Rokka Festival with culminating event “Full Moon Concert” Rokka 24th July – 7th August

The Rokka Festival this year has been extended to 2 weeks, incorporating also the surrounding villages, thus the whole area is being transformed into a stage for  music, theatre and other forms of art.
The culminating event, of course, is the Full Moon Concert on 7th August at 21.00!
Get an excellent overview of all the upcoming events of the Rokka Festival here (in English and Greek).
Recommendation: Wear flat shoes, for the concerts bring a cushion to sit on, and a light jacket.

WHERE: Rokka. For map click here.

WHEN: 24th July – 7th August
20.00:  Official opening, accompanied by local artists. Presentation of the program and the workshops. Local products exhibition

21.00with traditional songs from Tzortzina Tsontaki and Nikolaos Stamatakis.
Live Music with Psarantonis (Antonis Xylouris) and his son  Psarogiorgis (George Xylouris), two world class musicians who will perform their own compositions and traditional Cretan compositions, in their own distinctive  way. With them on percussion  Giannis Papatzanis and Giannis Polichronakis bass.

 

Here  is a summary of the events from 24h July  – 7th August:

GIORTES ROKKAS 2017
July 24 – August 7 2017 (new moon cycle)

– Monday 24th of July / Rokkas Square / Music

20:00 / Official opening of Giortes Rokkas, accompanied by local artists.
Presentation of the program and the workshops. Local products exhibition.

21:00 / Music opening with traditional songs from Tzortzina Tsontaki and Nikolaos Stamatakis.
Live Music with Psarantonis and Psarogiorgis (George Xylouris). With them Giannis Papatzanis and Giannis Polichronakis.
Psarantonis and Psarogiorgis, two world class musicians join their powers on stage in a historical area of Crete and Cretan music. They will perform, with their own distinctive and special way, their own compositions and traditional Cretan compositions. With them on percussion will be Giannis Papatzanis and Giannis Polichronakis in the double bass.
23:30 / At the end of the evening, the Astronomy Friends Association of Crete will host an astral observation night with telescopes in the archaeological site of Rokka.

– Wednesday 26th of July / Kera / Theater

19:00 / Activities for children.
Start and registrations of children’s art workshops with the coordination of School Counselor Maria Drakaki.

20:00 / Choir of the Music School of Chania. The Music School of Chania has won awards in international competitions, has represented Greece in international performances and has participated in national and European programs of arts and sciences.

21:00 / William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night Dream by Thesis Theater Company.
The romantic comedy by William Shakespeare describes the adventures of four young Athenians and of an acting troupe, their relation with King Theseus and the trolls of the forest. Three parallel worlds are mixed: the world of Fairies and nature, the world of the noble Athenians and the world of the amature acting troupe. The darkness of the night and a thick forest becomes the perfect scenery for the hilarious comedy. Above all, there is Puck, the naughty troll who messes all three worlds with his actions and the magic flower.
Through humor, immediacy and simplicity the audience gets in touch with the meanings of love, friendship and justice.
Five actors, masks, live music played by the actors, pantomime and improvisation are the keys to unlock the Shakespearian play.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Thesis Theatre Company has been performed for two consecutive years in numerous venues in Greece and abroad and has participated in 39o Festival of Classical Theatre in Almagro Spain and in the 15th Butrinti 2000 International Theatre Festival in Sarande, Albania.

– Monday 31st of July / Rokka Square / Music

20:00 / Guided tour at the archaeological site and the narrow streets of Rokka.

21:00 / The village sings along with Kathodon.
Kathodon is a mixed music ensemble, founded in Chania in 2015, by the Ioannis GiannakakisToday, the ensemble comprises 54 adult members, singers and musicians (with an overwhelming majority of school teachers) and 6 minors.  At Giortes Rokkas they will present the songs from the album “The Road” by Mimis Plessas and Lefteris Papadopoulos.

– Wednesday 2nd August / Kera / Theater

Local products exhibition.
21:00 / The Theatrical Group Idea presents the performance “The Oedipus Tree” 
(http://www.alfaidea.gr/to-dentro-tou-idipoda/)

– Saturday 5th of August / Rokka & Kera / Art Exhibitions

9:00 / Organized excursion to the Rokka Gorge and Kera.

21:00 / Presentation of Sculptures and Wreaths by the participants in the workshops of sculptor Aspasia Papadoperakis.

– Monday 7th of August – Full Moon / Rokkas Archaeological Site / Music

Early in the afternoon, a grand celebration will be held at Rokka Square for the welcoming of the spectators and a simultaneous promotion of all the actions and preparations up to that day. Viewers will have the opportunity to wander in the village’s narrow streets, observe the visual arts and get to know the local products.

21:00 / Events culmination
Symphonic Concert with Soprano Myrtò Papatanasiu and Baritone Christophoros Stamboglis. ΑSΟΝ – Athenian Symphonic Youth Orchestra. Conductor Pavlos Sergiou.
Aries from Opera and Beethoven Symphony No.3 (Eroica) will be presented.

Photo Credit: Giortes Rokka

and Rokka Festival, official website.