Greek National Opera

The Greek National Opera has teamed up with British performance company 1927 and Barrie Kosky, the Australian artistic director of the Komische Oper Berlin, to present his innovative production of Mozart's classic "Magic Flute" at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on March 31 and April 1, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 17 and 29.

Greece's government has signed an agreement with a charitable foundation to build and equip hospitals in the cash-strapped country.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras signed the agreement with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Wednesday for a grant valued up to 250 million euros ($307 million.)

The Greek National Opera and Britain's Royal Opera have teamed up for a production of Gaetano Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece "Lucia di Lammermoor," directed by Katie Mitchell, conducted by Giorgos Petrou and Zoi Tsokanou, and starring Christina Poulitsi and Vassiliki Karayanni in the title role. Shows take place on March 14, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24 and 28.

The Greek National Opera presents "Stefanos Lazaridis: Cynical Romantic," an exhibition paying homage to the late Ethiopia-born Greek stage designer who was best known for his work in opera. Other than designing the sets for more than 30 productions for the English National Opera, Lazaridis also served as artistic director of the GNO.

The Greek National Opera presents Charles Gounod's dramatic "Romeo and Juliet" at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), marking the bicentenary of the composer's birth in a production directed by Greece's Nikos Mastorakis and featuring Ismael Jordi and Myrto Papatanasiu as the star-crossed lovers. Shows start at 7.30 p.m. on March 2 and 7 and at 6.30 p.m. on March 4 and 11.

The Greek National Opera presents "Stefanos Lazaridis: Cynical Romantic," an exhibition paying homage to the late Ethiopia-born Greek stage designer who was best known for his work in opera. Other than designing the sets for more than 30 productions for the English National Opera, Lazaridis also served as artistic director of the GNO.

The Greek National Opera is offering 300 seats to unemployed people at Wednesday afternoon's dress rehearsal for its production of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca," at its state-of-the-art opera house at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in southern Athens.

In its new home at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), the National Library of Greece has organized a series of special events about the Holocaust. Including lectures, a photography exhibition, documentary screenings and more, the tribute will also focus on the plight of Greece's Jews in World War II.

Acclaimed Greek director Nikos S. Petropoulos has always regarded Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" as a highly cinematic opera that could be seen as the precursor to the moving picture. In his production for the Greek National Opera, the setting is Rome in World War II, focusing on the element of violence and sadism.

Thodoris Abazis has composed a new piece for the Greek National Opera's program for children that is based on the Russian fairy tale that inspired Igor Stravinsky's ballet "The Firebird." Aimed at 5- to 12-year-olds, "Prince Ivan and the Firebird" (in Greek) tells the story of a young prince trying to prove his worth to his father the tsar, while also learning a few valuable life lessons along