Greek singer Anna Vissi issued a public statement responding to composer Nikos Karvelas on October 7, addressing financial demands, legal threats, and personal allegations following her major concert at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens.
Vissi rejected claims made by her long-time collaborator in a four-page press release, accusing him of hypocrisy after he demanded 1.5 million euros three days before the performance.
She stated that Karvelas gave a deadline of 24 hours to pay the sum, threatening to use all available legal and public means to block the stadium concert if the money was not delivered.
According to Vissi, when Karvelas realized he could not prevent the concert from taking place, he directed personal threats at her through her sister, Niki, in the presence of witnesses. She said he threatened to slander her in the media and destroy her personal and professional reputation so that she would not dare leave her home.
Vissi revealed that over the preceding six months, she had provided financial assistance to Karvelas during a period of personal need, continuing a pattern of support she maintained throughout her life. She noted that documented payments to him exceeded 500,000 euros, with a substantial portion supplied by businessman Yiannis Koustas under an agreement that Karvelas would repay the funds.
Dispute Over Concert Production and Ticket Prices
Prior to the show at the venue, known as OAKA, Karvelas had led Vissi and her team to believe he supported the project. Vissi explained that he had previously described the stadium event as a natural artistic progression following her performances at historic venues including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
She added that Karvelas was fully informed about the production plans and had agreed with the vision for the concert before later disparaging the event as a pharaonic spectacle in his press release.
Vissi stated that Karvelas had never raised objections regarding the production style, the presentation of his compositions, or ticket pricing. She noted that he had similarly offered no input on ticket pricing for her past concert tours or nightclub appearances in previous years.
She clarified that Karvelas received individual profit-based fees from her shows in addition to his standard intellectual property royalties, as recognition of their artistic partnership, despite taking no part in concert preparations for many years.
Vissi also addressed changes made to seating and guest privileges for Karvelas on the night of the concert, stating that production organisers could not accommodate someone who had issued direct threats against her the day before.
Allegations of Silencing and Psychological Pressure
Vissi expressed shock that a person she considered a trusted friend, creative partner, and family member chose the period leading up to the largest project of her career to exert intense psychological pressure on her. She credited the support of her audience for helping her complete the performance, describing the night as the most beautiful musical journey of her life.
Responding to claims by Karvelas that she attempted to silence him, Vissi denied making any effort to restrict his speech. She stated that her only intention was to prevent mutual defamatory statements, adding that she had nothing to hide and would not submit to emotional extortion or manipulation.
Characterizing Karvelas's press release as filled with lies and contradictions, Vissi stated that she would maintain the truth that has guided her career. She remarked that the most painful aspect of the dispute was recognizing that she may never have truly known her long-time collaborator, declaring her response to be her final public statement on the matter.
Symbolic Song Choice and Stage Remarks
Vissi opened her written statement by contrasting Karvelas's reference to destruction with her own view of shame. She concluded her response with a phrase stating that they would go against the grain wherever it leads, signing off with her name.
The closing line is taken from the song Kontra, which is a Greek adaptation of the song Breathless, originally composed by American songwriter Dan Wilson with Greek lyrics written by Myrto Kontova. The track is notable because it was not composed by Karvelas.
The choice of lyrics carries symbolic weight due to the extensive history between the two artists, whose creative relationship spans several decades. In his press release, Karvelas noted that out of 50 songs performed by Vissi during her OAKA stadium show, 47 were composed by him.
The public feud follows comments Vissi made from the stage at the conclusion of her OAKA concert regarding production company D&A Productions and the Koustas family. Vissi told the crowd that the concert literally could not have taken place without D&A Productions, describing the team as people who loved her as an artist and wanted to help her move forward, before asking the audience if anyone objected to her continuing her career.
