CONCERT: MATILDE WALLEVIK - “AMONG SIRENS”

Date & Time

Wednesday, November 27th
17:00 – 19:00

Location

The Danish Institute at Athens,
Chairefontos 14 Athens 105 58

Information

A Danish Painter Travelling in Greece

In this art song recital we will hear music by composers who have been inspired by Greece. Matilde takes us on a journey through her childhood where her mother, Bibi, a Danish painter travelled, painted and lived with 2 young children in the 1960’s.

They first lived on Hydra next to Leonard Cohen and Marianne, later on Southwestern Crete and the Peloponnese.

Excerpts from Bibi’s diaries will be shared, describing her life and travels here with the children.

Old black and white pictures from their travels are projected throughout.

Among Sirens is a recital put together by Matilde as a homage to Greece and her mother who lives with Alzheimers. The wonderful years they spent in Greece together are not forgotten. It was first performed at the Horto Festival in 2023.

About the host

Matilde Wallevik (mezzo soprano) is Danish but lived in several European countries throughout childhood and speaks seven languages. She studied Greek Philology at the University of Copenhagen and solo singing at The Royal Danish Conservatoire before moving to the UK to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She also spent a period of study at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow. Matilde made her debut as Dorabella in Mozarts Cosi fan Tutte in Austria and has gone on to sing roles like Carmen, Ulrica (Ballo in Maschera), Berta (Il Barbiere di Seviglia), Zeta (Gianni Schicchi), Principessa (Suor Angelica) and many more. She sings regularly at the Danish Royal Opera in Copenhagen and also travels to Germany, Austria and the UK for work. Michael Brownlee Walker (pianist) was born in Zimbabwe and has appeared on television and radio in Britain, Greece and Zimbabwe. As well as performing extensively on cruises, concert performances have taken him throughout Europe and Southern Africa. After moving to London at the age of 19, Michael continued his musical studies with Leslie Howard, and subsequently in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music, with Margaret Fingerhut. He has performed the complete music for two pianos by Rachmaninov and Grainger, and Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, with Leslie Howard. Since moving to Greece, Michael has appeared numerous times at the Festival of the Aegean, at festivals in the Peloponnese and Samos, and was co-artistic director of the Paxos Festival for a season. For over ten years Michael has been one half of a successful piano duo with Lefki Karpodini. Their concerts and repertoire have been praised by both critics and the public. On several occasions he has composed and arranged pieces for their duo, and he has composed songs that have been performed and recorded, including the anthem for the 75th anniversary of UNICEF in Greece (in 2022). Michael’s first solo piano recording – Serenata: A collection of Spanish piano music – was released in November 2013.