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Fabre resigned on April 2, complaining of a "hostile artistic
environment" only days after giving a news conference where he
said the festival in 2016 would be devoted to Belgium.
The next two years would have focused on artists who cooperated
with Fabre, while Greek artists would have made up one third of
the lineup.
The 61-year-old festival, which has featured iconic figures from
Maria Callas to Dame Margot Fonteyn alongside ancient Greek
drama, runs from June to the end of August and is held mainly in
Athens, and the ancient theater of Epidaurus in the Peloponnese.
Fabre's program, which would have focused on the "Belgian
Spirit", was met with howls of protest from performing artists,
and parties across the political spectrum who said the festival
was Greek and should include Greek works.
Greek artists signed a petition demanding that he and Culture
Minister Aristeidis Baltas resign.
In his resignation letter, Fabre said he accepted the job
because he would make artistic choices freely.
"This does not seem possible in Greece," he said according to a
culture ministry statement. "I don't want to work in a hostile
artistic environment, to which I came with an open mind and
heart"
When Fabre announced his lineup on March 29, he said: "I want to
do a tribute to Belgium...because this small country is my home
and my sanctuary."
On Monday, the culture ministry said 63-year old Greek actor
turned director Vangelis Theodoropoulos would take the post.
"The new artistic director's task is tough, but we are certain
that the director will cooperate constructively with the board
of the Greek Festival as well as the Greek artists for the
result to be the best possible in the current circumstances,"
the ministry said in a statement.
(Editing by Michele Kambas/Mark Heinrich)
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