Panagiotis (Pan) Smyrneos(Smirneo)
Soloist, Tenor
He was born in Athens in 1933. After receiving his diploma in Solo Singing and the Operatic Art upon training with George Kokolios at the National Conservatory, he continued his studies at the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory of Milan and the Music Academies of Siena, Salzburg and Munich. He has been awarded in international singing competitions and honored with titles and distinctions. He has appeared in Greece and abroad in both opera performances and solo recitals. He has collaborated with distinguished Greek and foreign soloists and conductors. He worked as a professor of high opera refinement at the Orfeio Conservatory of Athens and served on its three-member administrative committee. In the summer of 1967, he sang Bach's St Matthew Passion [Matthäuspassion] and St John Passion [Johannespassion] with the Orchestra of the Hellenic Radio Foundation (EIR), conducted by Pierre Dervaux, in the context of the Athens Festival. In the years leading up to 1971, he gave numerous solo recitals at the "Pallas" Theater of Corfu, the Municipal Theater of Piraeus, the "Parnassos" hall and the Hellenic Radio/Television Corporation. In addition, he was a graduate of the Athens Law School and holder of a Doctorate in European Law from the Sorbonne. In 1973 he passed his Athens bar examination, in 1974 he became a Judge and then he became a lawyer at the Greek Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) and the Greek Council of State (Supreme Administrative Court). He served on the board of several international organisations and associations. Recordings of his recitals can be found online. He collaborated with the GNO in the productions of: Lucia di Lamermoor (as Edgardo, 1965/66), Rigoletto (1965/66) and The Barber of Seville [Il barbiere di Siviglia] (as Count Almaviva, 1967/68).