The creative work of Iannis Xenakis has left an indelible mark on the musical avant-garde of the second half of the 20th century. One hundred years after his birth, the dynamic maestro Nikos Vassiliou honours the memory of the composer who transformed his mathematical and architectural knowledge into truly novel, imaginative music. In this evening’s concert, he presents two well-known symphonic works by Xenakis, along with the Exotic birds by Olivier Messiaen, Xenakis’ mentor in Paris, and a work by the French avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse. The guitarist Costas Cotsiolis brings the concert to a close with the sensual concerto by his great fellow guitarist, Leo Brouwer.
Professor and Member of the Academy of Athens Athanasios Fokas will give a speech about the relationship between the work of Iannis Xenakis and the science of mathematics.