National Conservatoire (Greece)

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The Greek National Conservatoire (Greek: Εθνικό Ωδείο) was founded in Athens in 1926 by the composer Manolis Kalomiris and a number of other notable artists like Charikleia Kalomoiri, Marika Kotopouli, Dionysios Lavrangas, and Sophia Spanoudi. For a number of years the conservatoire was the only Greek educational and cultural organization to approach international Greek community by opening branches in Egypt and Cyprus (1948). Over the years many well-known artists cooperated with the conservatoire, like Maria Callas, Gabriel Pierné, Dimitris Mitropoulos, and Avra Theodoropoulou. Among the conservatoire's students were Maria Callas, Leonidas Kavakos, Agnes Baltsa, and Manto. When the Greek National Opera was founded in 1940 two thirds of its resident staff were graduating students or graduates of the National Conservatoire.

The premises of National Conservatoire have moved around Athens over its lifetime. From its initial location in Irakleitou 6, it moved to Dorou 3 (1932), Solomou and G. Septemvriou (1935), and Solomou 67 and Aristotelous (1940). Its current location is Maizonos 8 and its artistic director is Periklis Koukos.

[edit] See also

• Athens Conservatoire
• Hellenic Conservatory
• National Conservatoire web site (Nea Smyrni branch)