A Brief History of the Trio Bel Canto
This history of the
Trio Bel Canto is laid out in outline form. One can simply look down the
left-hand column to find the year, and then go over to the right-hand side to
see the various accomplishments for that year. PLEASE NOTE: This history is in
NO WAY exhaustive. It is an attempt to chronicle some of the more significant
events in the musical career of the Trio. As more photos, newspaper articles
and writeups are found, more information will be added to this
history.
1948 |
EVANGELOS
METAXAS START: 5th High School of Nikaia, 7th grade of high
school with classmate BOBBY TSOMBANAKIS.
Later, they find JOHN PAPAMAKARIOU and form
a TRIO. With many rehearsals and with the songs of that time, the struggle
begins. |
1950 |
United Nations broadcasts at GOUDI and Zalokosta and there, from
TRIO COUMBATSERO, Vangelis Lykiardopoulos
baptized them with the name OI FILOI TOU BEL
CANTO -- "The Friends of Bel Canto". With this
name, they recorded numerous records of 78 r.p.m. by themselves and with other
artists such as Mimi Plessas
and Giorgos
Mouzakis. |
1952 |
- Became one of the "talents" of
GEORGE ECONOMIDIS at ALSOS, PAIDION TOU AREOS, and name change by the
group to TRIO "BEL CANTO"
- Live recordings and shows of the
EIR (EQNIKO IDRUMA
RADIOFWNIAS -- National Institute of Radiophony.)
|
1954 |
- June 2 - Members of
the music union
- November 6 - April
30, 1955 -- Club PALIA ATHENA with George Economidis.
|
1956 |
- April 21 -- Come to U.S.A. with the
orchestra of Giorgos Mouzakis on the ocean
liner Queen Frederica. Immediate return to Greece with the A.H.E.P.A.
organization.
- June 18 -- Withdrawal of Bobby
Tsombanakis.
- Beginning with MICHAEL MATHEOS
- August 30 -- at the club
KARYSTINOS (Treis
Gefyres)
- October 1 - April 30, 1957 -- Club
PALIA ATHENA
|
1957 |
- June 3 -- Club
SPYLIA PARASKEVA in Peiraeus
- October 4 -- April
30, 1958 -- Club PALIA ATHENA
|
1958 |
- July 22 -- Club SPYLIA PARASKEVA
- October 4 - April 30, 1959 -- Club
PALIA ATHENA
|
1959 |
- CYPRUS
TOUR
- August 1 -- Club
APHRODITE, Nicosia
- August 19 - 20 --
Club TESSERA FANARIA, Larnaka
- August 21 -- Club
KYMA, Lemesos
- September 20 --
Exhibition Thessaloniki, Club LOUXEMBURG
- October 1 - April 30,
1960 -- Club PALIA ATHENA
- October 3 -- 1st
Festival of Music
|
1960 |
- June 9 -- Saronikos Peripatos with
the Empress SORAYA, with TONY
MAROUDAS
- July 5 -- 2nd Festival of
Music
- October 1 - January 1, 1961 -- Club
PALIA ATHENA
|
1961 |
- TEL AVIV, HAIFA,
JERUSALEM
- 4th Exhibition
Thessaloniki, Club HAWAII
|
1962 |
- January 10 -- BEIRUT, Lebanon
- Club KASTROS
- Letter from NIKO GOUNARIS for MONTE
CARLO HOTEL & Nite Club in U.S.A.
- MONTE CARLO
HOTEL with GOUNARIS
- Dinner-dances
|
|
From 1950 until 1962 the group
recorded albums, and made appearances in their local district, shows with all
of the maestros; islands; philanthropic presentations and cinematic
works. |
|
|
1963 |
- Dinner-dances
- January 19 -- Club
ATHENS, Chicago, IL
- May 21 -- Appearance
on THE TONIGHT SHOW with Johnny
Carson
- MONTE CARLO HOTEL, Monroe, NY
|
1964 |
- Dinner-dances
- April 21 -- Hellenic - Near East
Music Festival at PHILARMONIC HALL, Lincoln
Center
- July 2 - September 7 --
RIVIERA HOTEL
|
1965 |
- May 5 -- Death of
Nikos GOUNARIS
- July --
MONTE CARLO HOTEL
- September 18 --
CARNEGIE HALL
- Return to Greece
on the QUEEN FREDERICA
|
1966 |
- January 14 - March 14 -- Club
ACROPOLE CAFE, Montreal, Quebec,
CANADA
- March 19 --
STATLER HILTON HOTEL, NY with JIM
APOSTOLOU
- July 2 - September 5 -- Club
CIRIS LODGE, Inc., U.S.A.
|
1967 |
- January 22 --
STATLER HILTON HOTEL, NY with FOTIS POLYMERIS
- March 31 -- CARSON'S SUPPER CLUB, Detroit, Michigan
- SALOMÉ NIGHT CLUB, Astoria, NY
- December 10 --
CARNEGIE HALL with HARRY LEMONOPOULOS
|
1968 |
|
1969 |
- GRECIAN GARDENS, Chicago, Illinois
- June 20 -- Club
ZAPPION PAVILLION, NY
- September 1 -- Club
SKORPIOS, NY with DOUKISSA, ANTZELA
DIMITRIOU and GIANNIS
PALAIOLOGOS
- Dinner-Dances
|
1970 |
- Dinner-Dances
- MARIA
PAPADATOS television show
- Clubs
|
1971 |
- January 31 -- Greek
Concert and Glendi at the DORMITION OF THE VIRGIN MARY
HELLENIC AUDITORIUM, Somerville, MA
- March 6 -- ELMCREST COUNTRY CLUB
- March 20 -- Show
honoring MILTON STAMOS at the CRYSTAL PALACE, Astoria NY, and last "gig" with
Michael Matheos.
- Withdrawal of
Michael Matheos.
- Beginning with
TAKIS ELENIS
- May 3 -- Appearance
on MARIA PAPADATOS television show, New
York, NY.
- SUNSET SPRINGS HOTEL, New York.
- September 12 --
CARNEGIE HALL with VIOLARIS
- CARSON'S SUPPER CLUB, Detroit, Michigan
- December --
ClubDARVISH, Astoria, NY
|
1972 |
- CARNEGIE
HALL, 3rd musical festival with STEVE
ANASTOS
- November 18 -- SAHARA TAHOE HOTEL
- December 8 -- Club DARVISH, Astoria, NY
|
1973 |
- August -- SUNSET SPRINGS HOTEL
- November 9 -- SAN
FRANCISCO with BILL COSBY
- November 10 --
DISNEYLAND HOTEL, Anaheim, CA with HARRY JAMES Orchestra
- November 11 --
FRONTIER HOTEL, Las Vegas, NV
- November 12 - 15 --
Club PLAKA TAVERNA, San Francisco,
CA
|
1974 |
- Dinner-Dances
- July 2 -- SUNSET SPRINGS HOTEL
- November 15 -- DISNEYLAND HOTEL, Anaheim, CA with LES BROWN Band
|
1975 |
- Dinner-Dances
- January 19 - January
25 -- GRECIAN CRUISE TO THE CARIBBEAN
visiting San Juan, Saint Martin, Martinique,
Barbados, Montserrat, and St. Thomas.
- March -- GRECIAN GARDENS, Chicago, IL
- July -- STARLITE HOTEL-MOTEL, New York
- October 24 --
DISNEYLAND HOTEL, Anaheim, CA with LES BROWN Band
|
1976 |
- February 6 -- Tour of AUSTRALIA
- August 6 -- SUNSET SPRINGS HOTEL
- September 18 -- CARNEGIE HALL with VIOLARIS
- December 2 - 11 -- Club NERAÏDA, Toronto, CANADA
|
1977 |
- Dinner-Dances
- Numerous events for
Societies, Organizations, Churches and Festivals
|
1978 |
- January 13 -- LINCOLN CENTER, New York
- Dinner-Dances, Clubs and
Festivals
|
1979 |
- Trip to GREECE to cut ROAD OF
RETURN album
- Dinner-Dances
|
1980 |
- March 27 -- Trip to Caracas, VENEZUELA
- April 1 -- Trip to Panama City, PANAMA
- June 13 -- ZAPION PAVILLION, Canada
- September 24 - October 1 -- Cruise to
BERMUDA on the M/V Royal
Majesty
- November 16 -- Dinner Dance sponsored
by DIMITRIS KASTANAS at the CRYSTAL PALACE, Astoria, NY
- December -- Trip to CANADA
- Club ATHENS, Chicago, IL
- Dinner-Dances
|
1981 |
- April 21 -- Trip to
AUSTRALIA
- May 18 -- Trip to
CANADA for Dinner-Dances
- August 9 -- Club
TAVERNA ATHENA, Oakland, CA
- June 22 -- Trip to
PANAMA
- Dinner-Dances
|
1982 |
- February 12 - 28 -- Club TAVERNA ATHENA, Oakland, CA
- October 6 -- Trip to CANADA
|
1983 |
- January 15 --
BALLY'S PARK PLACE CASINO HOTEL, Atlantic City,
NJ
- March 5 -- EGYPT TEMPLE, Tampa, FL
- March 13 -- Trip to
Panama City, PANAMA
- May 14 -- Trip to
CANADA
- October 1 -- SANDS CASINO, Las Vegas, NV
- December 24 -- Trip
to CANADA
- Dinner-Dances
|
1984 |
- January 13 -- Trip to Panama City, PANAMA
- April 17 -- Trip to Panama City, PANAMA
- Dinner-Dances
|
1985 |
- May 24 -- Trip to
Panama city, PANAMA
|
1986 |
- March 8 -- Trip to Toronto, CANADA
- April 4 -- Trip to Panama City, PANAMA
- Dinner-Dances
- Withdrawal of Takis
Elenis.
- Beginning with GEORGE VLISMAS
|
1987 |
- October 26-- Trip to
Panama City, PANAMA
- Club SALONIKIA, Astoria, NY
- Dinner-Dances,
Festivals, etc.
|
|
|
|
The Trio Bel Canto decided at this
point in their career that, in order to survive as a Greek band here in the
United States, they would have to "go with the flow"; that is, they would need
to play at functions and events where Greek music is traditionally in demand.
These would be events such as weddings, baptisms, festivals, dinner-dances, and
so forth. From 1988 until 1995 they mostly played at such events to make their
livlihood. Special "concert-type" events and exclusive bookings of the group in
"show" settings would be far less than before. In 1988 they made two trips to
Greece (January 3 and December 8), as well one on July 7, 1990. They once again
flew to Panama on March 6, 1994. |
1995 |
- September 24 - October 1 -- Cruise to
BERMUDA on the M/V Royal
Majesty
- Dinner-Dances, Festivals,
etc.
|
1996 |
- January 7 - January
14 -- HELLENIC HOLIDAY CARIBBEAN CRUISE,
from Boston to Aruba.
- Dinner-Dances,
Festivals, etc.
|
1997 |
- Greek
Festival , Newport News, VA
- Dinner-Dances, Clubs, Festivals,
etc.
|
1998 |
- May 8 -- A CELEBRATION OF GREEK MUSIC IN AMERICA, Boston, MA,
sponsored by The Greek Institute.
- Withdrawal of
George Vlismas.
- August 12 --
Appearance on Syn-Plyn television show, Athens,
GREECE
|
1999 to
PRESENT |
- Establishment of TRIO BEL CANTO: THE NEXT GENERATION
Evangelos
Metaxas, Kyriakos Metaxas, Nick Mandoukos
- 2002 -- March 30 - April 6 --
Participation in Royal Olympic Cruises' CRUISE WITH
THE STARS III on the Olympia Voyager, with STELLIOS DIONYSIOU, CHRISTOS ANTONIADIS, PITSA
PAPADOPOULOU, et. al.
|
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