Μake us preferred on Google For seven days this August, the Greek island of Patmos will become a meeting point for some of the world’s leading chamber musicians, young performers and music lovers, as the Patmos Chamber Music Festival returns for its fifth edition.
The festival runs from August 24 to 30, bringing 10 concerts, film screenings, discussions and educational activities to historic and cultural sites across the island. From the Old School in Chora to the Church of Panagia Diasozousa, the program aims to create a dialogue between Patmos’ cultural heritage and contemporary musical creation.
This year’s festival features internationally prominent musicians including Maxim Rysanov, Steven Isserlis, Michael Guttman, Marc Bouchkov, Alessandro Carbonare, Thibaut Garcia, Irène Duval, Jing Zhao, Alessandra Ammara, Roberto Prosseda and Viktoria Postnikova. Director Bruno Monsaingeon and piano maker Paolo Fazioli will also take part.
The festival’s music will unfold at several locations, including the Church of Panagia Diasozousa, the Old School in Chora, the Patmion Cultural Center and the courtyard of the elementary school in Skala. Alongside the concerts, audiences can attend film screenings, artist discussions, educational seminars and events designed to support young musicians.
Founded on the initiative of Massimo Fino and Roberto Prosseda, the festival has developed a strong relationship with Patmos over its five years, drawing on the island’s history and venues while building new cultural collaborations.
From Schubert to Prokofiev
The festival opens August 24 with Schubert’s The Trout, a composition written in 1817 to a poem by Christian Friedrich Schubart. The work became particularly well known through the Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, commonly known as the Trout Quintet.
The opening concert will also feature Boccherini’s String Quintet and Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes.
The following day, Thibaut Garcia and Antoine Morinière will offer a fresh interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s celebrated Goldberg Variations, arranged for two guitars.
Another concert, titled From the East, will focus on works by Glinka, Vasks and Babajanian.
A special place in the festival is reserved for an evening dedicated to Pauline Viardot, presented in collaboration with Palazzetto Bru Zane, a French institution dedicated to the rediscovery of 19th-century French music.
The event will feature Viardot’s historic Érard piano from 1902, recently restored through an initiative of the Associazione Patmos Chamber Music Festival.
Another highlight will be a concert devoted to the sacred music of Sir John Tavener.
Brussels chamber musicians close the festival
The Brussels Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Michael Guttman, will perform two concerts during the final weekend. Its programs will span composers and musical eras, from Haydn and Mendelssohn to Bizet, Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Rimsky-Korsakov and John Williams.
The festival will also extend beyond live performance.
Bruno Monsaingeon will present his new documentary about guitarist Thibaut Garcia and take part in a conversation with pianist Viktoria Postnikova.
In another discussion, Paolo Fazioli and Roberto Prosseda will explore the philosophy and expertise behind Italy’s renowned Fazioli pianos as part of the The Making of Excellence program.
Giving young musicians a stage
Education remains a central part of the festival.
Public seminars led by established artists will give young musicians the opportunity to meet prominent figures from the international music scene. Through a collaboration with the association Patmos of Colors and the Patmos Young Artists Program, young pianists will also perform in a concert of their own.
The festival will conclude on August 30 with a recital of Greek songs by soprano Katerina Mina and Roberto Prosseda, followed by the closing concert of the Brussels Chamber Orchestra.
Festival information
5th Patmos Chamber Music Festival
August 24-30
