Guest Contributor Christine Stavropoulos (The Greek Podyssey)
Stavros Xarhakos presented the Xarhakos Lycabettus concert at the Municipal Theatre of Lycabettus on 5 September 2026. The evening was titled “Ταξίδι στο Φως” Journey into the Light. It marked more than six decades of work by the Greek composer, as he conducted the program himself above the city.
Olympic work opens the Lycabettus program
The concert opened with Το Ζεϊμπέκικο του Δία (The Zeibekiko of Zeus). Xarhakos composed and conducted the piece for the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. More than two decades later, the work returned to Athens. Nikos Touliatos’ percussion ensemble Ichodrasi (Ηχόδραση) accompanied the performance. Additionally, that group took part in the original Olympic presentation.
The 2004 ceremony remains a fixed reference in Greek public memory. The opening choice tied the hill concert to a national event. Official ticket notes also listed Ichodrasi as a featured guest for 5 September. Consequently, the Olympic link sat at the front of the night, not as an encore.
Singers and ensemble at the Xarhakos Lycabettus concert
Giannis Kotsiras and Iro Saia joined Xarhakos as principal singers. Saia is the composer’s wife. Both voices carried the laïko repertoire that defined the bill. Pianist Neoklis Neofytidis served as orchestral supervisor and vocalist. The release names him a central collaborator in staging the works.
Journey series moves from ruins to the city
Organizers present Journey into the Light as a multi-year path rather than a single show. The cycle began in 2024 at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. It then moved to the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina. Later dates used ancient theatres and, in 2025, two nights at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
The Lycabettus date therefore shifted the same project from archaeological sites to a working city theatre. Ticket copy framed that move as a change from stone silence to the “living breath” of Athens. A second Lycabettus night is scheduled for 30 September 2026. That program uses the subtitle “Se Sympan Erotiko” and pairs Iro Saia with Babis Stokas. However, 5 September remained the laïko chapter with Kotsiras.
Composer and hill share a long record
Lycabettus is not a new room for Xarhakos. In 1978, he gave a series of concerts that resulted in the live album Ξαρχάκος – Στο Λυκαβηττό. In 2023, he reopened the restored Municipal Theatre after a 15-year closure. Athens mayor Kostas Bakoyannis then linked the reopening to music last heard on the slope 45 years earlier.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou later awarded Xarchakos the Grand Commander of the Order of Honor. She cited his mix of folk, hymn, and Western forms. In 2024, he also appeared at the Acropolis Museum. A street encounter after that concert circulated widely.
The hill itself remains a regular stage in Athens. The Athens Epidaurus Festival has returned there for anniversary concerts. Thus, the 5 September date fell within both the composer’s own history and the venue’s current season.
Photos: Copyright Christine Stavropoulos for Greek City Times
