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Festivals For Compassion, uniting festivals in Europe and beyond

27 October 2020

It all started last June when Festivals for Compassion invited different festivals from Europe and beyond to share their interpretation of Thin Air by Calliope Tsoupaki. Since then, the work of the Greek-Dutch composer, that can be performed by any instrument and voice, like a relay race of compassion, has travelled the world as an ode to compassion and an act of solidarity in these difficult times.

More than 55 partners have joined the race so far, among which members of the European Festival Association such as: Edinburgh International Festival, Mittelfest, Varna Summer International Music Festival, Welcome to the Village, Klarafestival, Flanders Festival Ghent, Lunalia as well as EFFE Awards winners like Utrecht Early Music Festival, among others.

Until now, this ongoing initiative has promoted creations of players and singers from around the world, more than 25 renditions of Thin Air which can be listened on Festival for Compassion website: www.festivalsforcompassion.com/en/timeline

Want to be part of this solidarity race? Register here your festival and download here the score free of charge.


“Now that the project is running and every few days a new interpretation of Thin Air can be listened to, I realize that the project is not only special because of the sharing of the composition, as a symbol of solidarity across national borders, but also because a new composition is performed more than 50 times in such a short period of time. This variety of perspectives expresses both solidarity/connectedness and diversity. And that is exactly the motto of the European Union: united in diversity. Art can do that. Festivals can make it happen.”

Tamar Brüggemann - Director of Wonderfeel Festival and initiator of Festivals for Compassion


' Festivals for Compassion is a quiet moment of generosity and compassion, right when so many need these qualities most '

Music on Main


Website: www.festivalsforcompassion.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/Festivals-for-Compassion 

Instagram: instagram.com/festivalsforcompassion 

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