Explosive pianist performance from Santorini breathes life into Walt Disney Concert Hall
A special moment for Greece unfolded on the stage of the magnificent and emblematic Concert Hall Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, one of the most important and imposing concert halls in the world, when young pianists Evelina and Angelina Tsiantzi Mante from Santorini were crowned winners of an international piano competition in the United States of America and performed famous works of the piano repertoire.
The amazing Walt Disney Concert Hall, A masterpiece by legendary architect Frank Gehry, it is a true acoustic wonder and architectural landmark. With its unparalleled acoustics and striking sculptural form, it is inextricably linked to the cultural identity of Los Angeles, while at the same time it is an international symbol of modern architecture, standing out for its strikingly innovative 'sculptural' architecture.
This living sculpture of steel and sound was breathed into life on the evening of Sunday, August 17, by 18-year-old Evelina and 13-year-old Angelina, enchanting the audience with their performance, as there was a strong feeling that they held in their hands a powerful artistic force capable of touching the human soul.
The program featured a polyphonic work by JS Bach, where the young pianist highlighted the clarity and spirituality of his music. The clarity of sound and the balance of the polyphonic writing in Prelude to the second English Suite were revealed with impressive clarity through the delicate articulation and the balanced dynamic palette. Little Angelina's sound had crystal clarity, each phrase seemed like a breath and each polyphonic line was woven from invisible threads. In the hall with its excellent acoustics, each phrase and every detail of her interpretation reached the audience with absolute clarity and warmth, creating the feeling that the sound was suspended in the atmosphere while maintaining its rich intensity and vitality. Echoing, the music reminded us that the essence of Johann Sebastian Bach's work lies not in the rigor of the compositional form, but in the spiritual uplift it creates. In her approach, JS Bach was presented as a living creative force, with the sound eloquently capturing the majestic architecture of the composition in perfect harmony with the majestic architecture of the space.
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🎶 Echoes of Bach | Angelina Tsiantzi Mante at Walt Disney Hall | Prelude from English Suite No.2
The pianists in the surroundings of the Walt Disney Concert Hall
Angelina and Evelina's awards
Angelina on stage, and in the famous WDCH flower sculpture
Evelina on stage
The pianists at Walt Disney Concert Hall
The atmosphere of JS Bach's contemplative clarity was succeeded by the emotional momentum of the work Moment Musicales Op.16 No.4 by composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, which came like a wave – lyrical, deep, flooded with passion. The performance took on a different style as rich harmony, emotional charge and explosive virtuosity dominated. The greatest pianist managed to highlight the inner drama of the Russian composer’s music, whirling the audience from moments of tender lyricism to moments of symphonic fullness, provoking in them a shocking arc of emotions. The melodies unfolded like confessions, while the explosions of power filled the hall with a symphonic sound. Evelina rendered Rachmaninoff’s lyrical melodies and explosions of power with rare expressive intensity and sensitivity, and they emerged majestically through the magical acoustics of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and flooded the space with their romantic richness, moving the audience.
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Evelina Ignites the Stage with Rachmaninoff at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles
Con fuoco – with flame, heat, passion, emotional intensity. Thus, experientially, the erupting volcano of Santorini 'taught' the two Santorinian pianists how to perform in a unique way, leaving their personal stamp on every work they perform, making them truly unique in the world. Each of their notes explodes with vitality, each of their melodies flows like a fiery wave that no obstacles can stop.
This quality and authenticity of the two girls' performance impressed the highly prestigious jury, which also appreciated technical excellence, musical intelligence, the inner pulse, the expressive maturity, and the dynamic stage presence – characteristics that have established them as multi-award-winning pianists in numerous demanding world-class piano competitions in the United States of America and Europe. with juries composed of prominent personalities, such as Jacques Rouvier, Jerome Lowenthal, Meng-Chieh Liu, Hung-Kuan Chen and professors from leading universities such as Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Yale University, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Chopin University in Warsaw, Mozarteum Salzburg, Gnessin School of Music, Royal Academy, Musikhochschule Cologne and others.
At just 18 years old, Evelina has already won 21 Gold Medals in world piano competitions and 8 Special Awards for Outstanding Performance and Technique. Her 13-year-old sister, Angelina, with 17 Gold Medals and 7 Special Awards, follows the same brilliant musical path, giving Greece two new pianists with worldwide recognition and international acclaim.
Their current distinction comes as a natural continuation of an impressive international career that includes two appearances at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York in December 2024 and January 2025, as well as at the César Franck Auditorium of the Schola Cantorum in Paris in April 2025. Their performances at the top concert halls have received excellent reviews and highlighted their high artistic level to an international audience, confirming their place among the most dynamically emerging young artists on the international music scene.
The guidance of their father and teacher, George Tsiantzis, as well as their teacher at the renowned Schola Cantorum in Paris, Agathis Leimonis, is decisive in the path of the two young pianists.
Evelina has just begun her university studies in Piano Performance at the top Manhattan School of Music in New York, with the famous Olga Kern, one of the most important pianists in the world, as her professor, who took her on, recognizing her rare talent.
These successes are not only personal achievements of the two brothers and their teachers, but also an honor for Greek musical education as a whole.
The warm applause of the audience at the end of the concert was, in addition to an expression of enthusiasm, also the recognition of a performance that combined youthful passion with artistic maturity and depth of interpretation, and sealed an evening that was another personal success for the two young pianists, but also an important distinction for Greece, establishing a Greek presence on the international classical music scene, proving that the new generation of musicians in our country has the power to shine on the most important music stages internationally.
The concert in Los Angeles, the city of stars, was indelibly etched in the memory of the two young pianists and their listeners as a magical experience where the music combined with the colorful lights of the magical stage Walt Disney Concert Hall They flooded their spirit and soul with light, giving the young pianists the inspiration to continue to chart their brilliant path.
The family of the two young pianists would like to express their warm thanks to the Mitsis Hotel Group and the Konstantinos Mitsis Foundation, whose generous support contributed decisively to the realization of this dream trip.
