Whispers of the Garden
In July 2023, composer Filippos Tsalachouris coordinated students from the Athens Conservatory in a concert combining music and the sounds of the garden. The notes of flutes, clarinet, and cello highlighted the story of music born from nature, providing a healing power for human thought.
The program included works by J.S. Bach, G. Telemann, G. Fauré, C. Debussy, A. Piazzolla, and L. Berio, while Tsalachouris presented two of his own works in their world premiere. The soloists were Evangelia Nikolouzi (clarinet), Sophia Hatzis (flute), Alexandros Siopoulis (cello), and Filippos Tsalachouris (flute). The concert was followed by a wine tasting offered by the Kefalonian Winemakers Association.
Recalling Our Roots
In this project, Dr. Pierre Leinchner transforms plant roots and recreates human forms. Over time, the roots grow, sprout and dry, reminding us of the ephemeral nature of human existence.
The exhibition took place at the Cephalonia Botanica in September 2022.
Full Moon in the Garden
On August 23, 2021, the Focas-Cosmetatos Foundation presented a special musical night at the beautiful Cephalonia Botanica. Using improvisation as the main tool, two musical duos performed: Eleni Valenti with Grigoris Danis and Thodoris Rellos with Christos Konstantinidis, coexisting to highlight well-known songs for a transcendent acoustic experience based on the light of the full moon.
Jazz at the Lake
A jazz concert took place on August 4, 2018, next to the lake in the heart of the natural environment created by the Focas-Cosmetatos Foundation.
Five young musicians with international careers in jazz, Eleni Valenti (vocals), Leonidas Sarantopoulos (flute), Spyros Manesis (piano), Dinos Manos (bass), and Christos Konstantinidis (drums), captivated the audience with their talent and solo improvisations in a repertoire of famous compositions from the 1960s.
Flavours in the Garden
Another very successful event took place in the Garden on August 4, 2017, when over 200 people participated in a dinner of imaginative cuisine with flavour combinations based mainly on the herbs of the Ionian flora.
The dishes were created by the award-winning chef Christos Mahairas. The wines that were paired with each dish were selected from the best wineries on the island and presented by Yiannis Karakasis, MW (Master of Wine).
ILIAS VENEZIS – THE KEFALONIAN
An event of Focas-Cosmetatos Foundation on July 30, 2016, at the Cephalonia Botanica which explored the Kefalonian roots of Ilias Venezis, one of the foremost Greek writers of the “Generation of the 30’s”.
Spiros Cosmetatos: Introduction / Coordination
Anna Venezis-Cosmetatos: “Genealogical Tidbits”
Maria Georgopoulou, Director of the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens: “…this magician of a writer has captivated us.” Venezi’s impact abroad
Eva Karaitidi, Director of the publishing house ‘Estia’: Ilias Venezis or “the vindication of the human species”
X.L. Karaoglou, Professor Emeritus, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “What comes from Kefalonia moves me.”
Wine, Art, Music 2014
On August 3, 2014, the Cephalonia Botanica hosted a night that showcased human creativity within the unique natural environment of the Garden.
A new sculpture exhibition was inaugurated in various corners of the Garden.
Visitors sampled all the excellent wines of Kefalonia and met their creators.
They enjoyed the improvisations of young musicians.
Meeting of the Network of Greek Botanical Gardens
The Focas-Cosmetatos Foundation hosted the 5th Meeting of the Network at the Foundation’s offices and the Cephalonia Botanica, focusing on "Proposals for Improving the Accessibility of Botanical Gardens." The program was intensive and rich, with guided tours and official and unofficial discussions and proposals. Botanical Gardens from Kroussia, Kefalonia, I&A Diomidous, Rhodes, the Philodassiki Union of Athens in Kaisariani, Hippocrates’ Garden, and the Forestry and Botanical Garden of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki participated. Argostoli, October 3-5, 2014.
Summer Music Nights 2013
In collaboration with the G & M Vergotis Foundation
Three nights with the ensemble of young musicians The Jigsaw Players.
On July 15 the open-air theater of the Cephalonia Botanica, with its excellent acoustics, filled with music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn.
On July 17, the event moved to the Kourkoumelata Cultural Center for an evening with Bach, Vivaldi, and Dvorak.
And on July 19 – a surprise. Music returned again to the Cephalonia Botanica, this time by its lake. An intimate night with works by Debussy, Haydn, and Mozart.
“Astor Piazzolla for 12”
12 great classical music soloists met for the first time in an exciting rendezvous with Astor Piazzolla’s Nuevo Tango in the summer of 2012.


