Voice of Greece—ERT’s international radio service dedicated to Greek speakers around the world— will broadcast live the Kastellorizo International Music Festival, taking place for the first time on the island of Kastellorizo from 27 to 29 June 2025.
Journalist Natasa Vissarionos will be reporting live from the island, offering listeners an immersive experience from this remote Aegean outpost, where acclaimed artists of the Greek Diaspora will gather for a unique three-day celebration of music and culture, set against the natural amphitheatre of the island’s shoreline.
The newly launched “Near & Far” Kastellorizo International Music Festival is dedicated to the Greek Diaspora, with the ambition of becoming a high-level international music forum that transcends borders and musical categories. Just as Kastellorizo is emotionally close but geographically distant from mainland Greece, so too are the Greeks of the Diaspora — and philhellenes worldwide — “Near & Far” from their ancestral home. The title of the festival, written in English as a global language, symbolises this enduring and heartfelt connection.
Held under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, the festival seeks to promote the name of Kastellorizo beyond national borders, enrich the cultural life of its residents, and establish the island as an open, welcoming hub for visitors and artists alike.
On Friday 27 June, internationally renowned Armenian-American oud virtuoso and composer Ara Dinkjian, performing with The Secret Trio, will blend the musical traditions of East and West. On Saturday 28 June, festival founder and artistic director Pericles Kanaris will present his new work “Nautodia” — a song cycle inspired by seafaring and its connection to the Diaspora. Finally, on Sunday 29 June, soprano Vassia Alati, a Kastellorizo native now based in Vienna, will perform a selection of celebrated opera arias, operetta excerpts, and Italian canzonettas.
Sound engineer: Argyris Panteliadis
Live broadcast: Friday 27, Saturday 28, and Sunday 29 June at 21:00 (Athens time) on Voice of Greece
