History
HELLENIKON IDYLLION
The founder Andreas Drekis – son of an orthodox priest from Egion – started to spread the idea of Hellenikon Idyllion (which is situated in a beautiful place) and its aims throughout Greece and whole Europe with a great effort. It is Andreas Drekis` desire to make cultural and spiritual values – which are endangered to get lost – new and intensively able to experience. After finishing the Humanistic Grammar School of Egion, Andreas Drekis studied national economics at the University of Bern. His tutor was Prof. Egon Tuchtfeld.
In 1966 Andreas Drekis suggested the increase of the GDP within a seminar called "the aims of economical policy". According to him, this suggestion was a new science, which he called the "doctrine of people's luck". It was developed in order to do "luck research" and set qualitative value judgments by a cooperation of all sciences which should keep economical policy aims always in mind. Especially the effective increase of the quality of human life is important, which quantitatively is not easy to measure. Twelve years later these ideas showed up in public discussions. Today luck is researched as the yardstick of abundance by nowadays famous psychologists and economists.
Andreas Drekis manages Hellenikon Idyllion in Selianitika since 1990. He made the construction plans for the building by himself to make sure that the accommodations bring up a steady dialogue with the artistic natural garden which animates the guests to a creative correlation in music and culture.
Hellenikon Idyllion is a garden of muses and the free philosophical, classic Greek spirit. The apartments and bungalows are situated right in the middle of the wonderful garden. Because of the huge terraces and verandas on which grapes scramble up, the guests are in touch with the garden, its cultural occurrences and its fruits (there are 10 sorts of grapes as well as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, medlars, pomegranates, olive-trees and fig-trees). A library with books in Greek and German plus a pavilion with a concert piano, several music instruments, rooms for practices and two open air theaters are availably. The profitable infrastructure of the terrain and the posture directly at the beach and the village offer the unique possibility for recreation, inspiration, international collaboration and creativity in arts, music and classical Greek literature.
The first visitors: Choirs, Orchestras, Conductors
In 1991, Alois Springer, the German outstanding conductor and fivefold laureate of international prizes (among others, he won the Koussevitzky-Conducting- and the Dimitri-Mitropoulos prize with gold medal in New York) was one of the first guests at Hellenikon Idyllion. He detected the spirit of the Hellenikon Idyllion. Leonard Bernstein's personal co-operator (conductor of the New York philharmonic orchestra, chief conductor of the philharmonic orchestra Hungarian, second chief conductor of the radio Luxemburg and conductor of the Berkshire Festivals in Tanglewood/ USA for several years) discerned Andreas Drekis' vision. The comparison with the great music-camp Tanglewood - the summer residency of the Boston Symphony Orchestra - forced on him, and from now on, despite his worldwide engagement, he decided to co-operate to unite artistic people at this idyllic place of the spirit of the muses. Since the first orchestra-workshop, he is not only a yearly guest at the Hellenikon Idyllion; as a member of the jury and conductor he conveys Greek composers and European orchestras. Last time, he was at Hellenikon Idyllion was with the students-symphony-orchestra from Marburg. On February 5th 2005 he conducted the "Berliner Symphoniker" at a benefit concert in Berlin. www.alois-springer.de
In the same year, the youth symphony orchestra of Schleswig Holstein, which counts 65 members and have been at the Hellenikon Idyllion for the fourth time in August 2005, visited Hellenikon Idyllion under the direction of Hajo Jobs. Furthermore, a choir with string orchestra from Oldenburg visited the Hellenikon Idyllion in autumn with 80 members, who combined their music-exercises with concerts and archaeological sightseeing. Thus it happened that 80 musicians performed the Byzantine clerical song "Ti ypermaxho" in the hall of the philharmonic orchestra Egion, which the conductor Nikos Butsinos specially edited for choir and orchestra. The conductor and the bishop of Egion were present at the concert. It was a great success: numerous visitors were delighted.
In 1992 the youth symphony orchestra Leipzig under direction of the conductor Ivan Ivanovits visited Hellenikon Idyllion. The climax of his programme was the first release of a play for orchestra, soprano and tenor, the epigram "O xein angellein Lakedaimoniois" (Oh stranger, annunciate the Spartans) in classic Greek, which Nikos Butsinos composed by order of Andreas Drekis. This happened to honor the Spartans, who tumbled in the battle of Thermopylai against the Persian army. The world premieres took place in the medieval castle Chlemuzi in front of 1500 listeners and in Selianitika on the main square right by the sea under attendance of the current minister of defence Spilios Spiliotopulos.
Classical Language, Literature and Philosophy
1993, the international two-week-seminar with the title "Speak and think in classic Greek" began. In the whole world there is no similar project to bring the old Greek language and the spiritual contents of the old Greek literature alive. This unique idea and initiative of Andreas Drekis arrests the attention of admirers and enthusiasts of the antique culture until today. It was conducted and realized until 1995 by the German philologist Thomas Fuchs, who is a preeminent appreciator of this language. With an extensive vocabulary research he created a basis to talk to each other about today's life in the Attic language. Then, the philologist and historian Helmut Quack from Husum took over the direction. Besides the Old Greek literature, he loves the New Greek, and he likes to place philosophical topics in the centre of the seminars. He himself searches for fitting texts, which are read, explained and discussed in the attic language by the participants. Thus, the attic language is used for two weeks for valuable spiritual contents in the garden of the muses. Many participants are joining the seminars of the following years, as this is the single place worldwide where they can get accustomed to the language that intensively.
Every time, the leader of the exchange holds seminars in German and New Greek about a topic connected with the exchange for an interested public from the area between Aigion and Patras, for example about "Goethe's Greek inspiration" or "late antique religions and the christianity". During the last days of the seminar, the participants write texts in the attic language themselves, mostly humorous dialogs, which they play at the final event to the remaining guests and friends of Hellenikon Idyllion on stage or on the lawn. For further information, visit our websites:
In 1998, the international "attic competition" was founded by Andreas Drekis. Short stories, which must be written in the attic (Classical Greek) language and which must treat a philosophical or literary topic have been looked for. This competition in the frame of the mentioned classic Greek dialogs-seminar was taking place at Hellenikon Idyllion for about eight years, until it was replaced by other competitions. Helmut Quack and further philologists were proof-reading the presented texts together with Andreas Drekis and decided about the winners and the prizes.
Two-day recitations, seminars, symposiums on topics like literature, poetry and classical philosophy took place during the last years in the garden, both classical and new Greek poets like Sappho, Homer, Seferis, Kavafis, Takis Antoniou in cooperation with the consolidation of Greek authors and the literary magazine "Omprela" and other personalities. Concerts with invited guests from Athens and its surrounding are always part of the programme.
The Music: Concerts and Competitons
In 1995 a "bucolic symphony concert" was organized in the mountain village Peristera on the slopes of the mountain Helmos- home of the mythological spring of Styx. The 70-member-strong youth orchestra of Schleswig-Holstein, which was at Hellenikon Idyllion for the second time, performed. The young musicians also interpreted excerpts from the oratorio "Axion Esti " by Mikis Theodorakis. This performances, which take place since ten years now, were called the "Bucolic Festival ". The aim of this festival is it, to bring classical music in the Greek mountains, in order to give the musicians and the audiences a unique listening experience near a source of inspiration in the countryside. In the moonlight, under the plane trees of the village square in 1200 meters height, there already played for example the 80 musicians of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Singen on the 31st of July 2004, which has won the first prizes in the European orchestra competition.
One of the most important events at Hellenikon Idyllion was the international composer competition in 2002. Musicians had to compose the antic Penthalon with its sport topics: running, long jump, wrestling, javelin and discus. The resonance was huge: 21 composers from 11 countries participated in this competition. The eleven best works were awarded; one of them was by the composer Nikos Konstantinidis (professor for composition at the university Lousiana, USA). His composition was played in four cities of Greece by the Strasbourg symphony orchestra, which visited Hellenikon Idyllion in July 2003. In September 2002, the choir from Malta came to Hellenikon Idyllion and interpreted the wrestling match from the composition of the English winner Andrew March.
In 2004, another award-winning play by Spyros Mazis was introduced by the youth orchestra and choir of Meran, Italy by the conductor Richard Sigmund. On 21st August at the antic theatre of Argos; on 23rd August at the antic theatre of Oiniades and on 26th August at Hellenikon Idyllion. Moreover, it should be mentioned that the Jury members were: Werner Schulze, the German conductor Alois Springer and the Greek conductor Rafail Pylarinos. For more information please see our website: www.idyllion.gr/kompositionswettbewerb.htm
Lots of Greek and foreign young talents were given the opportunity to perform at events in Recitales. Last year, 13-year old prodigy Arsensis Selalmasithis from Patras was performing Mendelson's violin concert and items by Paganini.
Until today, Hellenikon Idyllion lodged more than 100 orchestras and choirs, and a huge audience was always visiting the more than 400 concerts. The entrance to all the arrangements was free.
Past Projects
In 2003, the conductor Walter Kempfel (one of the conductors of international reputation) visited Hellenikon Idyllion with his orchestra and performed there. He already conducted the philharmonic orchestras of Berlin and Tokyo, and visited Hellenikon Idyllion again in 2005 with the professional orchestra 'Bavarian Classics' from Munich. Greek soloists also played a part in the programme. They performed Mozart.
In August 2004, there was the performance of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" by the "Opera Studio Meran" (Italy) under the leadership of their conductor Prof. Richard Sigmund. Locations therefore were the ancient theatres of Argos and Oineiades and last but not least the garden of Hellenikon Idyllion with about 400 people in the audience. The orchestra, which stayed at Hellenikon Idyllion for two weeks, was supported by professional actors and actresses. This sensational event with 100 participants is still remembered today!)
Even a production of Professor Werner Schulze (composer, scientist, and professor at Vienna university), who brings new impulses into music, performed his work on the 22nd August 2005 at our place for the first time. "Anchibasie- philosophy as a muse", inspirited by philosophical fragments of Empedokles and Heraklit, presented by the music-ensemble Dithyrambos from Vienna. The composer was present himself! Before this performance there was be a workshop at Hellenikon Idyllion, managed by professor Werner Schulze (www.werner-schulze.at).
The cultural meeting site Hellenikon Idyllion arranged the competition "Agon Aretes" in 2005, to connect the ancient Greek, philosophical thinking and creative work. It was addressed to students and pupils from 16 years up. The competition had the aim to awake the interest in the Greek culture and to promote the handling with the ancient world. You can check the results on http://www.idyllion.gr/NewsE.htm
From the 15th of september to the 2nd of october 2010, a group of 16 singers with their piano-accompaniment from the music universities of Berlin and Leipzig, stayed for two weeks at Hellenikon Idyllion. During this time, they had rehersals in our garden of muses and prepared for their performances of the opera "Marriage of Figaro" of W.A.Mozart in Germany. Of course, they also had a performance on the 2nd of october at our place. The audience was enthusiastic and thought, that this event was even better than a professionel opera!
A short time later, the "Sing Akademie Niedersachsen" with their choir and orchstra arrived and stayed from the 10th to the 17th of october 2010. The group of about 130 peope planed a huge highlight: the performance odf the "Canto General" of Mikis Theodorakis under the leadership of their conductor Claus Ulrich Heinke. This was happening to honour Mikis Theodorakis to his 85th birthday. There was one concert on the 13th of october at rhe university of Patras and one on the 16th of october in the city of Derveni near Korinth. Not only the huge mass and sound of the musicians was very impressive, also the fact, that the composure himself participated, was a great success for Hellenikon Idyllion!
Current Projects
In 2009 a big dream of Andreas Drekis comes true: The international contest "Helike Athanatos" to set an opera of an ancient Greek written Libretto to music, which is about the sunken ancient city "Helike" and its soon to be expected finding and the triumph of the archaeological research! Since october 2010 the results of this great Contest are public. Click here: http://www.idyllion.gr/libe.htm It is the aim of Hellenikon Idyllion, to perform the winning pieces od this contest. That's why we are looking for sponsors, orchestras and dates at the moment. All of the contacted people think that this project is very exciting and we hope to get and find further support.
NEW: International poetry and composition competition for pupils and adults in 2011
Also in 2011, artists of all ages have got the chance to participate in an international competition. The aim of this competition is it, to advance the ancient Greek language as well as the classical philosophy by poetry and composition. For more information and attendance conditions, check as a pupil/ school class: http://www.idyllion.gr/Competition%202011%20p.htm Or as an adult http://www.idyllion.gr/Competition%202011%20a.htm
Furthermore, since 2002, young students have got the possibility to do an internship for culture and/or computer sciences at Hellenikon Idyllion
Moreover, we would like to inform you about the union of public utility "friends of the Hellenikon Idyllion" founded in 2001 with the intention to make the aims known more efficient with the help of active culture-amateur members. Honourable members of the union are the professor of the technical university and former cultural minister of Greece, Dimitris Nianias, and the Greek- American employer Theodoros Spyropoulos, president of the Greek- American council.