Greece: the desert island of Delos, the scene of a concert of classical music for the climate

For the first time in millennia, the uninhabited Greek islet of Delos, an open museum littered with archaeological riches in the Aegean Sea, hosts an open-air concert on Monday evening, a European initiative aimed at recalling "the urgent need for regeneration of our planet" , according to the organizers.

A stone's throw from the upscale island of Mykonos, in the middle of the Cyclades archipelago, the concert entitled "the uncertain Four Seasons" will resonate on the archaeological site of Delos, to "raise awareness of the world to the urgent need for the regeneration of our planet", underlines the Alpha mission Delos, main organizer of this initiative.

"For the first time (...), Delos welcomes a classical music orchestra", in this case the European Union Youth Orchestra, as well as Russian and Ukrainian musicians, according to this press release. Among the soloists are the Ukrainian violinist Diana Tishchenko and the Greek Sokratis Sinopoulos, lyre player, an ancient Greek instrument. They will interpret the four seasons of Vivaldi.

The initiative aims to "combine mythology, art and space technology, according to the organizers" for "Nasa's Artemis space mission, which will carry the first woman to the Moon by 2025", underlines the World Human Forum, co-organizer of the event with Arte, the Franco-German radio and television channel.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site of Delos, which covers an area of ​​3.5 km2, is, according to Greek mythology, the birthplace of the gods Apollo and Artemis. The island flourished during antiquity, both as a religious and commercial center. Its port was at the time a crossroads of exchanges, ideas and civilizations in the south-east of the Mediterranean.

The organizers recall that "the ancient ruins are already affected by the climate crisis and the rise in sea level". “Along with our quest to explore space and possibly other planets, Delos – and the events associated with it – will be iconic reminders that healing our planet must be a priority,” according to World Human Forum.

The concert is dedicated to the Greek composer Vangelis Papathanassiou, who died on May 17 in France, at the age of 79. A pioneer of electronic music and an Oscar winner for his “Chariots of Fire” soundtrack, Vangelis is best known for his music for the film Blade Runner.