A Musical Journey Through Greek Composers with Greek Diva Ms. Ada Athanasopoulou

Greek Ambassador Olga Kliamaki and Greek diva Ada Athanasopoulou standing together in Tokyo.

This year’s Greek Independence Day celebrations included a special surprise. At the invitation of the new Ambassador, Olga Kliamaki, who took office last December, Greek diva Ada Athanasopoulou, based in London and active worldwide, visited Japan and gave a wonderful concert for the diplomatic corps stationed in Japan and those involved with Greece.

Ada Athanasopoulou performed songs known to every Greek, including those by Mikis Theodorakis, Mimis Pleassas and Giorgos Chatzinasios, some of the most renown Greek composers. Among them was “Honeymoon Song,” famously covered by the Beatles in English. To the surprise of the Japanese audience, the Greek soprano performed, for the first time, the “Eternal Song of the Four Heavens”, in lyrics of Greek-Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn (Yakumo Koizumi) and music of Greek composer Georgios Voukanos, in addition to the Japanese song “Ito”, bridging the music traditions of Greece and Japan.

Ada Athanasopoulou performing a Greek-Japanese musical tribute with a pianist in Japan.

Unfortunately, many in the Japanese audience did not understand Greek, but they were still deeply impressed by the numerous masterpieces sung by Ada Athanasopoulou. In addition to her rich, beautiful voice, she possesses precise tone and other techniques based on opera, and the beauty of her Greek diction resonated deeply with the audience, even those who didn’t understand the language.

  • Greek soprano Ada Athanasopoulou singing at a cultural event in Tokyo.
  • Greek soprano Ada Athanasopoulou singing at a cultural event in Tokyo.

Greek has been considered a superior language since ancient times, expressing many Greek tragedies and philosophies, and even today it is called the “intangible Parthenon.” UNESCO has designated Greek Language Day, demonstrating the historical appreciation of the language worldwide. It was a musical journey that truly conveyed the essence of Greek culture, while also evoking an exciting sense of exhilaration and allowing the audience to enjoy it wholeheartedly.

Close-up of Greek singer Ada Athanasopoulou performing Greek masterpieces.

We eagerly await Ada Athanasopou’s next visit to Japan. Next time, we would love to enjoy another musical world tour in a concert hall, perhaps combining contemporary Greek music with songs that originated in Greece and have spread throughout the world.

Ada Athanasopoulou on stage during the Greek Independence Day celebration concert.

Program & Composer

1. Traveler of a dream – Giorgos Hatzinasios (Composer)
2. Wake up my love – Kostas Giannidis (Composer)
3. One sky – Mimis Plessas (Composer)
4. A place in the sun – Giorgos Hatzinasios (Composer)
5. The Honeymoon Song – Mikis Theodorakis (Composer)
6. Daskalomana – George Voukanos (Composer), Mary Voukanou (Lyrics)
7. The Eternal Song of the Four Heavens – Poetry by Lafcadio Hearn
George Voukanos (Composer), Effie Panagopoulou (Lyrics in English)
8. Ito – NAKAJIMA Miyuki
9. Sunday Dawns – Mimis Plessas (Composer)
10. Zorba – Mikis Theodorakis (Composer)

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