The ceremony for Niki Award 2009 will take place on Monday, December 14, 2009, at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens.

The award will be presented by His Beatitude Hieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece.

The guest speaker for the evening will be president of the renowned Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. Jared L. Cohon.

Reception               19:00
Dinner                     20:00
Award Presentation 21:30



Niki Award 2009 Ceremony will be accompanied by a quartet of Greek musicians led by Christos Rafalides (vibraphonist).

One of the most important musicians of the younger generation and resident of New York, Mr. Rafalides has appeared on stage with world-renowned musicians such as bassist Christian McBride, with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and with Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center.

Some of Mr. Rafalides significant musical contributions had been:
Soloist with the Orchestra of Colors, presenting the work "Musical Stories" of Thanou Mikroutsikou at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaro Mousikis)
Soloist with Maria Farantouri at the Herod Atticus theater
Recordings with Chaka Khan, Christy Baron, and Alkinoou Ioannidi
HIs most recent work as been with the composer Mimis Plessas which culminated in the recording of "Sound, the music of Mimis Plessas" with the recording company Emarel Music. The next anticipated work is the second album by Christos Rafalides and Mimis Plessas, "We Two".

The quartet is completed by:
Takis Paterelis - alto saxophone (the most known Greek jazz saxophonist of his generation and close musical collaborator of Alexiou and Protopsalti)
Dimitris Christopoulos - bass
Serafim Belos - drums

Participation per person, 400 euro

Proceeds from the ceremony will be applied to AIT’s Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid Fund.

For further information and reservations, please contact Ms. Annette Rondos at (210) 668-2711or aron [ a_t ] ait.edu.gr

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