The village fool. The slightly different one—and therefore slightly ostracised. The Pierrot who, whether you like it or not, will connect with your innermost self, because he has no filter. It is remarkable how much more we allow ourselves during Carnival, as if we, too, become a little mad.

The moon: enchanting, unsettling, capable of driving you moon-struck. Above all, it illuminates—allowing you to see things from a different perspective.

On the occasion of 75 years since the death of Arnold Schoenberg, we present his monumental work Pierrot Lunaire.

The mad Pierrot speaks through 21 short poems by Albert Giraud, addressing love, sex, religion, violence, crime, and blasphemy. In the end, he speaks of nostos—his longing for his homeland, Bergamo.

Music from Prespa, associated with Carnival, Farewell, and the Moon, transforms Pierrot into the village fool of each and every one of us. A fool who, wherever he may be and whatever he may be doing, is from time to time haunted by longing for home.

Conductor: Yorgos Ziavras

Quintet featuring Paulo Álvares (piano), Véronique De Raedemaeker (violin & viola), Rebekka Stephan (violoncello), Kostas Tzekos (clarinet & bass clarinet), and Zacharias Tarpagos (flute)

Balkan instrumentalists: Stamatis Pasopoulos, n.n.

Costume Design: Ioanna Tsami

In the role of Pierrot, the acclaimed baritone Georgios Iatrou