Camille Saint-Saens

The Bucharest National Opera (ONB) dedicates its shows this week to the Holocaust victims.

Conductor Ion Marin, honorary director of the "Madrigal - Marin Constantin" Chamber Music National Choir and founder of the Cantus Mundi National Programme, says in an interview to AGERPRES that music and culture in general represent a catalyst for Romania's change. "I believe in Romania's change, in the first place. And I believe music is a catalyst.

The Russian National Orchestra comes to Greece with a special autumnal program on Sunday, November 18, when the distinguished ensemble will be performing Camille Saint-Saens's Danse Macabre, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor, the prelude to Alexander Glazunov's "From the Middle Ages," and Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suite.

Pianist Diana Vranoussi will perform works by two composers of Greek heritage who lived in Paris in the 19th century: Camille Marie Stamaty (1811-1870), a famous pianist and educator, who also taught Camille Saint-Saens, among others, and Mario Foscarina-Damaschino (1850-1921), a talented but little-known woman composer.

The Athens State Orchestra performs works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Francis Poulenc and Camille Saint-Saens at the Athens Concert Hall on Friday, December 2. Organist Thierry Escaich will join the ensemble, which is led by Michalis Economou. The concert is set to start at 8.30 p.m. while an introductory talk for ticket-holders will take place at 7.45 p.m.