Hellenic American College and Philippos Nakas Conservatory celebrated their five-year partnership in music education with a gala youth musicians’ concert at the College’s Athens campus auditorium on May 26, 2023. Students, alumni and faculty from the Conservatory and the College’s Bachelor of Music program played before an enthusiastic full-house audience in an evening of music that included works from the classical and contemporary repertory, jazz standards, gospels, and spirituals.
Ioannis Tselikas, Director of the Bachelor of Music program, recalls that the strategic partnership between the two institutions began five years ago with an idea of Theodore Antoniou, the renowned composer, maestro and music educator, as a way to diversify Hellenic American University’s music program, which was largely focused at the time on music theory and composition. The partnership and the joint program that developed now offers a broad range of performance options for young musicians.
The concert, he added, also reflects the importance the program places on providing the young musicians in the program opportunities to perform in actual professional settings while they are still students.
For his part, the Director of the Philippos Nakas Conservatory, Leonidas Arniakos, drew attention to what he considered the two most benefits for students doing the degree program. First, after completion of their studies they can receive both a bachelor’s degree in music from a US accredited institution and the music diploma of the conservatory. Second, graduates of Hellenic American College can apply to have the professional equivalence of their degree recognized by the Autonomous Department for the Application of European Legislation (ATEEN) - Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.
About the Bachelor of Music Program
Designed by the eminent composer Theodoros Antoniou, who was also its director until his death in 2018 the Bachelor of Music degree draws on faculty from both Philippos Nakas Conservatory and Hellenic American College and combines professional music training with instruction in theory and composition, along with undergraduate foundation courses such as critical thinking, writing, and intercultural studies.
Students can select from concentrations in composition, conducting, voice, piano or one of the string, wind, and percussion instruments—in either classical or modern music. Recent additions to the program include concentrations in popular music and film scoring. Students can also opt to take courses in the teaching of music to prepare themselves for a career as a music educator or pursue graduate studies abroad upon completing their degree.
