Byzantine Choir
- 29 members
- 5 award
The Byzantine Choir was set up in 1987 as the 4th group of the POLYPHONIC CHOIR of Patras aiming at spreading and propounding the Byzantine church music to the city of our patron Saint Andrews, as well as in Greece and internationally in general.
The Byzantine choir has given lots of concerts in Greece (Athens, Pyrgos, Bolos, Rhodes, Agrinio, Preveza, K.Achaia, Amaliada, Lechena etc.) and abroad having taken part in international festivals of church music. Within the town of Patras the choir has also given concerts invited by Saint Andrews' organization, Thologists' organization, Arsakios Academy etc).
The choir has organized concerts in Saint Dionissios church together with the Byzantine Choir of F. Ketsetzis at the following churches: Holly Mother's Church, Santa Sophia, Saint Vassilios and Saint Dimitrios, Holly Lady of the Annunciation. The concerts were dedicated to honor the Bishop of Patras Mr.Nikodimos Vallindras and the first chanter Charalabos Taliadoros.
The most significant concerts of the choir are:
- 1990, The choir organized a concert together with the University of Patras during which the Professor and first chanter Markos Xatzimarkou was awarded
- 1991, The choir participated in the opening of the International Medicine Conference in Patras
- 1992, The choir gave concerts in Weston S.Mare, in Cardiff and Bristol of the United Kingdom, invited by the Hellenic Association of Arts
- 1995, The choir invited by the Ministry of Education & Culture of Cyprus gave concerts in Larnaka, Paralimni, Nikosia
- 1996, The choir was honored with the 2nd award and Silver Medal at the International Choral Competition-Festival of Preveza
- 1997 in the same Choral Competition the choir was awarded with the 1st place and Gold Medal and special honor for the best international interpretation of Orthodox Hymnology.
- 1997 The choir participated in the 15th International Choir Festival of Oristano in Italy. The choir gave concert in Trieste of Italy during the International Byzantine Conference which was co organized by the Greek Community of the territory and the Greek Ministry of Culture
- The choir gave a concert with special hymns for the Jubilee of 2000 years from Jesus birth (poetry and music by Bishop of Patras Nikodimos), at the Arsakios Academy of Athens and participated in International festival of Simi
- The choir won 1st prize and gold medal in the Pan-Hellenic Choir Competition in Pallas Theater of Athens. In July 2000 together with Mixed Choir and the Children Choir of Polyphonic Choir they performed the 'Byzantine Oratorio' - poetry and music by Bishop of Patras Nikodimos in harmonization, orchestration and direction of Mo Stavros Solomos, Artistic Director of Polyphonic Choir of Patras - in Herodium. The 'Byzantine Oratorio' was performed again in the Ancient Theater of Patras in September 2000 organized by the Municipality of Patras to honor the bishop of Patras for his offer and his multilateral work. The presentation of the 'Byzantine Oratorio' was the main manifestation of the Greek Church by the Holly Jubilee of 2000 years. In October 2000 the choir participated in the welcoming of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and to his nomination by the University of Patras as Professor in seven Schools
- The choir participated in the opening ceremony of the Medicine Conference of Nephropathy which took place in the European Cultural Centre of Delphi. The choir also gave concerts during the same year in Larnaka, Lefkara and Nicosia in Cyprus for the second time. The choir presented the 4th Oratorio of Bishop of Patras Nikodimos, with hymns from the Holy Bible.
- The choir participated in the International Choir Festival of Religious Music of Rottenburg-Germany representing not only Greece but also the Byzantine Orthodox Hymnology with the blessing of Archbishop of Athens and Greece Christodoulos
- The choir participated in the International Religious Festival- Competition of Preveza, Greece, and won 2nd Prize and silver medal. The same year the choir participated in the International Festival of Simi Island, Greece for the second time
- The choir participated in the International Festival of Banja Luka, in Bosnia- Herzegovina invited by the Choir Festival of Banja Luka and other regional churches. The choir gave concerts in Banja Luka, Sipovo, Petrovats, Dvarts, Belgrade where they met with the Patriarch of Serbia, Pavlos. The same year the choir participated in the International Religious Festival of Patmos Island in Greece under the conduction of Alkis Baltas at the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse
- The choir hosted the Mixed Choir of BANJA LUKA from Bosnia Herzegovina and they both gave concerts in the church of Saint Sophia in Kalavryta and in the small open theatre at Patras port
- The choir participated in the 1rst International Symposium of Choir Music/15th Pan-Hellenic Choir Conference which took place in the Conference & Cultural Centre of the University of Patras
The choir also participated in the 3rd International Festival of Banja Luka of Bosnia Herzegovina giving concerts at Banja Luka and in Laktasi
- The choir gave concerts in the catholic church of Saint Lucas in Athens and in the church of Saint Spyridonas in Karya-Lefkada (1.6.07 and 15.6.07). It also hosted again the Mixed Choir -Jedinstvo- of BANJA LUKA from Bosnia Herzegovina and it organized its concerts (3-8/8/07). It also gave concerts at the church of Saint Andrew during the celebrations of the Saint Andrew and during Christmas the concert was transmitted live through the ERA channel to Europe and Canada from the church of Metamorphosis in Athens (16/12/07)
- The choir participate in the concert celebrating the 25 years of Polyphonic Choir at the Conference & Cultural Centre of the University of Patras (11.5.08) It also participated in the concert which took place in the Conference & Cultural Centre of the University of Patras honoring the ecumenical patriarch Vartholomeos during the celebration of Saint Andrew in 2008 together with the Mixed and Children Choir of the Polyphonic Choir and the Orchestra of traditional organs of the Dimotikon Odium of Patras
- The choir chanted in the Divine Service for Zoodochos Pigi in the church of Baloukli of Istanbul in Turkey at the presence of the ecumenical patriarch Vartholomeos giving also a concert at the Zografio School of Istanbul. It participate in the concert for the celebration of Saint Andrew ([9.11.09) at the Dimotiko Theathre Apollon in Patras together with the Byzantine choire 'Theodoros Fokaefs'
- The choir gave concerts to Pyrgos and Lechena invited by the Bank Club of the Prefecture of Elia and the Municipality of Lechena respectively.
- The Choir had been conducted by the first chanter ARISTIDES RODOPOULOS until October 2000 (today Mr.Rodopoulos is an honorary choir member).
The choir has been conducted ever since by the Professor of Byzantine Music and first chanter Mr. JOHN KOTTOROS who is also the President of the Polyphonic Choir of Patras.
