The school was founded in 1997. Its aim is to amplify the students aesthetic culture via musical subjects (e.g music theory, learning of musical instrument). Of course students are taught all the other subjects as any other ordinary high school in Greece such as Maths, Ancient Greek, Physics and so on.The school has 80 teachers and 290 students. There are 15 classrooms for the lessons of general education and many classrooms for the musical lessons. There are also a physics science lab, a computer lab, an art lab, English, German and French language classrooms, a multi-functional classroom, a library, a gym, a dining room and of course a large concert hall for 350 persons.
Students can study after exams, which take place every June for those who graduate from primary school and wish to study at our school. These examinations are related to the musical abilities of students and not to their musical knowledge. In other words the objective is the student to has a good voice and ‘good ear’, so he can continue his studies at our school. After the exams students are taught European, traditional and Byzantine music through musical instruments and through choirs and musical ensembles. So our students are not just play musical instruments, but also sing and participate in ensembles. The good news is that our students participate in musical ensembles regardless of their class level and whatever the level of their knowledge. In other words, students from all classes and each level can coexist and create. This works as a guide for the younger and for weaker students. So the younger students learn from the older and everyone feels like a member of a large community, which is the school. At the same time students learn to cooperate not only with their classmates, but with any school student. So collaboration and creativity have no particular place. This helps our students to eliminate stereotypes and to work with anyone and under any conditions.
Moreover, the variety of instruments being offered is large. Our students are taught piano, violin, guitar, cello, accordion, flute, percussion, wind instruments and also traditional ones like Tamboura, kanun, traditional violin, percussion, clarinet and so much more, depending on their choice. Everyone participate in European choral ensembles, traditional and Byzantine music, to jazz and rock ensembles and so much more. From the above one realizes the richness and variety of the offered courses, but also the multiple benefit of students from teaching. Anyone dares to say that the structure of the music school helps create multifaceted and thoroughly skilled musicians.
The result of all this is that our students take part in concerts, music contests, festivals and of course to show their work annually through school concerts in the city, which are both an incentive and affirmation of their musical knowledge and skills.
Finally our working students dealong in Secondary Schools (senior high school) with music lessons such as Harmony and Ntikte can enter after examinations in music schools in Greece or abroad. Many times our students return to our school as music teachers and teach music at the school where they were taught for the first time! Some are studying in schools that are not related to music, without renounce their music education and training.
Alongside our students participate in literary, poetry, philosophy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, language, theatre, painting, drawing and music competitions with very good results winning often and awards, although this is not always the point. They prepare cultural and health education projects and present the result of their work at the end of the school year at school. Many students experimenting in their own original musical composition but also create music groups.
It is a school that produces culture and has been living through the arts!
Many educational projects and activities take place every year such as:
- Creative Writing Workshop
- Museums and Education
- Educational project: “Non smoking – I exercise”
- Cultural project: Digital representations of Byzantine Culture
- Educational project: Programming Smart Devices
- Cultural project: From the school library to archaeological paths
