Antiochos Evangelatos

He was born in Lixouri, Kefalonia on 23-12-1902. He attended the University of Athens School of Law as well as philosophy and art history courses at the Leipzig University. He received his basic training in violin at the Athens Conservatory. He continued his training at the Leipzig Conservatory where he studied composition with Max Ludwig and Hermann Grabner and orchestral conducting with H. Kofler. He then continued his musical studies in Vienna (1930-1931) and Basel with conductor Felix Weingartner (1931-1932). Upon his return to Greece he conducted the Athens Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (1932) before establishing the short-lived New Symphony Orchestra. In 1933 he was appointed professor at the Hellenic Conservatory of Music and Arts and was honoured by the Academy of Athens. Having participated in the administration of the Hellenic Conservatory of Music and Arts since 1937, he eventually served as its Director of Studies (1967-1973). He worked as conductor at the Hellenic Radio Foundation (1938-1954) and in 1954 he collaborated with author Dionysis Romas in establishing the “3rd Program,” the quintessential classical music radio station in Greece. As a composer, he belongs to the Greek National School of Music. He composed works for orchestral, vocal and chamber music, as well as music scores for ancient drama performances. He was one of the founding members of the Greek National Opera (GNO). During the 32 years of his collaboration with the GNO (1940-1972) he conducted the performances of 40 works in 121 new productions and revivals. One of the main supporters of Mozart’s operas in Greece, he got to conduct all Greek orchestras and several foreign ones. He served as President of the Greek Composers Union (1957-1980), the Greek National Music Council and the Ephorate of the House of Fine Arts and Letters. He served in several panels of judges in international music competitions in Barcelona, Geneva, Trieste, Bucharest, Sofia and Moscow. He was awarded the Gold Cross of the Royal Order of George I and the Commander grade of the Order of the Phoenix. He was the father of director Spyros Evangelatos and mezzo-soprano Daphne Evangelatos.

Source: Greek National Opera – Educational Virtual Museum