Solon Michaelides was born on the 12th of November 1905 in Nicosia, Cyprus and died on the 10th of September 1979 in Athens, Greece. From 1927 to 1930 he studied the piano, composition and conducting at the Trinity College of Music in London. Maire and A. Cortot at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. He studied music pedagogy and piano under R. Thiberger, at the Institute de Pedagogie Musicale.
He completed his studies at the Schola Cantorum studying composition with Guy de Lioncourt and conducting with Marcel Labey. Upon graduation he returned to Cyprus. In October 1934 he founded and directed the Conservatory of Limassol and in 1935 he founded and directed the Concert Association of the Conservatory of Limassol and the Orchestra of the Concert Association. Thus, he significantly enlivened concert life in Limassol and all over Cyprus. In 1956, invited by the Greek Ministry of Education, he became the director of the State Conservatory of Thessalonica teaching harmony, counterpoint, fugue, composition and conducting. From 1959 until 1970 he was appointed Conductor and General Director of the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Greece, which became a state institution in 1969 and renamed to Thessalonica State Orchestra. At the same time, Solon Michaelides was repeatedly invited to conduct in Europe, the USA and Asia. From 1946 onwards he collaborated regularly with the BBC and was invited as guest lecturer at numerous American Universities (including Yale and Marshal). He also lectured at Music Conferences across Europe (Basle, Venice, Vienna, Brussels, Liège, London, and Oslo), Canada (Quebec) and the USA (New York). Solon Michaelides’ compositions have received international recognition and many of his works have been performed in Europe (Greece, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Romania) the USA and Asia. Many of his works have been published by the Union of Greek Composers, the Greek Ministry of Education and by foreign music publishing companies. His academic publications have appeared in numerous Greek, French and English journals. Between 1948 and 1968 he was a member of the International Folk Music Council in London. He has also been a jury member in many international music competitions such as the Arrezo and Bolzano in Italy, the Varna in Bulgaria, the Montreux in Switzerland and the Llangollen in Wales. He had also been adjudicator in various music festivals in Europe. In 1952 he became an Honorary Fellow of the Trinity College of Music in London and of the American Ethno musicological Society in 1966. In 1965 he was honoured by the Greek State as Commander of the Greek Order of “Phoenix”. In 1974 he was honored by the Athens Academy for his overall contribution to music in Greece, and in 1977 he was awarded a prize for his book The Music of Ancient Greece: an encyclopaedia. Solon Michaelides is a composer whose style is firmly based on the Greek tradition of the National School through the use of ancient Greek modes and elements of folk and Byzantine music. The influence of French impressionism is evident in his music. His orchestration technique follows the school of Caesar Frank. His compositions are characterised, according to the composer’s own words by “pureness and clarity both in concept and emotion.”
Georgia Michaelides
