The idea of Minoa Palace Chamber Music Festival first emerged during the summer of 2011 in Crete
In a discussion with my teacher Georgios Demertzis, the founder and 1st violinist of the New Hellenic Quartet, we realized we had a mutual inspiration; that of our true love for the great classical music. On the other hand, Crete as a crossroad of cultures, a destination of unique, natural beauty and vast history and tradition, has always radiated energy and inspiration. Minoa Palace Resort would become the most fertile ground for the idea to come to life.
The first concert took place in September 2012 in the 'Imperial' hall of the hotel, were Vassilis Varvaresos, George Demertzis and Angelos Liakakis, the original members that support the festival until today, first performed. Since then, Minoa Palace Resort, as the resident venue, has been a center of art for Western Crete. Young, talented and ambitious artists meet here every year and inspire local and international audiences with their creative power and inspiration.
Dear friends,
2023 sees the Chamber Music Festival Chania embarking on its second decade as a fixture in Crete's musical life. Having hosted 34 outstanding concerts attended by over 5,000 music lovers, it is the island's most exciting classical music event.
Our sponsor, and a pillar of serious music: the Minoa Palace Resort, which has been providing for the needs of visitors to Crete for 20 years without compromising on quality once. Being the Festival's main venue adds a top-flight cultural event to its palette of services; an initiative which is engaged in an ongoing conversation with similar events around the world.
This year's Festival is entitled "The Creation of the World—Création du Monde". In five concerts, starting with Darius Milhaud's work of that name, the Festival will bring to the fore chamber works that broke new ground with their aesthetics and their content, opening up new horizons in serious music. Works that broke free of the established "moulds" of their eras to create new worlds.
Expanding the Festival's range of instruments and timbres, we will be opening our doors for the first time to celebrated flautists and harpists, and will be presenting audiences with works that combine the dynamism of the clarinet with the balanced and robust sound of strings.
Big names will be enhancing the Festival's international profile year, while also serving as fine examples of international cooperation and artistic mobility: the distinguished Czech violinist Josef Špaček, the Italian flautist Silvia Careddu, the Israeli clarinettist Shirley Brill and the outstanding Polish violinist Pawel Zalejski will be appearing on the stage of the Chamber Music Festival Chania this year.
At the same time, the Festival will once again be providing young musicians with a platform. We are therefore delighted to announce that the members of the City of Heraklion's Youth Symphony Orchestra of Crete will be joining forces with the ambitious New Cretan Quartet to perform a landmark work in the history of Western music: Claude Debussy's Le Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune [Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun].
Of course, none of the above would not been possible without our supporters. First of all, the Region of Crete and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania, thanks to whom the Festival will be staging its two closing concerts in the magical theatre in the Aptera archaeological site. Nor could I omit to mention the continued support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture & Sports, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the Municipalities of Chania and Heraklion, and Alpha Bank.
And, finally, all of you who have joined us on this journey and who give us the strength we need to continue.
We thank you and look forward to seeing you again!
George Mathioulakis
Director of the Chamber Music Festival Chania
Each year, the festival bids farewell to the cosmopolitan summer and welcomes autumn in the most artistic way: high quality performances highlight composers from the Baroque era to the 21st century, offering the audience 2 weeks of intense musical excitement. In its 10 years 34 concerts have been held in total, attracting more than 4500 music lovers from Greece and abroad.
"Our vision is to keep sharing the inner meaning of art with our audience, in one of the most extraordinary destinations, Crete."
George Mathioulakis
OUR HOST
MINOA PALACE
RESORT
Chamber Music Festival's home
Minoa Palace Resort Hotel in Chania was built in 2002 by the Mathioulakis family in order to offer an authentic holiday and well-being experience to world travellers. To further enhance the overall guest experience, the hotel was expended with an aerial bridge connecting the Main Building Bungalow complex with the Imperial Beach Wing thus offering immediate access to the beach from both buildings.
Today, covering 35,000 sq. m. of Cretan land in the popular tourist resort of Platanias, this luxury 5-star hotel in Crete enamours guests with its majestic surroundings, the miraculous views to the shimmering Aegean Sea and the White Mountains as well as the high-end facilities and bespoke services offered. Focusing on the well-being of every individual this gem of a luxury hotel in Chania masterfully combines discreet luxury and comfort with attention to detail and attentive service ensuring a holiday beyond imaginable.
