The opera Alexander the Great of Panagiotis
Karousos Impressed Chicago
Greek-Americans of Chicago attended an unforgettable high quality concert on 17 May that presented very successfully the opera Alexander the Great of Greek-Canadian composer Mr. Panagiotis Karousos. The work that first played in French in Montreal, Canada, made its first English presentation and delighted the American public with the dynamism and its intense lyricism. Conductor David Stech directed the American Symphony Orchestra of Chicago and the protagonists from the opera of Chicago.
The concert was honored with the presence of Thessalonica MP Mr. Giorgos Orfanos that came exclusively for the presentation of Alexander the Great and relayed the greetings of Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis and the Greek Parliament for the composer Panagiotis Karousos and the audience. Congratulatory messages were received from Rob Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois, the State Treasurer Alexis Giannoulias, and the Chairman of SAE America Mr. Spyropoulos among others.
The work made a big impression for its epic character and inspiring melody. The composer Panagiotis Karousos was referred to as the Verdi of Greek community of North America. Mythical beings were incarnated with embossed realism through the musical work of Mr. Panagiotis Karousos as were the Olympic Games, Philip, Aristotle and above all Alexander the Great.
The general consul of Greece in Chicago Mr. Anastasios Petrobas presented a medal to composer Mr. Karousos on behalf of the Federation of Greek Associations of Illinois, which organized irreproachably the important for this community concert. The chairman of the Federation “ENOSIS” Mr. Dimitrios Georgakopoulos dedicated the concert to Mr. Georgios Orfanos and welcomed the official guests including the New Democracy MP from Etoloakarnania Mr. Mario Salma, Chris P. Tomaras chairman of PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation, His Excellency the Bishop of Chicago Dimitrios, the chairman of SAE America Theodoros Spyropoulos, the professor Mr. Giorgos Papadantonakis and other chairmen of associations and organisms but also persons of arts and culture that were present.
Chairman of opera was the businessman Mr. Dimitrios Kourkouvis of Athens Constructions that directed the irreproachable assiduity of the program and the event in general. The honored for this subject composer Mr. Panagiotis Karousos opened the concert interpreting the song “Famous Macedonia” (Makedonia Ksakousti). The Macedonian association of Chicago decorated the scene with Macedonian flags and its dancing troop received the audience with Macedonian dress. Alexander the Great, of distinguished composer Panagiotis Karousos, was a splendid event from those that Hellenism of the Diaspora really thirst for, but also with the weight of artistic scope required in order to promote our historical subjects here in America.
