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The first guests: Choirs, Orchestras, Conductors
Classical Language, Literature and Philosophy
Music: Concerts and Competitons
Past Projects

The founder Andreas Drekis – son of an orthodox priest from Egio –studied, after finishing the Humanistic Grammar School of Egio, national economics at the University of Bern under the supervision of Prof Egon Tuchtfeld. In 1966 Drekis suggested the increase of the GDP within a seminar called the aims of economical policy.

According to him, this suggestion was a new science, which he called the doctrine of people's luck. It was developed in order to do luck research and set qualitative value judgments by a cooperation of all sciences, whereby economical policy aims should always kept in mind. Especially the effective reinforcement of the quality of human life is important, which certainly is not easy to measure. Twelve years later these ideas showed up in public discussions. Nowadays psychologists and economists delve luck as the scale of all prosperity.

It is Andreas Drekis desire to call cultural and spiritual values – which are endangered to get lost – back to peoples minds. This idea, that he implemented in 1990 by building up Hellenikon Idyllion in Selianitka, he is still working on spreading throughout Greece and Europe.

Andreas Drekis made the construction plans for the building himself. The apartments and bungalows are situated right in the middle of the wonderful garden. From the huge terraces and verandas where grape vines emerges from the ground, guests just need to walk down the steps to be in the garden, where ten different types of grapes as well as figs, oranges, grapefruits, lemons, medlars, pomegranates and olives grow. This architectural masterpiece makes sure that the accommodations bring up a steady dialogue with the artistic natural garden, which animates the guests to a creative interaction in music and culture. Because of that the Hellenikon Idyllion is a Garden of the Muses and the free philosophical and classical Greek spirit.

A library with books in Greek and German, a pavilion with a grand concert piano, several music instruments, practice rooms and two open air stages are available. The great infrastructure of the region and the location directly by the sea as thereby in mid of the village offers a unique possibility for relaxation, inspiration, international collaboration, artistic and musical expression as well as the enjoyment of classical Greek literature.

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The first guests: Choirs, Orchestras, Conductors

In 1991, Alois Springer, the German exceptional conductor and fivefold laureate of international prizes (among others, he won the Koussevitzky-Conducting- and the Dimitri-Mitropoulos prize with gold medal in New York) spoted the Hellenikon Idyllion as one of the first. As personal co-operator Leonard Bernsteins’ (conductor of the New York philharmonic orchestra, chief conductor of the philharmonic orchestra Hungarian, second chief conductor of the radio Luxemburg and conductor of the Berkshire Festivals in Tanglewood/ USA for several years) he discovered the great opportunities the spirit of Hellenikon Idyllion provides for himself and felt inspired by Andreas Drekis' vision. He starts to compare this little piece of land with the great music-camp Tanglewood - the summer residency of the Boston Symphony Orchestra - and decided, despite his worldwide engagement, to contibute to bring artistic people at this idyllic place of the Greek sun, wind and sea with the help of the spirit of the muses together. Since the first orchestra-workshop, he is not only a yearly guest at the Hellenikon Idyllion; as a member of the jury and conductor he conveys Greek composers and European orchestras. Last time, he was at Hellenikon Idyllion with the students-symphony-orchestra from Marburg.

In summer of same year, the youth symphony orchestra of Schleswig Holstein directed by Hajo Jobs, which counts 65 members visitied Hellenikon Idyllion for the first time. From that day on they have been our guests for four times by August 2005. Furthermore, a choir with string orchestra from Oldenburg visited the Hellenikon Idyllion in autumn 1991 with its 80 members, who combined their music-practise with concerts and trips to archaeological sights. Thus it happened that they performed the Byzantine clerical song Ti ypermaxho, which the conductor Nikos Butsinos specially edited for choir and orchestra, in the hall of the philharmonic orchestra Egio. The conductor as well as the bishop of Egio were present at the concert. It was a great success: numerous visitors were delighted.

In 1992 the 100 musicians of the youth symphony orchestra Leipzig under direction of the conductor Ivan Ivanovits came up to Hellenikon Idyllion. The climax of their programme was the premiere of a piece for orchestra, soprano and tenor, which Nikos Butsinos composed on behalf of Andreas Drekis. He had add sounds to the classical Greek epigram O xein angellein Lakedaimoniois (Oh stranger, if you are coming to Sparta, tell everyone, that you have seen us laying on the ground, as the law provides…), that honours all Spartans, who had died in the battle of Thermopylai against the Persian army. The world premieres took place in the medieval castle Chlemuzi in front of an audience of 1500 as well as in Selianitika on the main square right by the sea by attendance of the current minister of defence Spilios Spiliotopulos.

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Classical Language, Literature and Philosophy

In 1993 the international two-week-seminar Speaking, thinking and philosophising in classic Greek was organized for the first time. Even in a worldwide perspective is there no similar project in order to reawaken the old Greek language and the spiritual contents of the antique Greek literature! This unique idea and the true commitment of Andreas Drekis attract the attention of admirers and enthusiasts of the antique culture until today. Lots of participants are trying to join in the coming year back again, because there is no other place where people are able to basically live the ancient values. The seminar itself is kind of Andreas Drekis child, he is looking after and supporting it as much as possible.

It was planned and held until 1995 by the German philologist Thomas Fuchs, who is a distinguished expert of this language. By an extensive vocabulary research he created a basis to talk to each other about today's life in the Attic. In 1996 the philologist and historian Helmut Quack from Husum took over the direction. Besides the Old Greek literature, he is a fan of the New Greek one either and liked to place philosophical topics in the centre of the seminars. Therefore he prepared a selection of suitable texts, which were read, explained and discussed in the attic language by the participants after. Thus, the attic language is used for two weeks for valuable spiritual contents in the garden of the muses.

Every time Helmut Quack gave a public lecture on those philosophical matters such as Goethe's Greek inspiration or late antique religions and the Christianity”, which were open to locals from the area between Egio and Patras as well, and were hold in either German or Modern Greek. At the end of the seminar, the participants wrote texts in the attic language themselves, mostly humorous dialogs, which they performed in a final event to the remaining guests and friends of Hellenikon Idyllion on stage or on the lawn.

In 1998 the international Attic Competition was founded by Andreas Drekis. Short stories, that must have been written in the classical Greek language and which had to work on a self-selected philosophical or literary topic were given as the task for the participants. Helmut Quack and other philologists as well as Andreas Drekis were seeing through the received texts together and honoured the winners with prizes. This competition was based on the idea of the mentioned classic Greek dialog-seminar and took place at Hellenikon Idyllion for about eight years, until it was replaced by other competitions.

In cooperation with the literary magazine Omprela, an magazine of the association of Greek authors as well as other creative minds twu-day recitations/seminars/symposiums took place in the garden during the last years. Literature, poetry and classical philosophy became topic by working on texts of classical and new Greek poets like Sappho, Homer, Seferis, Kavafis, Takis Antonio. Concerts with invited guests from Athens and its surrounding are always part of the programme.

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Music: Concerts and Competitons

In 1995 a bucolic symphony concert was organized in the mountain village Peristera on the slopes of the mountain Helmos - home of the mythological spring of Styx. The 70 members of the youth orchestra of Schleswig-Holstein, that were at Hellenikon Idyllion for the second time, performed. The young musicians also interpreted excerpts from the oratorio Axion Esti by Mikis Theodorakis. This performances, which take place since ten years now, were called the Bucolic Festival. The aim of this festival is, to bring classical music in the Greek mountains, in order to give the musicians and the audiences a unique listening experience near a source of inspiration in mid the countryside. In the moonlight, under the plane trees of the village square in 1200 meters height, there already played for example the 80 musicians of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Singen on the 31st of July 2004, which has won the first prizes in the European orchestra competition.

One of the most important events at Hellenikon Idyllion was the international composer competition in 2002. Musicians had to compose the antic Penthalon with its sport topics: running, long jump, wrestling, javelin and discus. The resonance was huge: 21 composers from 11 countries participated in this competition. The eleven best works were awarded; one of them was by the composer Nikos Konstantinidis (professor for composition at the university Lousiana, USA). His composition was played in four cities of Greece by the Strasbourg symphony orchestra, which visited Hellenikon Idyllion in July 2003. In September 2002, the choir from Malta came to Hellenikon Idyllion and interpreted the wrestling match from the composition of the English winner Andrew March.

In 2004, another award-winning play by Spyros Mazis was introduced by the youth orchestra and choir of Meran, Italy by the conductor Richard Sigmund. On 21st August at the antic theatre of Argos; on 23rd August at the antic theatre of Oiniades and on 26th August at Hellenikon Idyllion. Moreover, it should be mentioned that the Jury members were: Werner Schulze, the German conductor Alois Springer and the Greek conductor Rafail Pylarinos.

Lots of Greek and foreign young talents were given the opportunity to perform at events in Recitales. Last year, 13-year old prodigy Arsensis Selalmasithis from Patras was performing Mendelson's violin concert and items by Paganini.

Until today, Hellenikon Idyllion lodged more than 100 orchestras and choirs, and a huge audience was always visiting the more than 400 concerts. The entrance to all the arrangements was free.
Past Projects

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Past Projects

In 2003, the conductor Walter Kempfel (one of the conductors of international reputation) visited Hellenikon Idyllion with his orchestra and performed there. He already conducted the philharmonic orchestras of Berlin and Tokyo, and visited Hellenikon Idyllion again in 2005 with the professional orchestra Bavarian Classics from Munich. Greek soloists also played a part in the programme. They performed Mozart.

In August 2004, there was the performance of the opera Orpheus and Eurydice by the Opera Studio Meran (Italy) under the leadership of their conductor Prof. Richard Sigmund. Locations therefore were the ancient theatres of Argos and Oineiades and last but not least the garden of Hellenikon Idyllion with about 400 people in the audience. The orchestra, which stayed at Hellenikon Idyllion for two weeks, was supported by professional actors and actresses. This sensational event with 100 participants is still remembered today!)

Even a production of Professor Werner Schulze (composer, scientist, and professor at Vienna university), who brings new impulses into music, performed his work on the 22nd August 2005 at our place for the first time. Anchibasie- philosophy as a muse, inspirited by philosophical fragments of Empedokles and Heraklit, presented by the music-ensemble Dithyrambos from Vienna. The composer was present himself! Before this performance there was be a workshop at Hellenikon Idyllion, managed by professor Werner Schulze (www.werner-schulze.at).

The cultural meeting site Hellenikon Idyllion arranged the competition Agon Aretes in 2005, to connect the ancient Greek, philosophical thinking and creative work. It was addressed to students and pupils from 16 years up. The competition had the aim to awake the interest in the Greek culture and to promote the handling with the ancient world. You can check the results on http://www.idyllion.gr/NewsE.htm
From the 15th of september to the 2nd of october 2010, a group of 16 singers with their piano-accompaniment from the music universities of Berlin and Leipzig, stayed for two weeks at Hellenikon Idyllion. During this time, they had rehersals in our garden of muses and prepared for their performances of the opera Marriage of Figaro of W. A. Mozart in Germany. Of course, they also had a performance on the 2nd of october at our place. The audience was enthusiastic and thought, that this event was even better than a professionel opera!
A short time later, the Sing Akademie Niedersachsen with their choir and orchstra arrived and stayed from the 10th to the 17th of october 2010. The group of about 130 peope planed a huge highlight: the performance odf the Canto General of Mikis Theodorakis under the leadership of their conductor Claus Ulrich Heinke. This was happening to honour Mikis Theodorakis to his 85th birthday. There was one concert on the 13th of october at rhe university of Patras and one on the 16th of october in the city of Derveni near Korinth. Not only the huge mass and sound of the musicians was very impressive, also the fact, that the composure himself participated, was a great success for Hellenikon Idyllion!
Current Projects

In 2009 a big dream of Andreas Drekis comes true: The international contest Helike Athanatos to set an opera of an ancient Greek written Libretto to music, which is about the sunken ancient city Helike and its soon to be expected finding and the triumph of the archaeological research! Since october 2010 the results of this great Contest are public. Click here: http://www.idyllion.gr/libe.htm It is the aim of Hellenikon Idyllion, to perform the winning pieces od this contest. That's why we are looking for sponsors, orchestras and dates at the moment. All of the contacted people think that this project is very exciting and we hope to get and find further support.

NEW: International poetry and composition competition for pupils and adults in 2011
Also in 2011, artists of all ages have got the chance to participate in an international competition. The aim of this competition is it, to advance the ancient Greek language as well as the classical philosophy by poetry and composition.

For more information and attendance conditions, check as a pupil/ school class:

http://www.idyllion.gr/Competition%202011%20p.htm

or as an adult

http://www.idyllion.gr/Competition%202011%20a.htm

Furthermore, since 2002, young students have got the possibility to do an internship for culture and/or computer sciences at Hellenikon Idyllion

Moreover, we would like to inform you about the union of public utility friends of the Hellenikon Idyllion founded in 2001 with the intention to make the aims known more efficient with the help of active culture-amateur members. Honourable members of the union are the professor of the technical university and former cultural minister of Greece, Dimitris Nianias, and the Greek-American employer Theodoros Spyropoulos, president of the Greek-American council. 

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