Concerts

14th July 2020

From Greece to the end of the world

“From Greece to the end of the world”

Tuesday 14 July at 20: 00

Zomerfabriek

Minkelersstraat, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium

Belgriego Ensemble returns this summer with a project that aims to immerse us in a journey through the music and traditions of Greece, Italy, France and Spain. “From Greece to the end of the world” is a journey from the Hellenic country to Finisterre, a municipality on the Galician coast that the Romans called the end of the world because it was the point that was further west than was known in back then. We want to share with all of you our enthusiasm to return to the stage. In this new project we have write our arrangements with great respect and affection for the music that has accompanied us for hundreds of years. Join us in this adventure full of legends, dreams and nostalgia where borders cease to exist.

24th March 2019

Musical and theatrical performance
” The four traditions of the mandolin in Greece”

In cooperation with Belgriego

Musical and theatrical performance
” The four traditions of the mandolin in Greece”
Sunday 24 March at 19:00
Vasilko Odessa Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater , Odessa Ukraine

The performance is aimed to present the Greek cultural heritage and traditions from four different regions of Greece in order to show and preserve musical traditions as well as introduce a new idea of ​​musical heritage performed by young talented musicians with different temperaments and cultural identities.

In Greece, the use of mandolins to express local musical traditions dates back to the end of the XIX century and is associated with four regions: Asia Minor, Athens, the Ionian Islands and Island of Crete.  Due to its geographical position, Greece is traditionally a crossroads of cultures and peoples.  Given the fact that Greece was a country that had been under the domination of other countries for more than four centuries, this led to a multilateral interpenetration of cultures.  This can also be found in the musical diversity of the influences by different cultures, and the repertoire of mandolin music shows an impressive variety of rhythms, harmony and melodies due to the creative exploration of both Oriental and Western European tunes, on the one hand, and demonstrates some differences between the four traditions, on the other hand.

Mandolin: Elina Markatatou, Maria Markatatou
Guitar: Manolis Fragiadakis
Violin: Barbara Bergillos Castillo
Viola: Eleni Tsiotsiou
Cello: Beatriz Laborda Gonzalez
Song:  Rodanthy Kaskafetou, Arsenis Gionis
Participation: Dance group of the BHFC

The performance is sponsored by the Boumbouras Foundation.
Free tickets are available at the branch of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture -Krasny Provulok , 20. tel.: (0482) 357-136

9th November 2018

The art of the Mandolin in Greece

In cooperation with Belgriego

Dear music-loving friends,

We would like to invite you to the presentation concert of our research project “Four Traditions – Greek music”!

In collaboration with Belgriego, students from the Conservatory of Antwerp and some professional musicians from Greece.

We are very happy to present you THE ART OF THE MANDOLIN IN GREECE

This summer my sister and I travelled through the most beautiful villages and cities of Greece to discover and present to you the hidden and popular melodies of the Greek mandolin music!!!

This will take place on Friday, 09 November at 20:00, at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp (Zwarte zaal) (Desguinlei 25, 2018 Antwerp).

Let’s enjoy the results of this amazing journey together!!! We will be delighted to see you there!

FREE ADMISSION

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19th July 2018 
 

Four Traditions of the mandolin in Greece           

In Cooperation with Belgriego

A MUSICAL JOURNEY FROM ASIA MINOR TO ATHENS 
AND FROM THE IONIAN ISLANDS TO CRETE 

In cooperation with Belgriego

Music… Dance…. Theater… 
Fun, Joy, Migration, Sorrow, Passion, Celebration… 
Historical facts and human emotions… 
Greece… end of 19th century… 
An emotionally intense song… a separation… a journey… a love story… 
From Asian Minor to Athens and from the Ionian Islands to Crete, in taverns, on stage, in aristocratic homes, in under balconies cantatas, at weddings and celebrations, in every corner the sound of the mandolin is heard.
In a musical performance, four different traditions, four different cultures of the mandolin in Greece are presented in a story connected to life and human emotion. 

The idea for the project originated from the postgraduate thesis “Four Mandolin Traditions in Greece” by Maria and Elina Markatatou who were granted a scholarship from the Antwerp Conservatory for their work, in order to expand and enrich their research with the ultimate goal to farther more analysis. 
Great musicians from Greece, Spain and Belgium add more to the existing tradition and with their talent give an excellent performance for the audience.

We will be delighted to see you in our exquisite show where together we will travel to the sounds and aromas of Greece presenting the 4 traditions of the mandolin. The music, the dance, the theatre, the song and food will travel us to the authenticity of that age and present us with a beautiful atmosphere!

In cooperation with the dance group Lykeio Ellinidon of Heraklion and Belgriego, and our quest partner Michalis Kontaxakis, mandolinist from Crete. 

FREE ADMISSION

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3rd July 2018

Belgriego in Zomerfabriek – The Classics

Concept- Artist statement 

Our idea is to combine the sounds of classical music with the sounds of Greek traditional and rebetiko music. This will be achieved not only by performing classical and Greek traditional music during the same concert, which is surely an interesting idea, but also by performing our own transcriptions and original instrumentations in Greek music, giving a more classical sound to them. The combination of string instruments such as violin, viola and cello with mandolin and guitar and a baritone voice gives our music a special, delicate and beautiful colour which will not leave anyone unmoved. 

The fact that our group consists of members coming from three different countries is intentional. Our different cultures give a cosmopolitan air to the group, enriching our music with different emotions and temperament. 

Our aim is the originality in this kind of music which is not widespread and we appeal to people who love music in general and are open to listening to different sounds. The melodies of our music are imprinted easily in the mind because of the beauty and the nostalgia of the special sound we produce. Anyone in our audience would think of nice memories, which we will inspire in them, and while they would leave the concert they could easily whistle the melodies they loved most. We believe that our music fits perfectly in the concept of the concert in Zomerfabriek since our multiculturalism emits, but also reflects the cosmopolitan character of Antwerp.

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23th March 2018

Four traditions of the mandolin in Greece
In cooperation with Belgriego

Dear musical friends,

We would like to invite you to the presentation of our project which will happen on Friday 23th March at 20:00 in Academie voor Woord & Muziek Kapellen (Antwerpse Steenweg 146, Kapellen).

In cooperation with the Greek dance group Kalitsa, Belgriego, students from the conservatory of Antwerp and some professional musicians from Greece!

4 Traditions of the mandolin in Greece

The mandolin first appears in Greece in the 19th century in taverns, theatres, houses of the elite, sung under the balconies, in weddings and feasts. From Asia Minor to Athens and from the Ionian Islands to Crete, in every corner sounds the sound of the mandolin.

We will be delighted to see you in our exquisite show where together we will travel to the sounds and aromas of Greece presenting the 4 traditions of the mandolin.The music, the dance, the theatre, the song and food will travel us to the authenticity of that age and present us with a beautiful atmosphere!

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1st December 2017

Belgriego- Mare Nostrum

BelGriego is a new music group which was created in the summer of 2016 by students who were studying together music at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. The main idea and aim of their group were to bring together the traditional folk music of several countries. Thus, musicians from Spain, Greece and Belgium mixed their musical traditions, rhythms and listening and created the music group BelGriego.
for the concert on 1st December we are going to perform :Greek traditional and rebetiko music.

Elina Markatatou: mandolin, Maria Markatatou : mandolin
Eleni Tsiotsiou: viola, Mathijs Ignoul:guitar
Sara Lorenzo: violin, Beatriz Laborda Gonzalez: Cello
Arsenis Gionis : baritone, guest : Nina Basdras : soprano

Art Base, Friday 1/12/17 20h, 12,50E ( reduced 7E), 
29 rue des Sables Zandstraat, 1000 Bruxelles. 
For reservations & more info to www.art-base.be

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30th November 2017

Een hoofd vol haar

A head full of hair is the theme around which students, artists, residents and professionals from 2060 meet in and around the Antwerp Permeke Library on Thursday 30 November 2017 from 6 pm onwards.

Everyone is welcome for free!
A head full of hair is an initiative of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in collaboration with Royal Conservatory Antwerp, AP Hogeschool, District Antwerp and City Antwerp.

Belgriego Ensemble plays Greek traditional music
7:00 pm
With Arsenis Gkionis, vocals – Mathijs Ignoul, guitar – Elina Markatatou, mandolin – Maria Markatatou, mandolin – Sara Lorenzo Valentin, violin – Eleni Tsiotsiou, viola – Beatriz Laborda Gonzalez, cello.

Guests: Nina Basdras vocals, -Anna Mathioudaki, vocals.

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20th June 2017

The Classics at The Lounge: Belgriego

Classical music is hip, as proven by these young musicians.

hosted by Conservatorium

Concert Program

Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV 425 Vivaldi, Antonio
Quartetto Fa maggiore per mandolin, viola e Basso, Giovanni Hoffmann 
Weaving girl trio (2 mandolins and guitar) Yasuo Kuwahara

Greek traditional and rebetiko music (in our own transcriptions)
Thalassa – Pikrothalassa, M. Staurakakis 
Thalassa –Apocheretismos, K. Moudakis 
Pou na vro gynaika na sou miazi, A. Diamadidis (Dalgas) 
Mikros Aravoniastika, M. Vamvakaris 
Misirlou, Greek traditional 
Never on Sunday, M. Xadjidakis
Zorba Sirtaki M. Theodorakis

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10th May 2017

Mare Nostrum

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

We would like to invite you to the debut concert “Mare Nostrum” of our ensemble Belgriego. This will take place on the 10th of May, 2017 in the meeting room of the Sint-Laurentius church in Antwerp. You can find the church on the corner of Van Schoonbekestraat and Markgravelei (entrance at the side of Van Schoonbekestraat).

After the concert we welcome you to a reception with drinks and snacks.

Musical regards,

Belgriego Ensemble