Greek tragedy: Orchestra plays emotional farewell as state broadcaster closes

Members of the orchestra were in tears as they played their final performance. Credit: ertsocialnetworks

Tears rolled down the cheeks of members from the Greek National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as they played their final performance together.

A stirring rendition of Elgar's 'Nimrod' from the Enigma Variations brought the end to the 75-year-old radio orchestra.

The emotional farewell in a sweltering rehearsal room - the air conditioning was switched off - came as part of the closure of public broadcaster ERT, which has been suspended due to the government's austerity measures.

All of the state broadcaster's near-2,700 employees have been made redundant in the cuts.

The video was posted on Norman Lebrecht's Slipped Disc blog on Friday and has received over 250,000 plays on YouTube.

Despite the Greek government's claims that the state broadcaster would resume some operations in the future, the fate of the orchestra remains uncertain in a country riddled by debt.

The country is currently in the third year of its worst financial crisis since the second World War.