Young Lied singer Alexandra Trianti experiences the rich and vibrant Viennese musical life in the Musikverein Concert Hall. Once back home, she is determined to act: Athens is in need of a proper place for concerts. She will devote her life to this cause.
The Friends of Music Society is founded, with the objective to promote the construction of a concert hall. It is supported by the most influential intellectuals and politicians of the time. Among them is 19-year-old Christos Lambrakis, the man whose name will be identified with the establishment and the flourishing of Megaron.
Dimitri Mitropoulos conducts the New York Philharmonic in Athens for the first time. The concert’s proceeds are offered as financial assistance to The Friends of Music Society.
Recommended by Herbert von Karajan, German acoustics expert Heinrich Keilholtz collaborates with architect Emmanouil Vourekas to complete the building’s construction design and plans.
Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis lays the cornerstone of the building.
Megaron is inaugurated. The elegant luxury of its interiors and the technological innovation of its installations, the attention to detail, and –above all– the superior acoustics of its halls, make it a landmark that will forever change the city’s image.
Three symphonies mark the opening of Megaron: Violinist and conductor Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists and the Athens State Orchestra under the baton of Alexandros Symeonidis, inspire the public in the sold out concerts in the Friends of Music Hall – now Christos Lambrakis Hall – that welcomes 1,961 spectators.
Extroversion becomes a Megaron trademark, and Athens reaches the status of an international cultural centre: famous orchestras, chamber music orchestras, opera productions, great recitals fascinate the audience. Classical music in all its forms and eras is presented through original themes and seasons.
The Athens Camerata (Friends of Music Orchestra) –internationally acclaimed as Armonia Atenea– is founded in 1991 at the initiative of Christos Lambrakis. It has since evolved into a dynamic ensemble, with a rich artistic and educational output and award-winning recordings under the baton of Alexandros Myrat, Sir Neville Marriner and Christopher Warren-Green. Today the orchestra continues under the direction of George Petrou.
Megaron Plus hosts charismatic speakers from Greece and abroad, in events that promote constructive public debate, tackling modern-day concerns about political, social, scientific, environmental and cultural issues. This forum for critical thinking is particularly popular among young audiences.
Rem Koolhaas was the first speaker of Megaron Plus.
In the course of its 30 years in operation, Megaron has welcomed over 15 million spectators and visitors. Impressive as this number may be, its true value can only be appreciated if multiplied by the sense of elation that each and every one of us feels, when the beauty and power of art offer us a view of the world from above.
