OREANDA-NEWS. June 23, 2011. The concert, “A Musical Journey through Greece”, given on June 16 and title-sponsored by Uniastrum Bank, proved a spectacular conclusion to the two-week “Pearls of the Mediterranean” festival, which drew performers from Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Greece

The concert by Greek superstar Giannis Kotsiras was held at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center nine years after the singer’s first public appearance in the Russian capital, providing an opportunity for music lovers to delight in the beauty and diversity of Greek melody and harmony.

With a voice as beautiful as it is powerful, Giannis Kotsiras is the world’s most popular performer of Greek folk and popular music, his album sales reaching gold and platinum status. In 2003 he was awarded the title of best-selling Greek singer at the World Music Awards. In the following year he performed at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Athens.

Yet there was more to Greek night at the MIPAC than music. The evening also marked the opening in the Center’s Svetlanov Hall of an exhibition of works by Greek artists living in the Russian capital. Before the concert got underway, the audience was invited to a sample Greek wines and national cuisine.

The evening was arranged by the Greek Cultural Center, a non-commercial organization founded by a small group of art patrons whose aim is to preserve and promote Greek culture in Russia. Uniastrum Bank remains committed to its collaborative relationship with the Center, supporting events and functions geared toward strengthening and developing Russian and Greek cultural exchange.

“Thanks to Uniastrum Bank’s sponsorship of this event, every member of the audience was given a unique chance to discover more about the cultural diversity of Greece, its art, its cuisine and its music,” notes Theodora Yiannitsi, Director of the Greek Cultural Center. “Moscow residents were able to view the work of Greek artists living in Moscow, sample Greek food, and enjoy the music and songs of the highly talented and charismatic Giannis Kotsiras”.