Programme presentation of the 10th International Kalamata Music Days
Dear friends of music, dear audience,
From 24 August to 6 September 2026, Kalamata welcomes the 10th International Kalamata Music Days—a landmark edition in the festival’s history. As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we pay tribute to the artists and ensembles who have shaped the festival’s identity over the past decade, while also opening an exciting new chapter through international collaborations, educational initiatives and new projects that further strengthen the festival’s international outlook.
This year’s programme brings together outstanding artists and ensembles, including Dimitri Platanias, Sofia Tamvakopoulou, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Jonian Ilias Kadesha, Pablo Hernán Benedí, Alexia Mouza, Felix Froschhammer, the internationally acclaimed Caerus Chamber Ensemble, and the festival’s resident orchestra, the Kalamata Festival Orchestra. Alongside the concert programme, the festival will present masterclasses in violin, viola, violoncello and chamber music, as well as the 2nd International Young Artists Competition, continuing its commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians.
The events will take place at the Kalamata Dance Megaron (Main Stage and Alternative Stage) and the Kalamata Municipal Conservatory.
The Caerus Chamber Ensemble © Stylianos Papardelas
A special highlight of this anniversary edition is Vombyξ_01 / 1st International Composition Competition and Academy 2026, organised jointly by the Greek Composers’ Union and the International Kalamata Music Days. Vombyξ_01 offers six emerging composers the opportunity to develop their skills under the guidance of two internationally renowned composers of the younger generation, Miroslav Srnka and Yiran Zhao. Working closely with five musicians from the New Music ensemble TETTTIX, the participants will collaborate intensively towards the performance of their newly composed works on the Academy’s final day.
At the Academy’s closing concert, an international five-member jury will award two composition commissions to two of the six participants. The resulting works will receive their world premieres at the 11th Kalamata International Music Days in 2027.
TETTTIX
The festival also continues to strengthen its international educational partnerships. In collaboration with the Kalamata Municipal Conservatory and the Musik- und Jugendkunstschule Nürtingen (Germany), it is launching a new youth orchestra exchange programme. The Nürtingen Youth Symphony Orchestra will join students of the Kalamata Municipal Conservatory for a week of intensive rehearsals, culminating in a concert at the Kalamata Dance Megaron on 30 October 2026. The collaboration will conclude with a second joint performance in Germany.
The festival is organised by the Municipality of Kalamata, the “FARIS” Kalamata Municipality Beneficiary Organization, the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata, the “Music Days” Non Profit Civil Law Company, and the “TERPSIS” Association of Parents and Guardians of the Students and Friends of the Municipal Art Schools of Kalamata. It is held under the auspices and with the financial support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to the George & Victoria Karelia Foundation, Grand Sponsor of the Festival since 2018.
We would also like to thank the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation for its grant supporting Vombyξ_01 / 1st International Composition Competition and Academy 2026, the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation for its sponsorship, the Region of Peloponnese for its continued support, the “Kalamata Friends of Music” Association for the scholarships it has awarded to students of our city over many years, and the Greek-German Youth Foundation (DGJW/ΕΓΙΝ) for funding the youth exchange programme.
Discover the full concert programme here.
We look forward to welcoming you again this year to this great celebration of music!
With best wishes,
The Festival’s Founding Team
Indira Rahmatulla, Stathis Gyftakis, Dimitrios Lampos
