Bach - Orchestral Suites & Handel - Water Music - Megaron, Athens

22 October 2023, 21:30

I performed Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 [BWV 1068], Orchestral Suite No. 4 [BWV 1069], and Handel’s Water Music in D major [HWV 349] with the orchestra Armonia Atenea in the Megaron concert hall in Athens on Sunday 22nd October 2023. It was wonderful to visit Greece again and to perform in Athens for the first time—my previous visit was en route to a wedding on the island of Santorini in 2011.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Russell Gilmour (@trumpetruss)

I played first trumpet, with Adam Wood on 2nd trumpet, Spiros Arkoudis on 3rd trumpet, and Dimitri Desyllas on timpani. It was wonderful to perform alongside some of the Greek musicians I met over the summer at the Göttingen International Handel Festival—also under George Petrou—where the 2023 festival theme had been Hellas (Greece).

Adam and I had the opportunity to visit the Parthenon during this visit. I last visited in 2011, and was pleased to be able to revisit on this occasion. We visited the acropolis early in the morning to avoid the queues (and the warmest part of the day—it was still reaching a balmy 26ºC on most days); I'm glad we did as it looked wonderful in the morning sunshine.

We also made it our mission to find excellent paidakia (lamb ribs), guided by this article. We found that To Steki tou Ilia (upon our arrival in Greece) and Karavitis (on the penultimate day of our trip) really hit the spot! The food was, of course, spectacular.

Russell Gilmour

writing on music, photography, engraving, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.

Russell Gilmour's innovative new book, 'Just' Natural Trumpet, is now available: please click here for more information.