When the Athens Concert Hall opened in 1991 Greece acquired for the first time a state-of-the-art cultural centre of international status, which has gone on to earn considerable respect for the quality of its acoustics.

In the twenty years since it opened the Concert Hall has grown into a versatile, multi-faceted workshop of cultural and artistic activity. It has changed the way in which people in Greece listen to music. It has worked consistently to showcase the work of Greek musicians and to promote their music on the international stage. It has also designed and organized a whole range of musical and artistic education programmes for children and young people. A leading figure in these endeavors, until his death in 2009, was Christos Lambrakis, who devoted all his energy and talent to realizing the vision of the Friends of Music.

The Concert Hall is now moving in exciting new directions, establishing relations and engaging in collaborative ventures with La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Royal in Madrid, the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the National Theatre in London. At the same time it is building closer links to the people of Athens, with a programme of events combining popular appeal with high quality.

The recent Protocol of Cooperation with Athens University and the National Network for Research and Technology envisages more involvement in general education for children and young people, as well as lifelong learning. The emphasis – through the new website – will be on interactivity and the new technologies. The Concert Hall will continue its commitment to Greek music and the contemporary arts, while also leading the way in the new field of conference tourism.

We wish to express our gratitude to our Benefactors and Sponsors, who have supported us in our work for so many years. And, of course, to the Greek government, which has from the very beginning been the mainstay in this most successful example of collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Athens Concert Hall Organization