After years of financial troubles, beginning amidst the Greek economic crisis, the cultural bastion that is the Athens Camerata Classical Orchestra has been disbanded amid unpaid debts, according to government reports.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni told Parliament on Monday that the orchestra’s musicians and administrative staff can apply for transfer to other state cultural institutions.
“The Camerata was a very important orchestra…it is a brand that we will reactivate. But the liquidation had to be carried out,” the minister said, as per the Asharq Al-Awsat paper.
Achievements of the Athens Camerata Orchestra
The orchestra was founded in 1991. At its peak, its artistic director was famed English conductor Sir Neville Mariner. The orchestra also performed at some of the world’s top venues and festivals.
These included the Queen Elizabeth Hall (London), the Theatre des Champs – Elysees (Paris), the Innsbruck Summer Festival, the Naantali Festival of Finland, the “Warsaw Autumn” Festival, and the “Printemps des Arts 2011” festival of Angers among others. It also appeared at Beijing’s Cultural Year of Greece in China.
Furthermore, the orchestra also collaborated with such conductors and soloists as Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, and John Williams.
The orchestra reportedly faced difficulties with funding cuts from 2010 onwards amid the Greek economic crisis. Its board resigned in 2015 over unpaid tax and social insurance contributions, but the musicians carried on with performances until last month.
The Athens Camerata Classical Orchestra was founded by the Friends of Music Society and could play a wide repertoire of music, including opera and early baroque to 21st century.
For the period 2000 to 2011, the principal conductor of the orchestra was Alexandros Myrat, while Christopher Warren-Green was at the helm from 2004 to 2009.
Since its beginning, the Athens Camerata displayed great commitment to educational programs. It presented several participative concerts at high schools as well as primary schools in Athens and toured the country.
The orchestra also lent its powers to contemporary music. It frequently commissioned, premiered, and recorded works by numerous modern Greek and international artists. Among these were Antoniou, Cerha, Hatzidakis, Hatzis, Hosokawa, Karaindrou, Koumentakis, Kancheli, Koering, and many more.
In 1966, the Athens Camerata was awarded the Music Prize of the Greek Critics Union for its artistic and educational work. The orchestra was supported by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Megaron and Demergon, the Daskalopoulos Foundation for Culture and Development. In the past, a grand sponsor of the orchestra has been the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation.
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