Odysseas Dimitriadis
Conductor, Composer
He was born in Batumi Caucasus on 7.7.1908 of Pontian origin. He is an important representative of the soviet music culture. He began studying music at the age of ten at the country of his origin. In 1926 he registered at the Tbilisi Conservatory. Once he received his diploma in composition in 1930, he became professor at the Sukhumi Musical College (1930-1933). He continued his studies in conducting at the Leningrad Conservatrory with Aleksandr Gauk and Ilya Musin (1933-1936). In 1934 he met Dimitris Mitropoulos in Leningrad. He was conductor at the Opera and professor at the Conservatory of Tbilisi (1937-1965) as well as chief conductor of the State Orchestra of Georgia (1947-1952). He conducted a vast repertory: 60 operas and ballets, and symphonic works of 70 composers. For eight years he was chief conductor at the Bolshoy Theater, he toured internationally and taught at the Moscow Conservatory (1965-1973). He was the official conductor at the Moscow Olympic Games and orchestrated the Olympic Anthem by Samaras (1980). In 1958 he came to Athens as vice-president of Greek-Soviet Association and promoted international relations as well as Greek composers. He worked with all greek orchestras. His work with the Greek National Opera during 1975-1996 includes conducting Mozart’s Requiem and the operas Queen of Spades, Eugene Onegin, Betrothal in a Monastery, Macbeth, La Traviata, Boris Godunov, The Mother’s Ring [To dahtilidi tis manas] and Flora Mirabilis by Spyros Samaras and re-orchestrated by Dimitriadis. He was honored with title of National Artist of The Soviet Union (1958), the Award of the Athens Academy (1996). In 1998 he was given the Golden Medal of the City of Athens and was proclaimed Ambassador of Hellenism. Surviving are many of his unreleased recordings.