Yorgos Sicilianos - Intentional ethics and music politics

Abstract or Summary:

Markos Tsetsos, in his analysis of Yorgos Sicilianos’s contributions, highlights the composer’s significant role in reshaping Greek music and cultural policy. He emphasises Sicilianos’s forward-thinking advocacy for the establishment of higher music education institutions in Greece, which he believed were essential for raising the professional standards of Greek musicians to align with their international counterparts. Tsetsos notes that Sicilianos also proposed reforms to public and private music education, stressing the importance of cultivating an informed audience as a foundation for meaningful institutional progress.

In Tsetsos’s view, Sicilianos was critical of the private conservatory system, pointing out its outdated practices and disconnect from contemporary developments. He supported a model where public and private music education could coexist, with an emphasis on both professional training and fostering amateur interest. Tsetsos further explores Sicilianos’s concerns about the lack of state support for music publishing and recording, which limited the dissemination of Greek art music. While Sicilianos’s proposals were innovative, Tsetsos observes that their implementation faced obstacles in a political and cultural climate that often undervalued the arts.