State Conservatory of Thessaloniki
The State Conservatory of Thessaloniki has a neo-Baroque style with evident French and neoclassical influences.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1914 The Thessaloniki Conservatory was founded after Eleftherios Venizelos’ initiative.
1987 The conservatory moved to this building.
Ottoman era (1453- 1912)
1903 The current building was erected. It was inaugurated the following year, housing the Ottoman Bank.
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
The building we see today was built in place of the Jake Abbot’s mansion, an English merchant and landowner. The Turkish architects of the new building (Barouh and Amar) maintained the grid of the façade of the previous building. It has a neo-Baroque style with evident French and neoclassical influences. There have also been later additions (1921, 1924). Among the particular characteristics of the building are the decorative stripes that separate floors and the closed in the ground floor- patio, which is covered by a glass dome. Furthermore, the oldest outdoor sculptures (19th century) in the city are preserved in the courtyard. Two female figures symbolising Economy and Faith and a male figure of Triton. The statues were probably imported from abroad and keeping them, when the building housed the Ottoman Bank, in conjunction with their symbolism, show an effort of the Ottoman Empire to develop a more European profile.
What I can't see
The oldest building, Abbott’s house, was sold to the Ottoman Bank because of financial distress and became its branch. Here, for the first time in Thessaloniki, bank counters were rented out. It was operated with British and French funds and was functioning as a ministry of finance under the supervision of these Great Powers, which were practically ruling the Ottoman Empire. The building was blown up by a Bulgarian anarchist group (Gkemetzides), and the new one was built afterwards. It later on became the property of the Greek State (IKA) and housed the Conservatory of Thessaloniki, which had already been established decades earlier. The purpose of the conservatory was the teaching of European and preservation of Greek music. In addition to education, events, seminars and competitions are held. Attendance is free, it is a member of the European Union of Conservatories, member of the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres and since 1987 has been participating in the Mediterranean conservatories meetings.
Info
- Address: 15 Fragkon & L. Sofou St.
- Postal Code : 54625
- Phone: +30 2310 550551, 522157
- Website: http://www.odiokrat.gr/
Bibliography
Anastasiadis G., Hekimoglou E., (2000), Όταν η Θεσσαλονίκη μπήκε στον 20ο αιώνα, τα διακόσια σημαντικότερα γεγονότα που συνέβησαν στην πόλη από το 1900 ως το 1910, [When Thessaloniki entered the 20th century, the two hundred most important incidents of the city between 1900- 1910], Thessaloniki: University Studio Press
Zafeiris Ch. (1997), Θεσσαλονίκης Εγκόλπιον, ιστορία, πολιτισμός, η πόλη σήμερα, γεύσεις, μουσεία, μνημεία, διαδρομές, [Thessaloniki Handbook, history, culture, the city today, flavours, museums, routes], Athens: Exantas
Ζafeiris Ch., (2014), Θεσσαλονίκη, η παρουσία των απόντων, η κληρονομιά Ρωμαίων, Μουσουλμάνων, Εβραίων, Ντονμέδων, Φράγκων, Αρμενίων και Σλάβων, [Thessaloniki, the presense of the absent, the heritage of Romans, Muslims, Jews, Doenme, Franks, Armenians and Slavs], Thessaloniki: Epikentro
State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, (2006), Ιστορικό, [History], Ministry of Culture,
http://www.odiokrat.gr/web/menu/odeio/istoriko
Last visit: 5/10/2015
Collective Work, (1985-6), Νεώτερα Μνημεία της Θεσσαλονίκης [Modern Monuments of Thessaloniki], Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Northern Greece
