The Acropolis Museum welcomes spring with music. On March 31st at 19:00, a concert by the Athens State Orchestra will take place in the Parthenon Hall, as part of the “Musical Walks” series organized by the orchestra itself.

The event’s program showcases the vast spectrum of Modernism in music. With the ambiguous title “Dyst(r)opia,” the selection of works highlights the breadth of the greatest artistic movement of the 20th century, which shaped all subsequent developments and left an indelible mark on the history of art.

Starting from the creation of a truly dystopian reality, Modernist composers followed many different paths. Sometimes they use past music to construct a new, eclectic world, as in the case of Schnittke, and other times to parody it, as Hindemith does in the humorous first piece of the program. Though the atmosphere before and after the two World Wars was dark, humor was an important tool for the composers in the program—sometimes as a relief from the gloom of the era, and sometimes as bitter cynicism. Even if the music of the time may seem “difficult” to some listeners, the pervasive lyricism of Hindemith’s quartet, the vibrancy and varied character of Martinů’s music, and the transcendent spirituality of Schnittke connect with the audience in many ways.

The renowned musicians of the Athens State Orchestra will perform works by Paul Hindemith, Bohuslav Martinů, and Alfred Schnittke.

On the same day, starting at 17:30, visitors will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the museum’s exhibition spaces with an archaeologist.

Due to limited availability, securing a spot at the event requires an online reservation and the purchase of a €10 ticket from the museum’s ticket offices on the day of the event between 17:00 and 17:30. The reservation code must be presented at ticket counters 6, 7, and 8. If you do not collect your ticket in time, the seat will be released for the next visitor.