Brief account

Since the early years of its operation (founded in 1979) KSYME has been active in the cultural, spiritual and scientific life of our country.

in the field of research:

Research programs have been completed or are in progress most of which concern the sphere of Greek musical heritage (ancient Greek, byzantine, folk, modern). Illustrative examples are research projects within the framework of the innovative program Chroai; the program for the sound mapping of Greece in collaboration with the Polytechnic School of Athens; collaboration in the field of psychoacoustics ;the program of application of melismata (plural of melisma) of Greek traditional music (group of notes sung to the same syllable) to synthetic voice in collaboration with Columbia and Princeton universities as well as the program YDEES: Information Technology in the service of school curriculum and IMEL-Socrates in collaboration with the Institute of  Computer Technology of the University of Patras and collaborations with fifteen public and private organizations.

in the field of musical creation

In the laboratories of the centre creative work is done incessantly (approximately 150 works have been written). A great part of these compositions have been performed in Greek and International events.

in the field of musical events

260 concerts of greek and world artwork, traditional and primarily contemporary music have been organized by KSYME in Greece (Herodion theatre, University of Athens, Athens Polytechnic School, French Institute, Goethe Institute, Greek-American Union, Athens College, various Municipalities, Delphi, festival of Patras, Demetria, Aixoni theatre, provincial towns) and abroad (Holland, England, Italy).

in the field of dissemination and exchange of ideas on art and  technology

KSYME has organized four international conferences (Patras, Eugenidio Foundation, Palermo, Delphi) and six 3-day symposia in six Greek cities (Mesologhi, Agrinio, Arta, Preveza, Ioannina).

in the educational field

KSYME has organized approximately 400 three-hour presentations of the modern technological developments in the service of music research, creation, interpretation and education; 16 weekly seminars; 5 three-month seminars; 6 annual programs of professional training  with the support of the European Social Fund in collaboration with the Greek Ministry of Culture and the General Secretariat for Youth; an innovative program for researchers’ instruction in the field of Greek music (which was assessed as the most completed Greek proposal by the European Commission charged with assessing innovative programs). Finally, Ksyme created a subsidiary Conservatory under the  name Eumousia. It has also organized seminars for educators in Chios, Patras, Amphilochia, Drama, Xanthi, Tripoli and Kastoria , Alexandroupoli, Athens as well as Delphi in collaboration with local education advisers, educator associations, the University of Patras and the University of Thrace.

Ksyme collaborated with the Department of Music Studies of the Athens University where Stefanos Vassiliadis and John G. Papaioannou taught  for 3 years.

Also Ksyme contributed  to curriculum formulation for the secondary schools’  educational program in music.

Furthermore, Ksyme issued   4 educational text  books and  24 accompanying tapes containing musical examples  for the needs of  secondary school music teachers.

Ksyme contributed to the establishment and formulation of policy for the first music high school in Greece: the Pallini experimental music High School in Athens.

KSYME possesses research and educational equipment with computer systems. It also possesses a rich archive of Greek music (traditional and contemporary, recordings and scores) ; an archive of Greek sounds ; a musical and record library.

The staff of KSYME consists of collaborators thoroughly trained on the use and instruction of technological systems and inspired by common aspirations. KSYME also engages guest collaborators for the implementation of its programmes.

in the field of publications

The publishing activity of KSYME was initially limited to printed material of events (as the publication of the proposals for the Delphi International Conference), but eventually expanded into the field of recording with the circulation of a CD entitled LALO ;a 36-page insert comprising recordings from Yiannis Manolidakis’ research programme in his five visits to the areas of the Indian Caucasus and the Himalaya where are extant cultural testimonies of the passage of Alexander the Great ; the Greek edition of the poetical collection of V. Kadintsky “Sounds’ comprising 6 poems and 59 paintings (seven young composers have written seven works based on poems of the book and presented them at Herodion theatre). Recently KSYME completed – as commissioned by ETEBA- the publication of a collection (5 CDs of total duration of 6.5 hours and a 156-page insert book) of contemporary 20th century music by 34 composers with extended texts by J.J. Papaioannou.

Annual cycle of operation and activity of KSYME

KSYME within the limits of its annual income (contributions- grants- services) ensures

-its constant presence throughout the Greek territory with events, seminars, workshops and expositions

-the coverage of operational expenses

-fees for the scientific and administrative personnel

-maintenance and moderate update of its technological equipment

-research operations, creative and educational programmes and

-utilization of its archive.

Events and educational and research programmes on a large scale should be combined with additional funding provided by grants from the Greek Ministry of Culture or other private, public or European Union sources.

Proposals for extraordinary initiatives beyond the current activities

We include a list of actions that KSYME is in position to undertake as soon as the means for their effectuation are ensured.

Mobile unit

-Mobile studio-mobile unit for information, exhibition, production and recording of high technological standards which will tour Greece organising seminars, concerts and recordings in collaboration with cultural organisations and Universities.

Publications

-A series of low cost records ( there exist MASTERS) with archives of great cultural value

-Traditional music from recordings of KSYME

-Works by established Greek composers

-Original works produced by KSYME since 1985 (electronic and instrumental)

Portraits of composers

Comprehensive portraits of Greek composers’ life and work with exhibitions, concerts, talks, projections and publications in Athens and other Greek cities.

Four-day activities in five cities.

Tour in five cities comprising a four-day series of events in each one in collaboration with local authorities (symposium, concerts, workshop for children) following the model of events organised by KSYME in western Greece.

Digitalisation and preservation of the Skalkottas’ and ESSYM

(Hellenic Association of Contemporary Music) archive.

Digital storing, preservation of musical material, completion and update.

Events for the 50th anniversary of N. Skalkottas’ death.

In collaboration (financial and organisational) with the Greek Culture Foundation and other Greek and international organisations, events in memory of N.Skalkottas (exhibition, concerts, talks, projections) in five cities of Greece and the United States as well as in 10 Greek cities.