National Hellenic Museum Brings Music Scene of Athens to Chicago

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) is bringing the innovative music scene of Athens to Chicago next weekend as renowned Greek composers will hold a concert on Sunday, January 28, at 3 pm.

The “Building Bridges to Greece” concert at Eventbrite in the heart of Chicago’s Greektown, is a special co-production with the NHM.

The unique collaboration between Building Bridges and the NHM will present the premiere of solo bassoon works by esteemed Greek composers: Niki Harlafti (Chicago, IL), Konstantinos Baras (Chicago, IL), Stratis Minakakis (Boston, MA), and Michalis Paraskakis (Athens, Greece).

This event celebrates contemporary Greek classical music and the vibrancy of Greek culture today. The concert promises to be an unforgettable afternoon of innovation and creativity.

Building Bridges, a collaboration between Ben Roidl-Ward and Niki Harlafti, aims to commission, perform, promote, and document new works for bassoon by Greek composers.

This cultural exchange is made possible, in part, by the generous support of the Lumin Arts Cultural Foundation.

The National Hellenic Museum and its exhibitions

The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) has a mission to share Greek history, art, culture and the Greek American story.

NHM preserves the Hellenic legacy and makes this rich heritage relevant today through its extensive collection of more than 10,000 physical artifacts, hundreds of oral histories, exhibitions, educational programs and special events.

Originally founded in 1983 and located in Chicago’s historic Greektown neighborhood since 2011, the museum provides lifelong learning for the community and sparks inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives and society.

Regular museum hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information on current exhibitions and upcoming events, visit the National Hellenic Museum page here.

Recently the Museum announced the extension of two vibrant exhibitions by Greek American artists.

Touring sculpture exhibition Hellenic Heads by George Petrides, which features six larger-than-life busts inspired by key periods in Greek history spanning 2,500 years, will now be on display through Sunday, January 28, 2024.

Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography by Diane Alexander White, a series of more than 80 historic photographs showcasing Chicago’s Greek American celebrations alongside other ethnic and cultural festivals and parades, will now be on display through Sunday, June 9, 2024. Gather Together is generously sponsored by the Christ N. Dalmares Family.

The NHM raised over $925,000 in September at its 2023 Gala, in support of its mission to share Greek history, art, culture and the Greek-American story.

NHM Chairman John P. Calamos, Sr. and NHM Gala Chairman Mike Manatos were joined by more than 500 civic and cultural leaders and philhellenes from across the country at the festive black-tie optional event on Saturday, September 16 at the Marriott Marquis Chicago.