DANBURY, CONN. — Two Greek operettas never before sung in the United States will be performed at Western Connecticut State University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the Midtown campus, 181 White St., in Danbury. The event is free and open to the public.

“Hellenic Melodies, a Journey from Classical to Contemporary,” will feature two renowned Greek singers, Stefanos Koroneos and Georgios Argeratos, who perform as the musical act Diphono. Accompanied by singer Emilia Diakopoulou, they will sing excerpts from the Greek Operetta “Vaftistikos” by Hatziapostolou and “Kapetan Mihalis” by Hatzidakis. Areti Giovanou will direct.

The evening is sponsored by the Macricostas Family Foundation and hosted by the WCSU Center for the Study of Culture and Values. Businessman and philanthropist Constantine “Deno” Macricostas, with his family, has supported the educational promotion of Greek and Hellenic culture at the university for a dozen years. In recognition of this as well as gifts that endowed scholarships for students and other significant contributions, the university last year named the Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences in honor of the family.

“The Center explores the links between culture, values, and the ways in which we organize our world,” said Dr. Missy Alexander, dean of the Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences. “It is easy to focus on the immediate and local. The Macricostas family has given us the opportunity to widen our horizons and take the long view. Through the arts, history and philosophy, the Center encourages us to see how the past and the distant influence the contemporary and the local. ”

Diphono was created when Koroneos and Argeratos, having both followed their passion for operatic singing, formed a musical group to bring together their love for their home country and classical music. Diphono stands for “two voices” in Greek, and the two principal singers offer a musical travelogue through the ages, with stops in Greece, Italy and the U.S. Diphono has performed widely in the U.S. and starred in the opening night of the 2014 Rhodes International Festival in Greece.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.