Sacred Paths | 3rd New Eleusis Symposion

Two great sacred musical traditions meet on 27 September 2025 at the Archaeological Site of Elefsina, against the backdrop of the ecstatic whirling of the Mevlevi Dervishes.
The Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul and the Byzantine Choir of the Association of the Constantinopolitan Friends of Music in Athens, following their sold-out performance at the Philharmonie de Paris, bring together their voices and movement in an evening of spiritual convergence, marking the culmination of the 3rd New Eleusis Symposion – “Re-enchanting the World”. This exceptional event also features Sokratis Sinopoulos, master of the lyra, and the acclaimed director and former General Artistic Director of 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture Michail Marmarinos as narrator.

A rare meeting between sacred traditions: one Christian, dating back to the 4th century Byzantine Empire; the other, shaped by the mystical Mevlevi order, founded in the 12th century by the great teacher Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Rûmî.

In the land of the ancient Mysteries, this encounter becomes ritual—a spiritual journey that evokes timeless questions of the soul, the sacred, and our shared human paths. Through the dervishes’ whirling and the deep harmonies of Byzantine chant, Sacred Paths offers a moving exploration of sound and silence, presence and memory—a celebration of the enduring spiritual heritage that continues to connect East and West, past and future.

About the Performers

The Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul

The music and dance ensemble Derviches Tourneurs d’Istanbul wasfounded in 2006 and has since performed at some of the most iconic venues worldwide, including the Philharmonie de Paris, the Fez Festival of Sacred Music in Morocco, the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, and the Ancient Theatre of Halicarnassus in Turkey. Led by Mete Edman, the ensemble comprises both men and women who have embraced Turkish Sufism as a spiritual path. They accompany the Whirling Dervishes in an authentic ceremony, set to the hymns of great Sufi composers. The Whirling Dervishes, members of the Mevlevi Order founded by disciples of Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Rûmî in the 12th century, embody a mystical tradition rooted in medieval Islam. Their philosophy, influenced by Rûmî and his master, Shams al-Dîn Tabrîzî —a heterodox Ismaili spiritual guide—advocates the quest for the Absolute through music and art.

A danced ritual, the sema unites the dancer with the sacred in a mystical ecstasy. The ney (flute) —a symbol of the soul seeking the Beloved— accompanies the ceremony along with other traditional instruments, creating a captivating and spiritual atmosphere. The ceremony’s name itself means “spiritual listening” and symbolises cosmic motion. With the right hand turned to the sky and the left to the earth, the dervish becomes the intermediary of divine grace. His attire is rich in symbolism: the sikke (hat) symbolises the tombstone of the ego, the white robe (tennure) the shroud, and the black cloak the grave. Before beginning to whirl, the dervish crosses his arms over his chest—a gesture evoking divine unity.

Association of the Constantinopolitan Friends of Music in Athens

The Association of the Constantinopolitan Friends of Music in Athens was founded in 1985 by members of the Byzantine Choir of Constantinopolitans, which had been active in Athens since 1975. It brings together experienced chanters and talented young musicians. The Association aims to continue the legacy of the historic Musical Friends’ Society of Pera, itself the successor of the renowned Musical Society of the Phanar, which flourished from the 19th century until the Asia Minor Catastrophe. Since 2023, the Choir has been under the direction of Kallistratos Kofopoulos.

The Association has made several visits to Istanbul for ecclesiastical events and has also given concerts in Paris, Bulgaria, London, Cardiff, and Cyprus. In 2016, it participated as a choir at the Holy and Great Council of Crete, by official invitation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In November 2021, it took part in the Jubilee of the Ecumenical Patriarch, held at the Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall. To date, the Association has released around 30 cassette tapes and CDs, all distinguished by their fidelity to the Constantinopolitan chanting tradition.

Sokratis Sinopoulos

Sokratis Sinopoulos was born in Athens. He studied classical guitar with Maria Galani and Vassilis Gratsounas, music theory with Michalis Adamis, and Byzantine music and folk song with Yannis Tsiamoulis. In 1988, he began studying Constantinopolitan lyra and laouto with Ross Daly, and one year later, became a member of Daly’s ensemble Labyrinth. Since then, he has collaborated with musicians from Greece and abroad across a wide range of ensembles, participating in recordings and performances around the world. He has recorded for Blue Note with Charles Lloyd, Harmonia Mundi with Jean-Guihen Queyras, ECM Records with Eleni Karaindrou, and Fuga Libera with the early music group L’Achéron. In 1999, he was awarded the State Prize for Young Artists: Melina Mercouri, by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

In 2010, he founded the Sokratis Sinopoulos Quartet. Their debut album, Eight Winds, was produced by Manfred Eicher and released by ECM Records in 2015, receiving international acclaim. In 2018, his album Under the Rose Tree –Tunes from the Greek Musical Traditions was released by Saphrane Records, and was selected among the best CDs of the year by the German Music Critics’ Association. In 2019, the Quartet released its second album, Metamodal. Sokratis Sinopoulos is currently a Professor at the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia.

Michail Marmarinos

Michail Marmarinos was born in Athens and studied neurobiology, theatre, and theatre directing. In 1983–84, he founded the theatre group “Diploos Eros, Theatre Company”, which was later renamed Theseum Ensemble. His productions have been staged in Greece (National Theatre, National Theatre of Northern Greece, Onassis Stegi, Athens and Epidaurus Festival, among others) and have travelled to festivals internationally (in Austria, Belgium, Venezuela, France, Germany, Georgia, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, Italy, China, Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia).

He has participated in international co-productions with artists such as Albrecht Hirche, Heiner Goebbels, Daniel Wetzel and Helgard Haug (Rimini Protokoll), VeenFabriek and Paul Koek, the NOH theatre and Gensho Umewaka. As an actor, he has also appeared in numerous theatre productions and films by renowned Greek directors. He served as General Artistic Director of 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture and is now the new Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival. He is a member of the International Heiner Müller Society and the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis. From 2006 to 2009, he served as President of the Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute. He has taught at the universities of Patras, Nafplio, and Thessaloniki—where, from 2006, he held the position of full professor. He has received the Mikhail Tumanishvili Award in Tbilisi, Georgia, and has been named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Ministry of Culture.

Jochen Sandig

Jochen Sandig was born in Esslingen, Germany. In 1990 he moved to Berlin to study psychology and philosophy. Following the founding of the Tacheles Art Centre in 1990, in 1993, together with Sasha Waltz, he founded Sasha Waltz & Guests. In 1996 he cofounded Sophiensæle, an independent venue for dance and theatre productions in Berlin Mitte, which he directed until 1999. From 2000 to 2004 Jochen was a member of the artistic direction at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz. Since 2004 he is the director of the independent Sasha Waltz & Guests GmbH. In 2006, together with Folkert Uhde, he founded the Radialsystem in Berlin.

In 2010 he was awarded the French cultural order “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”. In February 2012, he debuted as director with “Human Requiem”, a staging of Johannes Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” in cooperation with the Rundfunkchor in Berlin and Simon Halsey. Since its premiere the production travelled to Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, Granada, Rotterdam, Athens, Hong-Kong, Adelaide and New York. The production was awarded with the “Classical Next Innovation Award 2016”. As a social and political activist he became one of the three co-founders of the World Human Forum in Delphi, Greece. From 2019 to 2024, Jochen Sandig was artistic and executive director of the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele / Internationale Festspiele Baden-Württemberg. In the year 2022 Jochen Sandig was awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

3rd New Eleusis Symposion –“Re-enchanting the World”

The performance takes place within the framework of the 3rd New Eleusis Symposion, a three-day event of reflection, inspired dialogue, and visionary action at the Old Oil Mill Factory of Eleusina, from 25 to 27 September 2025. Under the title “Re-enchanting the World” and with themes relating to art, science, economy, work,communities, and democracy, it focuses on how we can restore our relationship with life, nature, others, and ourselves, paving the way towards a new eco-civilisation.

The Symposion is organised by the World Human Forum, with the support of the Region of Attica and 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture, in collaboration with the Municipality of Elefsina and the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica.