Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections

The Byzantine Inheritance performances are a part of the National Gallery of Art’s celebrations around the new “Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections” exhibition.

From the National Gallery of Art Website:

In the first-ever exhibition of Byzantine art at the Gallery, some 170 works of art, many never before lent to the United States, will be on view—among them mosaics, icons, manuscripts, jewelry, and ceramics. The works include newly discovered and unpublished objects and reveal the rich and multifaceted culture of Byzantium. Divided into five thematic sections, the exhibition explores the coexistence of paganism and Christianity, spiritual life in Byzantium, secular works of art used in the home, the intellectual life of Byzantine scholars, and the cross-influences that occurred between Byzantine and Western artists before the fall of Byzantium.

The program: The Byzantine Inheritance

Cappella Romana’s founder and artistic director Dr. Alexander Lingas (City University London) will lead a mixed ensemble in a 1000-year journey beginning with ancient Byzantine chant and musical encounters with Crusaders and Venetians, including Greek and Latin polyphony from the island of Crete. East meets West again at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles, where Frank Desby founded a tradition of Greek American choral music, which was continued by other Greek composers such as Tikey Zes, Peter Michaelides, Theodore Bogdanos, and Steven Cardiasmenos. The tour comes full circle with the mystical ecstasy of music by Athenian composer Michael Adamis (1929-2013).

Venues

Saturday 26 October 2013, 7:00 pm
Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral
30 Malvern Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221
vagocathedral.org
Sponsored by the Cathedral Organizations
Free admission

Sunday 27 October 2013, 6:30 pm
The National Gallery of Art
Sixth Street and Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC
nga.gov

Concerts at the National Gallery are open to the public, free of charge. Admittance is on a first-come, first-seated basis, beginning 30 minutes before each concert. The entrance at 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW remains open on Sunday until 6:30 p.m. Families with small children may be asked to sit in designated areas. Please note that late entry or reentry of the West Building after 6:30 p.m. is not permitted. For further information, call (202) 842-6941.