Yorgos Ziavras leads Mahler’s “Song of the Earth” at Lake Prespa, Greece

ATHENS, GREECE [August 10, 2024] – Renowned Greek-German conductor Yorgos Ziavras is set to lead the project “Song on Earth: A Spatial Performance based on Das Lied von der Erde by Gustav Mahler” as both co-creator and music director.

Inspired by Ziavras’s deep connection with Gustav Mahler and the tranquil beauty of Greek landscapes, this project delves into themes of life, mortality, and humanity’s ongoing struggle with nature. Song on Earth is an artistic exploration that highlights the existential bond between humans and the natural world. It offers a healing experience, akin to an afternoon walk, where the profound internal conflict of existence gradually finds harmony with the inevitability of coexistence.

The performance is set on the island of Agios Achillios in Small Prespa Lake. Musicians will be positioned at key locations along the island's main walking path, performing solo pieces by contemporary composers such as Billone, Xenakis, Murail, Saariaho, Yun, Hosokawa, and others. The journey culminates in a reconciliation ritual at the partially demolished niche of the Agios Achillios Basilica, where Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde [The Song of the Earth] will be performed - for the first time in Greece - in Schoenberg’s arrangement.

“The audience’s unstructured journey through the natural landscape, encountering fragments of modern music, places them in the midst of a powerful contrast. As they progress, they begin to realize that all things created with empathy and respect can coexist in harmony. The conflict softens, and by the time they reach the end of the path, as Mahler’s music reverberates through the 10th-century basilica at sunset, they not only find love for each other but also for themselves,” says Ziavras.

The performances are scheduled for August 24 and 25 at the historic Basilica of Saint Achillios in Mikri Prespa Lake, Northern Greece.

The ensemble features outstanding musicians from across Greece, personally selected by Ziavras. Among them is Katerina Chatzinikolau, concertmaster of the Athens State Orchestra and an acclaimed soloist. The soloists for this project include internationally acclaimed baritone Georgios Iatrou, as well as tenor Andreas Karaoulis, and performer Panos Zygouros.

Admission is free.

More information: The Song of the Earth | ALL OF GREECE ON CULTURE