The Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra will make its American debut at Carnegie Hall this fall in a one-night-only concert November 3. Led by the orchestra's founder and artistic director Dionysis Grammenos, the orchestra will present "an eclectic evening of music including contemporary European and American popular symphonic works as well as a fresh new take on traditional Greek dance music through a symphonic lens."

The concert will include performance of Nikos Skalkottas' "Greek Dances," on the occasion of the 70th anniversary, the work having premiered at Carnegie Hall in November of 1954, performed by the New York Philharmonic. The concert will also feature Anna Clyne's <<rewind<<, and Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

Said Grammenos in a statement: "We could not be more excited that Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra will make its American debut at Carnegie Hall this fall. Just about 70 years ago to the date of our concert, the great Greek conductor, Dimitri Mitropoulos, led the New York Philharmonic in the debut of Nikos Skalkottas’ “Greek Dances” on the stage of Carnegie Hall. Our performance of this work feels like a celebration of the legacy of Greek music and artistry to have played this fabled stage."

The Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra, founded in 2017, comprises 300 musicians, ages 18-26 from nearly 50 cities in Greece and throughout Europe. The orchestra's Carnegie Hall debut is presented by The Hellenic Initiative, a nonprofit organization that brings together Diaspora Greeks and Philhellenes to invest in the future of Greece through programs focused on crisis relief, entrepreneurship, and economic development. 

For more information, visit CarnegieHall.org.