THE CLASSICAL AND BYZANTINE MUSIC CONCERT HELD ON MAY 28th, 2005, WAS A GREAT SUCCESS........

The concert committee would like to convey sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who supported the concert on May 28, 2005. Your attendance and most generous contributions made this cultural fundraising event a tremendous success.

Our community was honored with the unique opportunity to take part in bringing a Classical and Byzantine music program to our surrounding Greek Orthodox communities and to our friends and neighbors in the New Jersey/New York area. Many thanks go out to the Hellenic American Conservatory of Music and Dimitrios and Helena Fousteris. Their generosity made this fundraising event possible on the stage of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Recital Hall at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Conservatory incurred all of the expenses for the rental and use of the recital hall. Monies from tickets sold by St. George and boosters for the evening's program, after deducting our expenses, will benefit the many needs of our church.

We also acknowledge with appreciation and gratitude the following: Father Alex for his help and support; PTO for absorbing the cost of one of the buses; Zenon and Christopher Christodoulou of Creative Color Lithographers for a marvelous job printing the evening's programs free of charge; Dr. Panos Georgopoulos for working with the printer and developing the evening's beautiful program; Mrs. Eftihia Karayiannidis for all her help during the entire preparation of the concert and to all the contributors listed below for their generosity.

This wonderful cultural event featured the artists- Helena Biktasheva-Soprano, Dimitrios Fousteris-Tenor and Marshall Williamson-Pianist. The evening was dedicated to the memory of the men and women who fought so bravely to defend their liberty, religious freedom and human rights during the siege of Constantinople on May 29, 1453. Helena Biktasheva and Marshall Williamson performed a variety of classical selections from Italian, Russian, French and German composers. The Byzantine portion of the program was chanted by Dimitrios Fousteris, and included a very special first time performance of the Easter Gospel in the Homeric language according to a 6th century transcription. As a special remembrance of the fall of Constantinople, Mr. Fousteris performed a group of folk songs from the collection of the Musicologist S. Peristeris, Academy of Athens.

The event was made especially memorable with the attendance of many dignitaries including His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America. The Archbishop's presence and support of the concert and our community was a highlight of the evening and will always be remembered. His command of the arts and history, as evidenced through his humble and beautiful words to the audience at the end of the evening's program, was impressive and inspiring. We were also very pleased to have with us The Very Reverend Anargyros Stavropoulos-Chancellor of the Metropolis of NJ, His Grace Bishop Philotheos of Meloa, His Grace Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos-Auxillary Bishop To Archbishop Demetrios of America, Dr. Yiannis Skarlatos-Professor of the Bosphorus University in Constantinople, Dr. Vasili Diamantoglou-President of the Constantiopolitan Society of NY and Mr. Kavrakos-World renowned Bass with the New York Metropolitan Opera.

As always, the community of St. George came through for this cultural and fundraising event. May the faith and spirit of St. George, our patron saint, be our example as we strive to keep our community strong and vibrant.

With respect and gratitude,

The Concert Committee
Demetrios Arhontoulis
Simos Kontos
Elizabeth Kalatzis Manolakis (Chairwoman)
Maggie Stavrianidis

CONTRIBUTORS

Please click here to see more pictures from the concert (click on thumbnail to enlarge picture)