The insignia of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters was presented on behalf of the French Minister of Culture by the French Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer, to Katerina Evangelatou, the Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival.

During the ceremony held at the French Embassy on January 31, Ms. Auer also awarded the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters insignia to director Michail Marmarinos, Artistic Director of “2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture.” The Order of Arts and Letters is one of the highest distinctions in France, granted in recognition of outstanding contributions to literature, the arts, and culture. This prestigious honor is awarded to exceptional individuals in literature, music, theater, cinema, and even sciences, both in France and worldwide.

Michail Marmarinos, Nicolas Eybalin (Director of the French Institute), Katerina Evangelatou

As noted by Ambassador Auer, Katerina Evangelatou’s leadership of the Athens Epidaurus Festival placed French creativity at the heart of the festival’s artistic programming. Some of the most significant cultural events in theater, music, and dance were introduced to the Greek audience for the first time. The ambassador highlighted collaborations with the Festival d’Avignon, the Odéon – Théâtre de l’Europe, the Festival d’Automne, as well as the participation of Comédie-Française, France’s premier theater company. Notable productions included Molière’s Tartuffe, directed by Ivo van Hove, at Pireos 260 and Hecuba, not Hecuba by Tiago Rodriguez, Artistic Director of the Festival d’Avignon, at the Epidaurus theater.

Additionally, renowned French or French-speaking artists featured in the festival included:

• Choreographer Kader Attou
• Caroline Guiela Nguyen, Artistic Director of Théâtre National de Strasbourg
• Distinguished choreographer Jérôme Bel
• Visionary director Philippe Quesne
• Acclaimed director Giselle Vienne
• Award-winning trumpet soloist Ibrahim Maalouf

Furthermore, as Evangelatou stated in her speech, many Greek theater and dance artists have also been invited to French institutions in recent years.

A Career of Cultural Bridging

Ambassador Auer recalled Evangelatou’s directorial debut with the lesser-known novella “La Morte Amoureuse” by Théophile Gautier and her production of Offenbach’s opera “The Tales of Hoffmann” at the Perm State Opera in Russia—one of the most beloved works in the French repertoire.

The Ambassador praised Evangelatou’s artistic journey in Greece and internationally, acknowledging her remarkable contribution to theater, her deep appreciation for France and the French language, and her dedication to cultural heritage. She highlighted Evangelatou’s creativity, vision, and impact on the arts.

“Your passion for theater, your ability to breathe new life into ancient texts while addressing contemporary concerns, your commitment to international collaborations, and particularly your strong ties with France make you an exceptional ambassador of culture,” said Ambassador Auer.

Michail Marmarinos, Laurence Auer (French Ambassador to Greece), Katerina Evangelatou, Nicolas Eybalin (Director of the French Institute), Anouk Rigeade (Cultural Attaché, French Embassy)

Katerina Evangelatou reflected on the symbolic significance of this honor:

“This great distinction awarded to me today by the French Republic gives me renewed strength to continue—both as a person and as an artist—to fight courageously for the timeless values of knighthood: honor, the promotion of justice, the defense of the weak, ethics, generosity, kindness, and devotion to family and friends. I hope that through my work, I can convey some of these values along with the truth and beauty of theater.

Living a life immersed in Arts and Letters, and growing up in an environment that nurtured these ideals in me from childhood, I feel that today’s honor validates my family’s legacy—a family that taught me, through their life and work, what it truly means to have a mission.”