This year’s Hyakinthia 2025 is dedicated to the memory of Manos Hadjidakis. Marking 100 years since the birth of the iconic composer, Anogeia—a village with which Hadjidakis shared a deep friendship and cultural bond—honors his legacy with a three-day series of cultural events at the Theater of Saint Hyacinth.
The Municipality of Anogeia, the Cultural Association of Anogeia, the local Weaving School, and the Chess Club have curated a program filled with remembrance, music, words, and creative expression. Since the early 1980s, Hadjidakis had formed a strong connection with the region and its visionary mayor at the time, Giorgis Klados, redefining tradition not as folklore but as a living, evolving cultural force.
The Program
Friday, July 25 – Ritual and Inspiration
The festival opens with a memorial service for Manos Hadjidakis at Saint Hyacinth, led by Father Andreas Kefalogiannis. A multi-layered tribute follows:
12 students from the Athens School of Fine Arts, under the guidance of Professor Marios Spiliopoulos, present artworks inspired by Hadjidakis, Anogeia, and the Hyakinthia.
Mosaic artist Grigoris Kallagias creates a live portrait of the composer using materials from Mount Psiloritis.
Italian sculptor Laura Zizzi sculpts a bust of Hadjidakis live on stage.
Local baker “Fournaroyiorgis” and his team present a traditional “trividi” sweet bread with Hadjidakis’s name engraved.
Rare archival footage from Hadjidakis’s time in Anogeia is screened.
Artist Krystalia Nikiforou stages a visual performance featuring 40 women in traditional Cretan dress, embodying memories and crafts of the island.
The evening concludes with a concert by the band “Oi Hyakinthoi” (Vasilis Dramoundanis, Giorgis and Giannis Spachis, Dimitris Berkis), joined by dancers from the Cultural Association and the Mavrokostas Schools.
Saturday, July 26 – From Amorgos to Anogeia
Lyricist and producer Kostas Fasoulas shares memories of the relationship between Manos Hadjidakis and poet Nikos Gatsos, in an evening dedicated to poetry and music.
Poetic narrator Paris Mexis (from Greece’s Third Radio Program) offers his personal reflections, and guitarist Giorgos Mastorakis opens the musical portion of the night. Singers Aliki Kayaloglou and Vasilis Gisdakis perform under the musical direction of Miltos Logiadis—on the very piano Hadjidakis donated to the Municipality of Anogeia.
Sunday, July 27 – The Voices of Manos
Ellie Paspala and Ilias Liougos, two of Hadjidakis’s most authentic vocal interpreters, reunite on stage. With Miltos Logiadis on piano and poetic commentary from Paris Mexis, the evening closes with nostalgia, aesthetic depth, and emotion.
Hyakinthia 2025 offers not only a tribute to one of Greece’s greatest composers but also a celebration of living memory, local culture, and artistic continuity.
