On the evening of Wednesday, 21 May 2025, the Ceremony Hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki was filled with music and emotion during the annual “Spring Concert with the AUTh Choirs.” This open and free event vividly showcased the hopeful spirit of the university’s choral tradition.
Performing in the concert were the “Yannis Mantakas” Choir, the Choral Workshop, and the first-year choir “Trisevgeni Kalokyri” of the School of Music Studies, all under the direction of Erifili Damianou. The AUTh Alumni Association Choir “Ekfrasi,” conducted by Giannis Chouliaras, also took part. In addition, the students Alexia Mpeza, Elpida – Markella Karpouzidou, Giannis Papadopoulos, Giorgos Koutlios and Petros Stefanakis from the “Choral Conducting” program led several works, offering a well-rounded presentation of student talent.
The program featured a wide range of choral repertoire from the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary compositions, performed with precision and expressive depth. The structure of the concert, bringing together experienced conductors and young voices, created a magical atmosphere full of emotional peaks and harmonic intensity.
The spring spirit was palpable, as the hall overflowed with the smiles of performers and audience members alike. The meticulously organized event highlighted the value of collaborative effort among students and alumni, supported by the School of Music Studies and the AUTh University Student Club.
Beyond its artistic dimension, the concert also conveyed a cultural message: hope and community are rekindled through music, affirming the University as a place not only of knowledge but also of culture.
Program:
- Spiritual (arrangement Anders Öhrwall): Swing low sweet chariot
- Anonymous: Summer is a coming in (Sumer is icumen in)
- A. Mozart: Ave verum corpus (KV 618)
- Spiritual (arrangement Jester Hairston): I can tell the world
- Giulio Caccini / Vladimir Vavilov (arrangement John Ross): Ave Maria
- Giannis Konstantinidis: The waking up of the groom
- Giannis Konstantinidis: Forty years I sacrificed
- Solon Michailidis: Wedding song
- Chilean Traditional (arrangement Waldo Aránguiz): El Tortillero
- Nicholas Spanos: Lullaby
- Nicholas Spanos: Waking up
- Josef Gabriel Rheinberger: Abendlied
- Robert Schumann: Zigeunerleben
- Samo Vovk: Ta na solbiciIndonesian Traditional (arrangement Ken Steven): Hela Rotan
- Mikis Theodorakis (arrangement Vasilis Papakonstantinou): Alongside the Morning Star
- Manos Hadjidakis (arrangement Dimitris Karvounis): The North wind came, the South wind came
Instrumental accompaniment:
- Anna Stamoglou – Soprano
- Niki Kalaitzidou – Drum
- Ermina Konstantinidou – Flute
- Giorgos Koutlios – Flute
- Maria Papadopoulou – Violoncello
- Konstantinos Theocharous – Guitar
- Tilemachos Chatzakis – Guitar
- Nikos Chatzopoulos – Guitar
- Giorgos Ntafos – piano
