ATHENS — The Greek National Opera (GNO) continues to prove that it has earned its place as an international creative force, drawing the interest of audiences and media outlets from around the world. In a new feature, the French newspaper Le Figaro lifts up the GNO’s recent work and the support the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has lent it, which, according to the article, enables the GNO to “radiate internationally.”

The occasion for the article was a blockbuster recital by German tenor Jonas Kaufmann with the GNO Orchestra, presented at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on September 13. The piece features GNO Artistic Director Giorgos Koumendakis, who discusses what the GNO has been up to during the pandemic, how its long history is intertwined with the history of Greece, and how it copes with crises and keeps innovating with new initiatives like GNO TV.

The article also features SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos, who spoke about SNF’s approach to support for the GNO and the importance of culture in our lives. “Our role is to listen carefully to the needs of our time. This means responding to emergencies such as the pandemic and the fires that ravaged Greece this past summer. But it also means ensuring that artists can continue to create under the best possible conditions, even in times of crisis. Because, ultimately—and Athens is proof of this—what will remain as the legacy of our civilizations is art.

SNF Program Officer Anna Maria Kosmoglou talked, among other things, about the creation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) and the GNO’s state-of-the-art facilities there, which she described as a symbol of hope for Greece.

Read the full feature in French here.