6th International Music Festival of Aigai

6th International Music Festival of Aigai:

“One Sound, One Culture – The Influence of Alexander the Great on the Lands of the East”

For the sixth consecutive year, the International Music Festival of Aigai, organised by the Municipal Public Benefit Enterprise of Culture (KEPA) of the Municipality of Veria, returns this September with a two-day programme of events centred around the theme “One Sound, One Culture – The Influence of Alexander the Great on the Lands of the East.”

The festival highlights the enduring cultural connections between Macedonia and the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East.

Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Cyprus, Cappadocia, Persia and Macedonia — different musical traditions and cultural expressions — come together through music, tradition, customs and heritage, creating a multifaceted cultural dialogue around a shared historical reference point: Alexander the Great and the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia.

On 9 and 10 September 2026, with free admission, Aigai becomes a meeting point for these traditions, highlighting the shared cultural codes that connect peoples and civilizations through the universal language of music — a living vehicle of historical memory.

In co-organisation with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Imathia, this year’s festival extends beyond the Polycentric Museum of Aigai – Royal Tombs (courtyard) and the Central Museum Building (atrium) to include the Byzantine Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the Twin Ottoman Baths.

Following the successful 2025 edition, the 2026 festival expands its artistic and performance framework, under the initiative of Artistic Director Christos Kaliontzidis, seeking to enrich the audience experience and strengthen its role as an attractive and outward-looking cultural institution.

The festival is held under the auspices and with the financial support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER

Interactive Workshops

“Come, Let Me Tell You a Story”

Actress Aigli Katsiki introduces young children to the world of the great military leader, his era and his kingdom through a historical story presented in the form of a fairy tale.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Archaeological Museum

Jewellery and Traditional Costumes of Pontus, Asia Minor and Cappadocia

This workshop is a new addition to this year’s festival and aims to introduce audiences, beyond music, to the traditional costumes, jewellery and accessories of various regions of Asia Minor.

Clothing and adornment were an integral part of the everyday life of the Greeks of these regions, while exploring them offers valuable insights and experiences beyond the historical narrative.

Lena Kalamarinou and her collaborators, specialists in the historical study and reconstruction of these traditions, will give visitors the opportunity to explore fabrics, materials, techniques and aspects of the creative process.

Lena Kalamarinou – Costume Designer (Pontus – Asia Minor)

Dimitris Chatzigi lidis – Costume Designer (Cappadocia)

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Venue: Byzantine Museum

Ud Duet – Eva Misokefalou & Pelagia Giahoudi

Two musicians and educators, with academic expertise in the oud — an instrument that serves as a key musical link between the regions represented at the festival — present an instrumental and vocal programme tracing an imaginary journey from the depths of Persia to Macedonia.

Through their performance, they explore cultural interaction, virtuosity, distinctive timbres and the role of women musicians in contemporary societies that are often still shaped by social barriers.

Eva Misokefalou (Persia – Macedonia) – Oud, Vocals

Pelagia Giahoudi (Persia – Macedonia) – Oud, Vocals

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Byzantine Museum / Courtyard

Persian Music and Its Instrumentation

At the Polycentric Museum of Aigai, University of Macedonia professor James Wylie hosts a small exhibition of musical instruments that remain largely unfamiliar to Greek audiences.

Instruments such as the Afghan rubab, gijak, Persian santur, tombak and kamancheh will offer visitors an intriguing introduction to the musical traditions of Persia. The exhibition will be accompanied by a concert featuring students and faculty members of the University of Macedonia.

James Wylie (Persia) – Afghan rubab, gijak, Persian santur, tombak, kamancheh

Panormitis Boubas (Persia) – Violin

Periklis Vrachnos (Persia) – Viola

George Polychroniadis (Persia) – Double Bass

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Polycentric Museum – Central Museum Building (atrium)

The Cuisine and Music of the Greeks of Cappadocia

An interactive workshop in which audiences will have the opportunity, with the guidance of distinguished musician George Psaltis and drawing on his experiential connection with this tradition, to discover the sounds and flavours that accompanied the everyday life, celebrations and gatherings of the Greeks of Cappadocia.

George Psaltis (Cappadocia) – Violin, Vocals

Foivos Apostolidis (Cappadocia) – Riq, Bendir

Panormitis Boubas (Cappadocia) – Violin, Lute

Dimitris Panagoulias (Cappadocia) – Darbuka

Christos Kaliontzidis (Cappadocia) – Violin

Time: 8:30 p.m.

Venue: Byzantine Museum / Courtyard

THURSDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER

Concert at the Royal Tombs

“From the Western Mediterranean to India”

Bridging Sounds with… a Historical Background

Internationally acclaimed artists Hania Luthufi, Ciro Montanari and Efren Lopez Sanz, from Sri Lanka, Italy and Spain respectively, take audiences on a musical journey from regions of the Mediterranean and the lands of the East to the Arab world and India.

A special role in this presentation is played by instruments such as the Indian tambura, hurdy-gurdy and Persian percussion, alongside the human voice.

Through these sounds, audiences will encounter timbres rarely heard on the Greek music scene, while discovering the extraordinary musical diversity of the regions where Alexander the Great left an indelible mark.

A distinguished group of Greek musicians serves as the musical bridge between the familiar and the unknown, connecting different musical traditions across cultures and centuries.

Hania Luthufi (India – Persia) – Indian Tambura, Vocals

Ciro Montanari (India – Eastern & Western Mediterranean) – Indian Tabla

Efren Lopez Sanz (India – Eastern & Western Mediterranean – Persia) – Afghan Rubab, Hurdy-Gurdy, Bağlama

Thomas Meleteas (Palestine – India – Persia – Asia Minor) – Oud

Foivos Apostolidis (Palestine – India – Persia – Asia Minor) – Darbuka, Riq, Bendir, Davul

Christos Kaliontzidis (Palestine – India – Persia – Asia Minor – Pontus) – Five-string Pontic Lyra, Violin, Cappadocian Kamancheh

Time: 8:30 p.m.

Venue: Polycentric Museum of Aigai – Royal Tombs (courtyard)