Free entrance, reservations required. Info: +30 697 777 2455 (10am - 2pm, 5pm-9pm)

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22ND SACRED MUSIC FESTIVAL

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Our Holy Island, Patmos, cradle of Christianity and culture, is once again organizing the internationally acclaimed Festival of Sacred Music. Our Patriarchal Exarchate and our Monastery have embraced and supported it since its very first year,  because religious music, especially ecclesiastic-Byzantine, is closely intertwined with the traditions and religiosity of our place.

Moreover, sacred music instils balm in our hearts, it cures, in these difficult days we live in, our ‘thirst and hunger’ for all that is higher and spiritual. It gives us the opportunity to transcend everyday life and the satisfaction of approaching as close as possible the purpose of our existence, through the cultivation and development of our cultural heritage and the spiritual wealth provided by our Church.

I sincerely hope that the Blessing of the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse, in whose courtyard the events of the Festival are held, will crown with succcess this most precious offering from the Spiritual Centre of our Municipality and other institutions to our Holy Island, its residents, its friends and its many pilgrims and visitors.

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Abbot and Patriarchal Exarch of Patmos Archimandrite Kyrillos

Patmos, August 2024

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I am pleased to welcome you to the Music Festival of Patmos 2024, which includes the 22nd Festival of Sacred Music this year and the 3rd Classical Music Festival.
Patmos, as a lighthouse of spirituality and culture, is the ideal location for hosting such an institution. This festival, which combines religious and classical music, reflects the particular cultural identity of our island and the artists who will participate in it will provide the public unique musical experiences. Particularly this year, the importance of our festival is reinforced by the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of Patmos as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The completion of these 25 years is a milestone and reminds us of the timeless and global recognition of our cultural heritage. The Patmos Music Festival 2024 is a celebration of music that will remain engraved in memory of us and will contribute to the further promotion of our island as a Center for Culture. I invite you all to enjoy these unique events. 
 

Nikitas Tsambalakis
Mayor of Patmos 
 

It is a great honour to welcome, in my capacity as President of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, the participants of the Chamber Music Festival and of the Sacred Music Festival, organized by the Municipality of Patmos and placed under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO.
UNESCO, the international organization of the United Nations, has been striving since its foundation to promote culture, to spread education, to strengthen science and to foster communication between peoples, respecting the values of each culture and civilization. 
Our country ratified the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1981. The UNESCO List today includes more than 1,223 cultural and natural sites. To date, Greece has inscribed 19 sites, including the historic centre, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos, which this year marks 25 years of inscription.
In addition to the 19 inscriptions, Greece has numerous other cultural and natural sites of unique value, which have not yet been included in the UNESCO List, but must be protected and promoted, as they are not only a national treasure, but also the common heritage of humanity. 
In this context, I would like to emphasise the importance of planning and implementing initiatives such as the one we have today, which educate local communities in this direction and promote culture as a vehicle that unites peoples and strengthens intercultural dialogue.
I would like to thank the Municipality of Patmos, congratulate all those who worked for the music festival and wish you good luck in the implementation of your future initiatives.
 

Aikaterini Tzitzikostas, 

President, Greek National Committee for Unesco  

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It is with immense joy and a profound sense of reverence that I welcome you to the 2024 Patmos Sacred Music Festival. This festival, held on the sacred island of Patmos, offers a unique opportunity to experience the transformative power of sacred music in a setting of unparalleled spiritual and historical significance.
This year’s festival brings together an extraordinary ensemble of choirs, soloists, and musicians from around the world, all dedicated to sharing the profound beauty of sacred music.
The festival venue is the Amphitheater at the Cave of the Apocalypse. It provides not just an acoustic wonder but also a deeply spiritual atmosphere that enhances every performance. Each note sung, each chord played, resonates with the island’s rich religious heritage, creating a truly immersive and sacred experience for all.
Let it inspire you, uplift you, and bring you closer to the sacred essence that Patmos embodies.
May the music you hear and the spirit of Patmos fill you with peace, joy, and a renewed sense of spiritual connection.

Luigi Pianini Mazzucchetti
President, Patmos Music Festival

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The 22nd Edition of Patmos Sacred Music Festival will be exclusively devoted to sacred music, featuring some of the world’s greatest musicians to this mystical and enchanting island, committed to delivering music that transcends the concert hall.

The Sacred Music Festival will open with the legendary choir The Tallis Scholars, whose conductor, Peter Philips, was a great friend of composer John Tavener, who lived in Patmos. The Tallis Scholars will sing sacred music from Ortodox tradition and also some choral works by John Tavener. 

Special attention will be given to the music of the Greek and Byzantine traditions, with a concert of Athens Academica Orchestra, directed by the Greek composer Alkis Baltas, founder of the Festival of Sacred Music. Another notable Greek presence will be soprano Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, soloist of Theodor Currentzis’ MusicAeterna choir, who will perform two concerts of sacred music: one with her trio with lute and baroque cello, and another with the vocal quartet Kalifonica. 

This year also marks the 25th Anniversary of the inclusion of the Cave of the Apocalypse and the Patmos Monastery in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This milestone will be celebrated on September 6 with a concert by the MusicAeterna Byzantine choir, founded by Theodor Currentzis and conducted by Antonis Koutroupis.  

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Roberto Prosseda
Artistic Director of Patmos Music Festival

Massimo Fino

Executive Director of Patmos Music Festival

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