A polyphonic choral festival was held with great success in Heraklion, Crete, with the participation of the Rhodes Municipal Conservatory Choir. The concert took place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the “Markos Karanastasis” Amphitheater of the Hellenic Mediterranean University (ELMEPA).
Five choral ensembles presented their work at the event:
- The ELMEPA Choir and the “THALITAS” Vocal Ensemble, conducted by Yannis Protopapas and accompanied on piano by Lili Daka.
- The Heraklion Municipal Mixed Choir, conducted by Yannis Kiayadakis and accompanied on piano by Eva Fourlanou.
- The Mixed Choir of the Regional Unit of Heraklion, under the musical direction of Lena Hatzigeorgiou and with Nikos Kokkinis on piano.
- The Rhodes Municipal Conservatory Choir, conducted by Angela Spanou and featuring Sevasti Hatzistrati, director of the Rhodes Municipal Conservatory, on piano.
The Rhodes choir presented a program that showcased its artistic dynamism and its active presence in musical and cultural events. Particularly moving moments occurred at the end of the evening, when the voices of all the participants joined together to sing “And There You Are, My Brother” from Yannis Ritsos’s *Kapnismeno Tsoukali*, as well as Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom.”
As part of the preparations, on Thursday, October 29, during the rehearsal of the Mixed Choir of the Regional Unit of Heraklion, the members of the two choirs held a joint rehearsal, exchanged commemorative gifts, and enjoyed music, dancing, and food.
The Rhodes Municipal Conservatory Choir plans to reciprocate the warm hospitality by inviting the Heraklion choirs to Rhodes for a similar musical gathering, paving the way for further artistic collaborations and strengthening the bonds that have been forged.
Beyond the artistic outcome, the trip to Heraklion represents a valuable experience for the Rhodes choir in terms of communication and the exchange of musical and social memories, in line with its priority of representing Rhodes in cultural events beyond the island’s borders.
The Rhodes Municipal Conservatory Choir extends its warmest thanks to the participating choirs, and especially to the conductors and all those who worked to make this gathering a reality, for their exceptional hospitality and generous spirit of cooperation.
