beauty, justice and, above all, love.
On this occasion, an exhibition of music scores, publications, CDs and photographs from the personal collection of the composer Mr. Mikis Theodhorakis was presented in one of the facilities near the cultural hall.
One day earlier, on Friday, November 17, at the Nativity Chapel near the Cathedral, at 7.30 pm, a poetry night was dedicated to “The Poets Whom Miki Loved!” The Greek actress, Ms. Katerina Zafiropulou and the Albanian director Mr. Enkel Fejzollari performed in both languages poems by Elitis, Ricos, Livadhitis etc, with a musical background powered by the composer’s grandson, Mr. Stefanos Papangelidhi – Theodhorakis.
