Μake us preferred on Google Athens will host the second Athens International Music Festival from November 3 to 7, 2026, bringing together internationally acclaimed musicians for five days of chamber music at the historic Parnassos Literary Society. Legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman will headline the festival, returning to Athens to open this year’s edition.
The festival will feature an international lineup of performers, including soprano Christina Poulitsi, violinists Asi Matathias and Tosca Opdam, cellists Alexander Hülshoff and Gabriel Schwabe, clarinetist Spyros Mourikis, violist Ori Kam, and pianists Nefeli Mousoura, David Kadouch and Victor Stanislavsky.
Under the artistic direction of Tosca Opdam and Asi Matathias, and organized by Spyros Terzis, the festival aims to highlight music as a bridge between cultures and generations. Alongside its concert program, it will offer educational opportunities for emerging musicians and audiences.
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Five concerts exploring different musical worlds
The festival’s five-day program will explore different connections between music, literature, mythology and human experience, bringing together works by some of the most influential composers in classical music.
The opening concert, Between Two Worlds, on November 3, will feature compositions by Mozart, Sibelius and Brahms. The program explores themes of friendship, artistic connection and creative farewell, from Mozart’s decision to help fellow composer Michael Haydn to Brahms’s String Quintet No. 2, which he originally intended as his final composition.
On November 4, The Poet and the Muse will examine the relationship between music, theater and poetry. The program includes works by Francis Poulenc, Camille Saint-Saëns and Johannes Brahms, alongside the world premiere of Delphi and Dionysus by American composer Todd Mason. Inspired by Greek mythology, the new composition explores the opposing forces of order and chaos, represented by Apollo and Dionysus.
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The November 5 concert, Between Earth and Heaven, will bring together works by Mozart, Schubert and Tchaikovsky. Highlights include Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, Schubert’s unfinished String Trio and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio, composed in memory of his friend Nikolai Rubinstein.
French classical music will take center stage on November 6 with French Impressions. The program features Gabriel Fauré’s Dolly Suite and First Piano Quartet, alongside three celebrated opera arias by Gustave Charpentier, Ambroise Thomas and Charles Gounod.
The festival will conclude on November 7 with Transfiguration, a program exploring musical transformation across generations. It will feature Amanda Maier’s Violin Sonata in B minor, Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) and Franz Schubert’s String Quintet in C major, one of the most celebrated works in the chamber music repertoire.
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Masterclasses and educational activities
Beyond the concert stage, the festival will offer three violin masterclasses led by Pinchas Zukerman, Tosca Opdam and Asi Matathias. Five outstanding young musicians will take part, while audiences will have the opportunity to observe the teaching sessions live.
A free pilot educational program will also bring music activities to schools and educational institutions across Athens. The initiative will extend to students at the conservatory of the Kalogeropouleio Foundation of Arts and Culture in Corinth, expanding the festival’s educational and community outreach.
