George Hadjinikos Hall, Horto South Pelion
Friday March 18 2022, 19:00
Quartetto Orfeo from Italy meets pianist Ioanna Siopoudi, dedicating this concert to the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Frenchman César Franck. The first part will feature the first string quartet by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos and the second part will feature the French composer’s string and piano quintet. In more detail: H. Villa-Lobos’ String Quartet No.1 consists of 6 movements of a total duration of 20 minutes. In 1915 the composer wrote 3 movements, calling the composition “Suíte Graciosa” but in 1946, thinking that the manuscript had been lost, he re-wrote the score, this time adding 3 more movements, to give it its present form under the name “String Quartet No.1”.
The second part of the concert will feature the unique in number and quality quintet in F minor by C. Franck (1822-1890), a choice that gives us the opportunity to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth. Completed in 1879, the composition is described as one of his most important and intensely emotional works. It consists of 3 movements of a total duration of about 35 minutes and perfectly represents the musical tastes that C. Franck faithfully served and which often originated in the Romantic period of classical music (1830-1890).
Intense interpretation, dense and expressive sound… These are the adjectives that characterized the QuartettOrfeo in various concerts through the old continent. The ensemble was founded by a group of four Roman musicians that has always expressed the ambition to present a range of programs that alternate classical to contemporary music and open up new musical journeys where today’s composers can have new perspectives.
Guest of important music festivals in Italy such as
Livorno Music Festival, Stagione Borgiana of Nepi, Estate Romana, audiences and critics are unanimous in giving tribute to the group that has captured attention as a very interesting musical reality on the current stage.
As principal, it regularly works with the Orchestre Symphonique du Mont-Blanc and the Mission Chamber Orchestra. Since 2014 dedicates part of its activity in training young musicians through the educational- project of the Orchestra Giovanile Archi Accademia Nova in Rome. The ensemble also works in pop music collaborating to the incision of the album disco “Il signor G e l’amore” – a tribute to Giorgio Gaber – with the singer Rossana Casale.
To be mentioned the project that connects the quartet with the guitarist Alessio Nebiolo to the label “Brillant” in a tribute to Astor Piazzolla.
The ensamble regularly records soundtracks for movies and tv series in Italy and Switzerland as principals and as string quartet.
QuatettOrfeo is member of MusicFor, through which the ensemble dedicates part of his musical activities in supporting the development of music in disadvantaged areas of the world by contributing to the building of schools of music. Thousands of children have such an opportunity to get closer to music by changing their perception and their perspective of life.
Yorgos Siopudis, violin (Charles Enel 1926)
Adele Napoli, violin (Simeoni 1992)
Morian Taddei, viola (Franco Simeoni 2010)
Ilaria Calabrò, cello (Guido Maraviglia 1977)
Ioanna Siopoudi was born in Larissa in 1974. She studied piano at the Larissa Conservatory of Music with L.Rizou and T.Sakellariou and harmony with D.Dimopoulos and I.Tsanakas. During her school years she was a member and accompanist-pianist of the Women’s Choir, as well as accompanist in the instrument and monody classes. She gave individual recitals and appeared in concerts as a member of chamber music ensembles and as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra. Alongside her studies at the D.O.L., she attended seminars and studied intensively with important pedagogues such as G.Hatzinikos, D.Evnuhidou, R.Penkova, R.Economidou, D.Toufexis etc. The search for further artistic education led her to the Mozarteum University in Salzburg Austria, to the department of Instrumental-Gesangs Paedagogik (piano specialization) with G.Kern. In 1995 she obtained a Teaching Diploma and after a multitude of musical activities, experiences and high level experiences, she graduated with Magister Artium in 1998.
Her subsequent return to her beloved Larissa and the D.O.L. was a natural continuation of her previous varied artistic activity, which was enriched by the difficult task of teaching the instrument.
Long-term and fruitful, too, is her collaboration with conductor D. Karvounis (Music Club, Children’s and Mixed Choir of the D.O.L.) and his instrumental ensemble “Enodeia”, in which she enjoys playing songs of favourite composers and poets, as well as music from the theatre and cinema.ο.
