National Conservatoire (Greece)

The Greek National Conservatoire (Greek: Εθνικό Ωδείο) was founded in Athens in 1926 by the composer Manolis Kalomiris and notable artists like Charikleia Kalomoiri, Marika Kotopouli, Dionysios Lavrangas, and Sophia Spanoudi. For some time the conservatoire was the only Greek educational and cultural organization to approach international Greek community by opening branches in Egypt and Cyprus (1948). Over the years, many well-known artists cooperated with the conservatoire, like Maria Callas, Gabriel Pierné, Dimitris Mitropoulos, and Avra Theodoropoulou. Among the conservatoire's students were Maria Callas, Leonidas Kavakos, Agnes Baltsa, and Manto. When the Greek National Opera was founded in 1940, two thirds of its resident staff were graduating students or graduates of the sources National Conservatoire.

The premises of National Conservatoire have moved around Athens over its lifetime. From its initial location in Irakleitou 6, it moved to Dorou 3 (1932), Solomou and G. Septemvriou (1935), and Solomou 67 and Aristotelous (1940). As of 2006, its location is Maizonos 8 and its artistic director is Periklis Koukos.