Kharálampos Goyós CHOREKA Voices for the speaking silences

How does the female voice resonate when it breaks its silence? From archaic supplication and tragic protest to profane satire and emotional release, the concert titled CHOREKA weaves an unexpected and seductive musical narrative. Drawing from female choral music composed by Kharálampos Goyós over the last 25 years for theatre productions of works by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Bost, this production refashions the dense musical core of works born for the stage into a singular, immersive concert experience. 

One of the most distinct musical voices of his generation, Goyós is renowned for his systematic approach to composition as dramaturgy, consistently subverting cultural normativities through unexpected sonic collisions. The robust compositional structure and rich stylistic references of his music allow it to stand autonomously on the concert stage, affirming one of the most coherent and subversive trajectories in contemporary Greek music theatre. 

Within the evocative setting of the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, the popular and dynamic female choral ensemble CHÓRES, under the musical direction of Eirini Patsea, embodies the collective voice of femininity. The choir explores the ritualistic power of a cappella performance, as well as participating in original arrangements for the Athenaeum Saxophone Quartet, which—in conjunction with the voices—bridge classical polyphony with a popular-infused, modern sound-world. In an explosive counterpoint, the magnetic Marina Satti elevates the material through free, improvisational jazz transcriptions with the Yiannis Papadopoulos Trio, while the imposing bass Tassos Apostolou introduces the male counter-argument, representing the axis of authority within the plays. 

With Brian Coon’s sound design adding a poetic dimension of electronic suspension, Stefania Sotiropoulou’s movement direction and Periklis Mathiellis’ atmospheric lighting highlighting the materiality of the performers’ bodies, the concert proposes an unusual, aesthetically demanding, yet deeply sensual concept: an alluring and stimulating musical experience that foregrounds the power of the female voice and confidently underscores the composer’s creative imprint.