Kalesma project
Kalesma project is a humanitarian initiative started by the internationally celebrated musician Vasilis Kostas.
The aim of the initiative is to improve the conditions and everyday life of the children in “I Kivotos tou Kosmou” (The Ark of the World) through music, to create a music community and, above all, to establish an infrastructure for a high-level permanent music educational program.
The professional musician and vocal educator Aggeliki Toubanaki is responsible for the annual music education, artistic preparation and direction of Kivotos’ children choir. The music educational program began in September 2018.
On 14th of July 2018, the first concert of “Kalesma” was held at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation with the collaboration of the children choir of ‘]Kivotos and six significant musicians of Berklee Global Jazz Institute (USA): Vasilis Kostas (Greece) – Lute, Eirini Tornesaki (Greece) – Vocals, Layth Sidiq (Jordan) – Violin, Chase Morrin (USA) – Piano, Noam Israeli (Israel) – Drums, James Dale (Australia) – Bass.
At the end of the concert, Marco Pignataro, director of the postgraduate program of Berklee College of Music, announced three scholarships for Kivotos’ children concerning the summer “Vocal Summit Program” of Berklee College of Music.
On Friday, June 14, 2019, with the great participation of Greek diaspora in Boston, was held, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece, the welcome concert of the children at Berklee College of Music. They shared the stage of Berklee College of Music with 4 generations of Berklee Global Jazz Institute alumni and students, Managing Director Marco Pignataro and the children’s choir of Eliot School led by Stefano Marchese. The choir was headed by Aggeliki Toubanaki, who also joined the children on stage.
The preparation and training of the children for the music-educational program during the year 2019-2020 is undertaken by Aggeliki. It contains integrated lessons for vocals and singing, musical theory, vocal circle, and improvisation. In addition important artists from Greece and abroad are invited.
Kalesma is inspired by the charitable work of Father Antonios Papanikolaou, in ‘Kivotos tou Kosmou’ and by the conviction of its members that through the power of music the life of a child can be transformed
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* I Kivotos tou Kosmou” (“The Ark of the World”) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1998 by Father Antonios, with the aim of supporting and taking care of poor street children and homeless mothers, who experience abandonment and neglect, or don’t have any medical care. Children usually belong to single-parents families or are without parents. The ‘Kivotos’ provides care to over 500 children on a daily basis.
Every donation counts
For more info contact us
kalesmaproject@gmail.com