The 17th annual Nafplion Classical Music Festival opens on Thursday night, with a concert staged at the Palamidi Castle by the Nafplion K. Nonis Municipal Conservatory with works by Verdi, Mozart, Chopin and Puccini.

   The Festival, the recipient of the Association of Critics of Greece prize, is dedicated this year to Austria and its artists.

   It is the only classical music festival in the Peloponnese, and attracts thousands of classical music enthusiasts every year.

   Each year, the Festival honors a different counry with performances held at exquisite historical sites.

   The Festival in the scenic coastal town of Nafplion, on the eastern shores of the Peloponnese, is organised by artistic director is Yiannis Vakarelis in collaboration with the Phorminx concert society and the assistance of the Austrian Embassy in Greece.

   This year's Festival program includes works by Mozart, J. Strauss, Schubert, Haydn, Alban Berg, all of whom hailed from Austria , many of which will be performed by Austrian musical ensembles, including the Vienna Mozart Children's Choir, the Penta wind quintet of Salzburg, the Artis String Quartet, the soprano Marlis Petersen and other internationally acclaimed artists.

   The Festival will run through June 29.

   Tickets for the performances can be bought in advance over the Internet at the address www.ticketquest.gr and can also be obtained at the venues where the performances are held up to one hour before the performance begins.

   Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Palamidi castle in Nafplio