Spiros Argiris

Spiros Argiris (Greek: Σπύρος Αργύρης, 24 August 1948 – 19 May 1996) was a renowned orchestral and operatic conductor. From 1987 to 1992, he served as music director for the legendary Spoleto Festival in both Italy and the United States. As Artistic Director of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania from 1991 to 1994, Argiris won the Premio Abbiati (Italian Music Critics Award) for Best Organiser in the 1991/1992 season.

The same award had been awarded to him in 1987/1988 for Best Show for Jenufa by Leoš Janáček at the Spoleto Festival, which Argiris conducted under the direction of Günter Krämer. Notable productions include Richard Strauss’s Elektra, also directed by Krämer with Deborah Polaski in the title role, and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, directed by Gian Carlo Menotti with Renée Fleming as the Countess and Youngok Shin as Susanna.

Born in Athens to an artistic family—his parents were actors—Argiris began his musical education early. After studying conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, he continued in Vienna with Hans Swarowsky and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, also studying piano with Alfons Kontarsky.

His career began in Germany, in theatres such as Aachen and Gelsenkirchen. While conducting The Consul at the Athens Opera House in the late 1970s, he met Gian Carlo Menotti, which led to an invitation to the Spoleto Festival in 1976 to conduct Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame. A decade later, Menotti appointed Argiris music director of the Spoleto Festivals in both Italy and the US (Charleston), a role held from 1987 to 1992. In 1994, after Menotti’s departure from Spoleto Festival USA, Argiris was appointed Artistic Director of the festival’s operatic and symphonic activities, a position held until his death.

Argiris was active in contemporary music, conducting at the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik. In 1980, he conducted the world premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s El Rey de Harlem for WDR Köln, with mezzo-soprano Maureen McNally and the Ensemble Hinz und Kunst. In 1981, the Cologne Opera invited him to conduct Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin for the 100th anniversary of Bartók’s birth. Later, he worked at the Berlin Opera on the world premiere of Hans-Jürgen von Bose’s Die Nacht aus Blei and at the Hamburg Opera on an eight-hour Stravinsky commemoration choreographed by John Neumeier with Marcia Haydée.

Beyond Spoleto, Argiris held positions as music director of the Teatro Verdi in Trieste and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice. As an opera conductor, he was celebrated for productions at Hamburg State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bavarian State Opera, Rome Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, and Bastille Opera in Paris. Noteworthy performances include Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s production of Britten’s Peter Grimes at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 1988 and Ruth Berghaus’s Der Rosenkavalier in 1992 at Frankfurt Opera with Deborah Polaski as the Marschallin.

As a symphonic conductor, Argiris led the Radio Orchestras of Berlin and Cologne, the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, the Montreal Symphony, the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia in Rome, the RAI orchestras of Milan and Turin, and the Melbourne Symphony. His tenure as Artistic Director of Teatro Massimo Bellini saw productions like Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte by Werner Herzog and Der Rosenkavalier, with Renata Scotto as the Marschallin, earning her the “Premio Abbiati” and the “Frankfurter Allgemeine” Prize. His conducting of Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, directed by Pierre Audi, was highly praised.

In January 1996, Argiris conducted Strauss’ Salome at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, with Karen Huffstodt in the title role. His final appearance on the podium was in March 1996 in Palermo, conducting Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 with the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana. Argiris died on 19 May 1996, the opening day of the Spoleto Festival USA, where he was set to conduct Verdi’s Falstaff.

In 2005, Corriere Della Sera’s lead music critic Paolo Isotta commemorated his contributions to Strauss interpretations. The “Premio Spiros Argiris” competition for young singers, initiated by the municipality of Sarzana, has been held annually for over a decade. In 1999, Spoleto’s Centro Studi “Belli-Argiris” was inaugurated, housing his collection of books, sheet music, and scores, donated by his family to support musical research and studies.

Source: Wikipedia