It was an epic evening in The Temple of Dendur at the Met. The Egyptian temples were not just there for the image but represented, in their design and decoration, a variety of religious and mythological concepts. The venue was the stage for celebrating Arvo Pärt, a career retrospective of work by the revered Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, highlighted by the haunting world-premiere of Pärt’s O Holy Father Nicholas, commissioned by Nektarios S. Antoniou for the Schola Cantorum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The night was filled with a brilliant program that provided magic for the duration of the performance. The program included
Fratres with Michelle Ross, violin
Vater Unser with Eric S. Brenner, countertenor
The Deer’s Cry
Silouan’s Song
Salve Regina
Summa
O Holy Father Nicholas (World Premiere)
Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Da Pacem Domine
O Holy Father Nicholas celebrated the rededication of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, the only house of worship that was destroyed on the attacks of September 11th. The Arvo Pärt Tribute at the MET, presented a selection of masterpieces from the composer’s seven-decade career, curated by Nektarios S. Antoniou and the Grammy Award winning Experiential Orchestra director, James Blachly for The Treasury NYC, in creative dialogue with the APC. These performances are part of an ongoing series of programming organized by Mr. Antoniou and produced by Greece in USA that focuses on Greek-influenced music and architecture, including the No5 Festival and the forthcoming conference, Temples in the Shape of the Sky.
Our experience is one that will not be forgotten. Our advice to you is see the next one. This was special.