Other European guest performers at the Makrigialos event include: Marko Pop Ristov - Violin, from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Christian Damsgaard - Tenor and David Lau Magnussen - Piano (Denmark); Vincent Larderet - Piano (France); Dimitris Kotronakis - Guitar and Dimitris Vakakis - Cretan Lyra; (Greece), Hubert Wild - Baritone (Germany); Michael Tsalka - Piano and Alon Sariel - Mandolin (Israel); Isa Katharina Gericke - Soprano, Trygve Brøske - Piano and Else Bø - Piano (Norway), and Olof Boman - Conductor & Piano and Beata Söderberg - Cello (Sweden). The Casa dei Mezzo Festival will be broadcast on #EBU Radio.
The opening Casa dei Mezzo concert will be at the charming location of Makrigialos Harbour on Thursday 26 June under the stars starting at 8pm. The program features the local choir from the Leondaritis Music School, Makrigialos under the direction of Despina Panteli and featuring Dimitris Vakakis on the Cretan lira. Admission is free. There will be lunchtime concerts (starting at 1300hrs) and evening concerts starting at 2100hrs at the Casa dei Mezzo mansion during the rest of the 5 day festival. Tickets : €10, €13 and €18 depending on the concert. The Gala closing concert is presented on the evening of Monday 30 June at 2100hrs. The full program across all performances can be downloaded from the end of this item.
Now in its 11th year, founder and organizer of the Casa dei Mezzo Summer Music Festival, Gunnar Strømsholm has made this unique event a highlight of the Crete social calendar which is under the patronage of the Government of the Region of Crete and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Athens.
If you are not familiar with #Makrigialos, you should know that the location is one of Crete's most picturesque that looks out over the emerald blue, Libyan Sea located on the southeast coast of the Island of Crete. This holiday haven has a wide selection of accommodation, full of welcoming facilities and wonderful restaurants featuring local cuisine. The added attraction of the Casa dei Mezzo (not-for-profit organization) annual celebration of music makes this a must place to visit on any visitor's itinerary.
If you are a Brit or other expat living on Crete (or visiting), probably the best way to get to the area is by car, but once there, car parking is plentiful and much of it free. KTEL does provide efficient air conditioned and clean bus services from Ierapetra, Heraklion and elsewhere. Why not treat yourself to a different break, a week end of music?
