Theodorakis: Helikon

The German-Greek pianist Danae Dörken, who belongs to the elite of a new generation of internationally sought-after artists​, presents her new album “Theodorakis Helikon”. It pays tribute to the great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis on the 100th anniversary of his birth, which is on 29 July 2025​. Theodorakis’ compositions blend classical, folk and modern elements, often expressing the struggles and spirit of the Greek people​. In her programme Danae Dörken combines seven famous songs arranged for piano solo with the Suite No. 1 and Helikon Concerto No. 2, where the pianist is accompanied by the Staatskapelle Weimar under Kornilios Michailidis.

Promotional Video

Her ability to interpret works of music in both a spirited and sensitive fashion has drawn the attention of the international music scene to the German-Greek pianist Danae Dörken. After having previously recorded solo works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Robert Schumann and Leoš Janáček, the 28-year-old releases “East and West” (Ars Produktion, release date: July 5, 2019), an album fusing western piano compositions by Schubert, Grieg, Poulenc and de Falla with pieces by eastern composers such as Chopin, Bartók and the Greek composer Manolis Kalomiris.

For Dörken, a former student of both Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Lars Vogt, the relationship between east and west has played an integral role not only in her early upbringing but also in her current everyday life. Her mother’s family originates from the Greek island of Lesbos while her father’s family roots lead to the Federal Republic of Germany in Western Europe. She often commutes between the two countries, although her permanent place of residence is Brandenburg, close to the capital city of Germany, where she lives with her husband and two children. She often spends the summers on the island of Lesbos, where she organises an annual chamber music festival with her mother and sister Kiveli. The festival’s concerts feature both long-time musical friends and new acquaintances from all over the world who come together on the little Greek island to perform together. Danae Dörken has made it “her personal mission in this day and age to show that diversity is something that ultimately brings us together and gives us enormous strength.” Her choice to combine the works of a broad range of composers such as Schubert, de Falla and Bartók on her new album East and West reflects precisely the aforementioned sentiment. The compositions on the album all share the commonality of being heavily influenced by folk music traditions. Dörken explains that “the folkloristic character of these compositions highlight the individual elements of each culture which render the pieces unique and underscore the necessity for them to never get lost.”

Promotional Video

Promotional Video

“Was Leoš Janáčeks Klaviermusik neben allen ihren Besonderheiten für mich so reizvoll macht, ist, dass er das Klavier als ein Instrument gesehen hat, dem er durch seine Kompositionen in Zeiten, die ihn bewegten, seine innersten Konflikte und Bekenntnisse anvertrauen konnte.

Als ich zum ersten Mal mit diesen Stücken in Berührung kam, habe ich gleich darin ein Abbild seiner Seele gespürt – völlig direkt und unverfälscht. Ich finde es unglaublich spannend, zu versuchen, diese schlagartigen Wechsel aus immer wiederkehrenden Momenten der Ruhe und des Glücks und Einwürfen, die fast schon an Wahnsinn erinnern, genauso unmittelbar darzustellen, wie sie von ihm komponiert wurden.

Ich bin zutiefst dankbar, dass mich mein ehemaliger Lehrer Karl-Heinz Kämmerling an die Klaviermusik von Leoš Janáček herangeführt hat und mir damit die Möglichkeit gegeben hat, in diese eigenartig geniale Welt einzudringen. Ihm ist diese Aufnahme gewidmet.”

Danae Dörken

Promotional Video