Belief in our vision for a tourism that respects the visitor, in the lead for a setting that will always tend to creating opportunities for substantial contact and approach of people through art, in passion for quality and values that surpass calculating entrepreneurship. These have always been the milestones of our outlook, on which we based the creation of Sani Festival.

2001 - 10 years Jazz on the Hill

Sani Festival - The Philosophy

With 15 years of experience of constant presence in the country's cultural events, all us at Sani Festival continue serving this celebration of Art, consciously following the road of cultural action in the heart of a touristy landscape, believing that the cultural upgrade of our country is each and every one's business and passes through the decentralization of culture. Sani Festival is the only international festival of private initiative, exclusively funded by Sani. S.A, that has the constant support of the media on its side. It worthily claims a place next to the big, renowned festivals of our country. The division of the festival in thematic units, instead of messily stacked events, the selection of artists according to their history in the artistic spectrum, as well as their vanguard creations, the constant improvement of venue facilities, and the formation of new venues for events - always based on quality. Those are the main elements of Sani Festival that have claimed its mark in our country's cultural map. At the same time, they compose an impressively creative series of cultural acts and emotions featuring selections in music, dance and fine art from both the international and Greek domains, full of energy, inventiveness and summery mood.

Sani Festival - The goal

Abbey Lincoln Quartet - 1996

In 1992, the first "Jazz on the Hill" three-day event was held, dedicated to jazz music. The festival was yet to be named, while its few artistic events had started just like that, out of our craving and longing for Art. However, in 1993, the program was embellished and the need for a framework became evident. Thus it was named "Sani Festival", and started a course that enriched the program year by year, reaching out to more and more types of Art, with high quality and innovation as its standards. The location of Sani Hill - a natural amphitheater, with its medieval tower - is the ideal scenery for a set of concerts and dance performances by leading artists from the entire world. An environment where the sea, the sky and the green of nature coexist in harmony, creates all the requirement to stimulate the senses, give power to auditory perception and visual enjoyment, leaving hints of a spiritual ceremony to the artists and the audience, allowing them to elevate beyond the ordinary and the commonplace. Later on, we added "Cine Orfeas" to the venues, where the Sani Classic concerts take place, Artforum Sani Gallery for the visual arts part of Sani Festival. We also utilize every place in Sani Resort that satisfies the creative exhibition of art with its setting and facilities.

Sani Festival - The History

We at Sani Resort created a microcosme with respect to nature and man that embraces all the joys of life with only one aim: to offer happiness to our guests. Nature blessed Sani and appointed us to by your host. For 30 years, we have followed Greek hospitality traditions and we continue the same dream, your smile.

Today, 16 years after organizing the first Jazz on the Hill - the trademark of Sani Festival -, this unique three-day special of "black" music, a home to the living legends of the global jazz scene with its exclusive performances for many years, steadily continues its success in Sani Festival. The organizers' love for this music genre established "Jazz on the Hill" not only in Greece but worldwide, as it is the only consistent international jazz festival in Greece. Many important and celebrated musicians have passed from Jazz on the Hill's musical stage, always held during mid-July, most of which were invited exclusively by Sani Festival from America and the rest of the globe for an exclusive performance not only in Greece, but in the entirety of Europe.

Jazz on the Hill A 3-day section dedicated to jazz music

Roberto Fonseca - 2008

1992

Roy Hargrove Quintet

Cedar Walton

Trio

Piero Odorici Trio

Marc Cary

Quartet

1993

Frank Morgan Duet

Jon Hendricks

& Company

Erik Costita Quintet

1994

Stephen Scott Trio

Archie Shepp

Quartet

David Lynch Quintet

1995

Kenny Barron- Hank Jones

Quartet

Jan Garbarek Quartet

Tiziana Ghiglioni

Quartet

1996

Sakis Papadimitriou & Georgia Sylleou

Betty Carter

& Trio

Abbey Lincoln Quartet

1997

Tribute to Great Jazz Pianists:

Sphere -

Kenny Barron

Donald Brown Trio

Ahmad Jamal

2000

Ray Brown Trio

Jacky Terrasson &

Stefon Harris Quartet

Dee Dee

Bridgewater & Trio

2001 10 years

Tribute to great wind soloists:

«The Magnificent

Seven» feat. Benny Golson & Chico

Freeman

Freddie Hubbard & The New Jazz

Composers Octet

Tom Harrell’s «Paradise» with

Sheila Jordan

2002

Diane Schuur

Eddie Palmieri’s «La Perfecta II»

Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Trio

2003

Brad Mehldau Trio

Chico Freeman

y Guataca

Vassilis Tsabropoulos

Trio

1998

David Sanchez Quartet

Konitz, Bley &

Haden

Cassandra Wilson

1999

Regina Carter Quintet

Johnny Griffin

Quartet

Arturo Sandoval & «Hot House Group»

2004

The Lynne Arriale Trio

E.S.T.

Esbjorn Svensson Trio

Jacques Loussier

Trio

2005

Alphonse Mouzon Trio

Charlie Haden’s

“Land of the Sun”

Lizz Wright

2006 15 years Tribute to

ECM Artists:

Tord Gustavsen Trio

“Sangam”

Charles Lloyd with Zakir Hussain

and Eric Harland

Anouar Brahem Trio

“Le Voyage de Sahar”

2008

Roberto Fonceca

Omar Sosa Afreecanos

Quartet

Chucho Valdés Quintet

2007

Kenny Garrett Quartet

Abdullah Ibrahim

Trio

Geri Allen Trio

2009

Yarron Herman Trio

Vasilis

Tsabropoulos - The Promise

Richard Galliano

Love Day Quartet

Our new thematic unit, dedicated to the sounds of the world is a proof that Sani Festival is evolving, opening to other musical genres, and enriching its program. After many successful concerts and exclusive productions of ethnic music during the past years, our lead in this music genre, like Cesaria Evora, Tito Puente, Dulce Pontes, Lila Downs, Teofilo Chandre, Petru Guelfucci, Eliades Ochoa and others, the need for the creation of a separate part of the program dedicated to this very interesting genre was urgent. Thus, the three-day part christened "Sounds of the World" was born, completing the international concert selection.

Sounds of the World A 3-day section dedicated to world music

Dee Dee Bridgewater - 2007

2006

Hadouk Trio

Milton Nascimento & Quartet

Minino Garay y Los Tambores del Sur

2007

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Mory

Kanté

Susana Baca

2008

Amadou & mariam

Tinariwen

Márta

Sebestyén

2009

Ska Cubano

Rodrigo Leão

Calima

The third, traditional part of Sani Festival, after Jazz on the Hill and Sounds of the World, is Sani Classic. It is dedicated to classical music and offers a chance to young, talented Greek musicians to perform. These chamber music concerts begin late August and are completed at the start of September. They are held at the "Orfeas" open theatre of Sani Resort and are open to the public, without an entrance fee.

Sani Classic A special section dedicated to classical music

2000

Kostas Makriyiannakis & Nikos Veliotis

Clio

Papadopoulou & Elena

Konstantinou

Maria Panayiotidou

2001

Great Piano Soloist :

Katya Sonina Svetlana

Navassardian

Christos Grimbas - Katerina Saketta

Tangos A Quatro

1994

Giorgos Lazaridis

Jullia Souglakou

Yanna Zissiadou

1995

Giorgos Nikolaidis

Xenia

Kourkoumeli

1996

Zoe Samsarellou

Yanna Athanasaki

Antonis Sousamoglou-

Konstantinos Kalakonas

1997

Christos Noulis

Yiannis & Antonis Anisegos

Lilia Vasiliadou

1998

Maria Thoidou

Grigoris Zambaras

Haralampos

Aggelopoulos & Georgios Zaharoudis

1999

Eleni Papadopoulou,

Dimitris Polyzoidis,

Yanna Athanasaki

Myrto Karypidou

2002

Daniela Chihaia & Grigore Marcovici

Petros Moschou -

Dimitris Karidis

Lenio Liatsou

Μακεδονικό Κου-αρτέτο

Σαξοφώνων

2003

Duo Capricorn

Ioannis Karayiannis

Theoharis Feslikidis

2004

Danae Papamatheou-

Matschke & Uwe Matschke

Theodora Baca,

Kostas Makrygiannakis

& Christos Grimbas

Beata Pintsetits

& Christos Sakellaridis

Elena

Christodoulou

Athanasia Thomopoulou,

Theodoros Papadimitriou & Panagiotis

Kountouris

2005

Ensemble Flutenio

Lila-Mirto Manola & Jean-Christophe

Charron

Yioula Michail & Ioanna

Polyzoidou

Varbara Venetikidou & Marilena

Liakopoulou

Art Various

2006

Vangelis & Anelia Portokali

Maria

Tassopoulou, Dimitris

Papayiannakis & Stamos Semsis

Evi

Yiammopoulou, Elli Marina Kasda

& Kostis Rasidakis

Kostis

Papazoglou & Concerto

Conservatorio

2008

Kyriaki Konti & Th. Pavlou

Zenovia-Maria

Zafiriadou & Tina Zerdin

St. Hatziosidifis

& Nikos Zafranas

Les Dames

Déshéritées

Varvara Venetikidou,

Jean-Christophe Charron

& Lila-Myrto Manola

Nikos

Kyriosoglou

2007

Efi Delfinopoulou, Olga Zerva,

D. Photiadis, Κ. Hasiotis,

Dimitri Gudimov

Mihalis Tsiairas

Dimitra

Athanasatou, Thanasis Bililis

Dionysia-Niovi

Klavdianou & ΙΑΜΑ Τrio

Korina

Vouyiouka, Th. Tzovanakis

3essence ensemble

2009

Μ.Tassopoulou, D. Papagiannakis

Kostas

Fotopoulos

Art Various

D. Nepkas & Β. Pozidou

xenia

Theodoridou

Danai Matschke & Uwe Matschke

Summer 2009 saw the 17th Sani Festival enter into collaboration with the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, incorporating into its programme a new series of events under the title Music on Film vs. Film on Music. It is hoped that a cinematic programme will in future become a permanent feature of the Festival. This is not the first time the Sani Festival has flirted with the world of film. As part of our Jazz on the Hill programme we introduced a cine-concert, screening a documentary on the life of the musician Abdullah Ibrahim before the artist himself performed a concert. All that was required was for the opportunity to present itself for a broader collaboration, and finally this year the Sani Festival brought together music and the magic of cinema in a three-day tribute to the famous French composer Michel Legrand. Events included screenings of films with scores by Legrand and a concert by the musician and his trio, accompanied by the high priestess of pop Alison Moyet, performing some of his best-loved hits.

Music on Film vs Film on Music

2009

Tribute to Michel Legrand

Screening: Les parapluies de Cherbourg

La piscine Lola

Concert:

Michel Legrand Trio with Alison Moyet

Michel Legrand Trio with Alison Moyet - 2009

From 1993 to today, great Greek artists parade on the Sani Festival stage, leaving bits of their aura behind. Stavros Ksarhakos, Eleni Karaindrou, Giorgos Dalaras, Alkistis Protopsalti, Haroula Alexiou, Loukianos Kilaidonis, Dimitra Galani, Dionisis Savopoulos are just some of the most eminent personalities of the Greek music spectrum that gave - and still give - their gleam and inspiration in the Greek part of Sani Festival. A section applauded both by the public and media, as the artists themselves, who honour one of the most potent Greek cultural productions.

Greek Participation

Dimitra Galani - 2007

1993

Nikos Papazoglou

1994

Dionisis Savopoulos

1995

Giorgos Dalaras

Stavros Xarhakos

Himerinoi Kolimvites

1996

Petros Gaitanos

Haris Alexiou

1997

Alkistis Protopsalti

Vasilis Saleas

Songs of

Dinos Christianopoulos

1998

Marinella

Dionisis Savopoulos

1999

Th. Mikroutsikos - Petru Guelfucci

Mariana Toil -

Zahos Terzakis

Κ.Ο.Ε.Μ. - Stavros Xarhakos

Μarios Fragoulis

& Deborah Myers

Μaria Farantouri - Elli Paspala &

Savina Yiannatou

2000

Eleni Karaindrou & Camerata,

Ορχήστρα των Φί-λων της Μουσικής

Dimitris

Mitropanos

Evanthia Reboutsika &

Yiannis Kotsiras

2001

Elli Paspala, David Lynch,

Stavros Lantsias & Haig Yazdjian

Quintet

Eleftheria Arvanitaki & Alkinoos Ioannidis

Dionisis

Savopoulos & Κ.Ο.Ε.Μ.

2002

Stamatis Kraounakis, Kostas

Makedonas, Dimitra Papiou

& «Spira-Spira»

Thanos Mikroutsikos & Christos Thiveos

2003

Yiannis Kotsiras

Dimitra Galani & Melina Aslanidou

2005

Tania Tsanaklidou-

Eleni Tsaligopoulou

Dionisis

Savopoulos

2006

Loukianos Kilaidonis

with Κ.Ο.Ε.Μ.

Eleftheria Arvanitaki

& Manos Pirovolakis

2004

Doulce Pontes & Stefanos

Korkolis

Lavrentis Macheritsas

& Christos Thiveos

2007

Manos Ahalinotopoulos

& Eleni Tsaligopoulou

Dimitra Galani

2008

Eleni Karaindrou & Camerata

Athena

Andreadis

Maria Farantouri & Martha Frintzila

2009

George Dalaras «Enchanted

songs» A tribute to rembetiko

Maria

Farantouri & Manolis

Mitsias «By the sea»

Andreou,

Tsaligopoulou, Thivaios

& Karantinis

The international part of Sani Festival, right from the beginning, was enriched with the essence of personas of such fame as Milva, Yann Tiersen and many others, to blossom as the years went by into one of the most successful music events, and to become the stone on which the organizers of Sani Festivals stood to give birth to "Sounds of the World" and start its course. Today, artists of the international stage - except for world music, which falls into the Sounds of the World unit - continue to excite with their ability to radiate talent and unique personality on Sani Hill, creating magical memories of a multitude of stars.

International Participation

Goran Bregovic - 2007

1994

Roberto Pla

1996

Cesaria Evora

1997

Tito Puente & His Latin

All Star Band

1998

Milva

1999

The Soul of Cape Verde:

Teofilo Chandre, Maria Alice & Tito Paris

2000

Nadia Weinberg

Bevinda

2002

Yann Tiersen

2003

Lila Downs

2004

Cuban’s Grammys

2005

Pietra Montecorvino

“Napoli Mediterranea”

2007

Goran Bregovic & The Wedding

and Funeral Band

Dance

Dance, an art closely connected to music, is an uncontested point of reference in Sani Festival. Each summer, the program includes outstanding dancers and musical theatre troupes, mostly of the contemporary dance genre, both Greek and international. These important events of high artistic value are presented in front of the North Greece audience, delivering the vision of cultural decentralization that the Sani Festival promotes.

Tango Flamenco - 2004

1994

«Ifigenia en Tavris»

-Horokytaro Thessalonikis

1995

Group of Contemporary Dance of the city

of Thessaloniki

1996

Dance Theater «Parousies»

1997

«Dancers of the North»

1998

Dance Theater «Parousies»

Tangokinesis

1999

Sinequanon - Contemporary Dance Group

2000

Tango Variationen

2001

Edafos Group «Human Thirst»

2002

«Tavrokathapsia» By Roes

Dance Theater

2003

Gala Evening with Igor Zelensky

2004

Tango Flamenco

2005

The Parsons Dance Company

2006

Aenaon Dance Theater

- Dianel Lommel «House of Alba»

2007

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

2008

Caravan Stage Company

Roes Dance

Theater - Electra

Perpetrator

Fine Art

Kostas Varotsos - 1996

Beside music and dance, Sani Festival also includes fine art events. Painting, sculpture and photography exhibitions, artistic interventions that elevate Sani areas without negating them, are usually a charming introduction to the Festival at the beginning of summer, and go on throughout the festival. From 2003 onwards, these events have found their own home, Sani Gallery. An elegant showroom that hosts the festival exhibitions, right in the Sani Marina mall.

1993

Tsoklis

Glaroudis

1994

Painting Exhibition with the

collaborarion of Artforum Gallery

1995

Ν. G. Pentzikis: A retrospective

(Private collection of Κ. Valavanis)

Lizeta Vasiliadi

Artists of Artforum

Gallery

1996

Kostas Varotsos (Sculpture Exhibition)

Efthimis Varlamis (Painting

exhibition with the title

«Apocalypse and Evnironment»)

1997

Pavlos Vasiliadis: Art Installation

«Thessaloniki

through the eyes of the painters» Group painting

exhibition

1998

Gethsemane

Alekos Fasianos

Giorgos Mokalis

Paris Petridis

Rania Kapeliari & «Oceanus Art»

1999

Group exhibition Of Halkidiki artists

Group exhibition

of Thesaloniki artists

The Nomadic Life & the Textiles of

the East

2000

1st Sani Art Show «Sea Horse» - Group Painting

exhibition

Nikolas Kyriakou

Roger F. Ballen «Outsider»: Photography

exhibition

2001

2nd Sani Art Show «Dedicated to the hidden legend of the Sani Tower»

Group Painting exhibition

Sean Kernan:

«The secret Books» -

Photography exhibition

2002

3rd Sani Art Show «Let’s Party»

Vasilis Pavlis

Simon Norfolk:

«Afganistan : Chronotopia»

Tzeni Leontiadou-

Tzamtzi

2003

Opi Zouni

Giorgos Vores

Yannis Kapsidakis

2004

Electros - aka Babis Vekris

Giorgos

Kouvakis

2005

Marios Eleftheriadis «Connecting

Flights»

Paul Pennisi «Trip on the

Imagination»

2006

Philip Tsiaras

Babis Venetopoulos

Theodoros

2007

Petros Zouboulakis

Vagelis

Pliarides

Minos Alhanati

Photography Exhibition

2008

Danae Stratou

“Breathing Circle”

«An eccentric festival» «...It might as well be the most eccentric festival held on Greek soil. With great artists from Greece and impressive artists from abroad - some of whom no one else had dared to invite all these years, it has succeeded an astonishing course in its content, and its fame during the last three years, based at ... the edge of the world! Almost, that is, because it is the top of the hill at the edge of the sea, with a medieval castle in the background, at the Sani area of Halkidiki... »

Difono

SANI FESTIVAL: the classiest festival of the country! «...Cassandra is calling. In Halkidiki's first peninsula, the seductive seaside area of Sani, for the seventh year in a row. One of the few international festivals, perhaps the only one left exclusively to private funding that has the advantage of combining artistic integrity with idyllic holidays…»

Symbol - Ependitis

«This year's festival is top-notch»

«...This was the first institution that expressed the need of combining tourism with culture, beginning from a three-day festival of jazz that grew to an autonomous music Festival, whose strict quality standards, booking of important artists and rich background, rank it among the best of the Balkans, if not Europe...»

Thessaloniki

«Art by the waves» «...High-level artistic events, crystal-clear sea, green scenery. What else can anyone want from summer? On Sani Hill, Sani Festival that becomes 10 year old this year, combines all three...»

Kiriakatiki Eleftherotipia - The Art of Life

«The most important festival outside Athens» «...Sani Festival, the most important art festival outside Athens, is 10 years old this year...»

www.ozonweb.gr

Press Clippings

«A festival for... special needs» Aggelioforos

«Jazz legends at Sani» Apogevmatini

«Sani sets up musical bridges of communication» Aggelioforos

«Arts celebrate on Sani Hill» Τa Νea - Zo sti Thessaloniki

«Sani Festival 2002 : A+!» Tipos Halkidikis

«Excellent grade for Sani!» Makedonia

«Art by the wave» Kiriakatiki Eleftherotipia - The Art of Life

1995 1996 1997

1998 1999 2000 2001

2002 2003 2004

1994

2005

2006

Covers Story

2007 2008 2009

Sani Festival’s Team

SANI FESTIVAL, 55str. N. Plastira, 54250 Thessaloniki Τel: +30 2310 317327, 312320. Fax: +30 2310 317881

Artistic Director Olga Tabouris email: otabouris@saniresort.gr Production Manager Argiro Barata email: sanifestival@saniresort.gr Communication Manager Georgia Dodou email: georgia@saniresort.gr

1995 - Giorgos Dalaras

1997 - Tito Puente

2003 - Lila Downs 2004 - Jacques Loussier

2004 - E.S.T.

2004 - Cuban’s Grammys

1996 - Abbey Lincoln

Backstage...