Dr. Nikos Xanthoulis is a Greek composer and Lyre Soloist.
Dr. Nikos Xanthoulis (Greek: Νίκος Ξανθούλης, born Νικόλαος Γεωργίου Ξανθούλης; 1962) is a Greekcomposer, lyrist and author. He served as principal trumpet player of the Greek National Opera for 25 years (1983-2009), lead the Educational Department (2009-2012) and served as an Artistic Consultant (2016-2021) of the same institution. He is Assistant Researcher with the Academy of Athens (2009–present), Correspondent Member of the Archaeological Institute of America (2010–present), and Professor of Composition (2004–2020) and Trumpet (1984-2013) at the Athens Conservatory. He was also Artistic Director of the Public Broadcasting Music Ensembles (2014 - 2015) and Tutor at the Greek Open University (2004-2017).[1][2]
Nikos Xanthoulis was born in Larissa, Greece in 1962. He studied trumpet with Anastasios Kypreos at the Athens Conservatory graduating with an “A” Certificate in 1983. He was also awarded the coveted “First Prize” at the conservatory for his achievement on performance examinations.[3] During the same year, he became a member of the European youth Orchestra and played under conductors as Claudio Abbado and Yuri Simonof.
Xanthoulis studied Advanced Theoretical Subjects and Composition in the Athens Conservatory with Menelaos Palandios, Diamantis Diamantopoulos and Pericles Koukos. He received his PhD in Musicology from the Music Academy of Sofia, Bulgaria, for his dissertation on the “Polyphony of 1800”.[3] The Examining Committee, which included Professor Dimiter Christoff, unanimously accepted the thesis—- the first time in 16 years. He also holds a Bachelor in Political Sciences from the Panteion University of Athens.[4] Xanthoulis also studied Harpsichord at the Vignanelli School of Athens, Athenaeum Conservatory with Professor Margarita Dalmati, graduating Cum Laude with the “Ferruccio Vignanello” award. He graduated with a Baccalaureate from Ιωνίδειος Πρότυπος Σχολή, Greece.
As Artistic Consultant with the Greek National Opera, he is in charge of the radio program. He was the principal trumpet player in the Athens Opera for the last twenty-five years, performing as a soloist and member of numerous ensembles throughout Greece. He was also the professor of trumpet at the Athens Conservatory and served as professor at the “Open University” Greece.
After his collaboration with the great actress Anna Synodinou at Epidaurus Festival in 2004, he devoted himself to the revival of the seven-stringed ancient Greek lyre. Since then he developed a complete learning method[5] of the instrument, composed dozens of pieces for the ancient Greek lyre, and rose to prominence as a soloist of the instrument at an international level.
Many concerts featuring performances and compositions by Xanthoulis have been broadcast on Greek and Bulgarian radio programs. "Two children’s operas" were premiered by the Athens Opera (1998) and the Messinian Theatre (1999) to critical acclaim and commercial success.[3] Xanthoulis has been invited by four American universities and the Music University of Tien Jin, China, in 2000 and 2001 for recitals and lectures on Greek music from the Antiquity till nowadays.
His investigation and translations on the theory of the ancient Greek music was presented in lecture at the Boston University in 2003 at the Concordia University (Montreal), and in Ottawa. He composed the music for the Aeschylian tragedy “Eumenides”, which was presented in the frame of the Epidaurus Festival (August 2004).[1] He has released three personal CDs and participated in two more CDs (published in Italy and Germany). The KEDROS edition published his symphonic tales “The selfish giant” (Oscar Wilde: book and CD recorded in Montreal) which was a best seller among the children’s books in Greece till September 2005 and the "Happy Prince" (2007: book and CD). As a soloist he has performed with many Orchestras and in various Festivals (Ferenc Liszt Orchestra at the Athens Festival, International Festival of Sarajevo, Tashkent Symphony orchestra, Philharmony of Sofia, Tien Jin Symphony Orchestra in China, Thessalonica State Orchestra, Camerata Orchestra, National Symphony Radio Orchestra). Editions “Daedalus- Zacharopoulos” published his treatise on Ancient Greek Music in 2006.
Kress Lecturer for 1012-2013 in USA and Canada by the Archaeological Institute of America.
Techne Mousikes" Cleonides, Aristoxenus, Anonymous Bellerman: The Ancient Greek Music Theory - introduction and translation into modern Greek by Nikos Xanthoulis (Daedalus-Zacharopoulos, Athens 2006)
Ancient Greek Lyre - Learning method (IWrite Publications, Athens May 2018)
