Panagiotis Carusos / Panayoti Karousos
Panayoti Karousos is a renowned Greek-Canadian composer who brings to his music the philosophy and spiritualism of the Greek classics. He structures his works around Pythagorean mathematical forms and infuses them with modern styles such as those of Wagner, amongst others. The majestic sound of his work, The Spirit of Liberty, caused critics to acclaim it as a second national anthem of Greece. It was presented in Canada and New York with great success with the Astoria Symphony and maestro Silas Nathaniel Huff. Karousos presented his operas Prometheus, The Olympic Flame, Alexander the Great, The Holy Light of Christianity the oratorio The Song of the Nations and the symphonic poems Eternal Parthenon, Time Melody, and Democracy in Canada, which garnered him rave reviews. He did many concerts in Canada presenting his Symphonies Liberty Symphony and Olympic Symphony with the FACE Symphony Orchestra, the OSJL-L Symphony Orchestra and the Monteregie Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestros Andre Gauthier, Theodora Stathopoulos and Luc Chaput.The Piano Concerto for Peace was presented with pianist Nathalie Joncas under UNESCOs auspices. This piece was highlighted by the Montreal Popular Concerts series in Montreal’s Maurice Richard Arena to an audience of 5000 people. The Piano Concerto became the soundtrack to filmmaker Jenna Constantine's movie If Aphrodite Had Arms. Karousos’ works are featured in the Vassilios Chrissochos’ action-adventure-comedy film Attila Attacks! The Suite Montrealaise was commended from the City of Montreal to mark the Millennium and was successfully presented in a celebration concert 1 October 2000.Panayoti Karousos chamber music is different from the romanticism of his operas and symphonic works. The Piano Trios and the Violin and Cello Sonatas presented in Beverly Hills City Hall and around Montreal surprised the public with their melancholy nature and strong harmonic complexity. As a singer and composer he collaborated with the Archbishop of Toronto Canada, Sotirios, in a 3 CD album named Greek Orthodox Catechism and performed for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. His album Grece Pays d’Amour got the award for Best Classical Recording in 2002/03 from the Toronto Radio Acropolis Awards. The Olympic Flame was presented among other works with the Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of Gunst wat'n Kunst at Hague, Holland, with maestro Rafael Pylarinos. Panayoti Karousos Violin Concerto and Bouzouki Concerto were presented at the Concert for Religious Freedom hosted by the Federation of Hellenic Societies in New York, under the direction of maestro Grant Gilman. The World Premiere of his grandiose opera Alexander the Great presented in Montreal sung in French, with big success at the Montreal Notre Dame Basilica and represented in Chicago Illinois in English by the American Symphony Orchestra of Chicago and soloists from the opera of Chicago conducted by David Stech. Alexander the Great represented in North Carolina at Carolina Theatre with East Coast Philharmonic and soloists under the direction of Grant Gilman, and in Toronto at P.C. Ho Theater Cultural Center of Toronto with the Sneak Peak Symphony Orchestra of Toronto University and soloists under the direction of maestro Victor Cheng.The opera Prometheus in English represented in Los Angeles with soloists from the Los Angeles opera, in New York by the Astoria Symphony and soloists, and in Washington DC with The District of Columbia Symphony Orchestra and received amazing critics and reviews as a master peace work full of lyricism and melodic power.Panayoti Karousos is a recipient of honors from the Federal Canadian Government, the Quebec Provincial Government and the City of Montreal.
