 "The conductor is the person who works as a channel between the composer and the orchestra and who is an extension to the audience through his/her interpretation."—Ioannis Protopapas.
Ioannis Protopapas is from Sitia, on the Island of Crete. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Ionian University in Corfu, Greece. While there, he directed performances with the Ionian University Orchestra and Ionian University Contemporary Music Ensemble. He is currently completing his master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at CSULB and is a student of Professor Johannes Müller Stosch.
Ioannis is the graduate assistant conductor for the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony, the teaching assistant for the Opera Orchestra, and was recently named a Conducting Fellow for the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He is also coaching and working with the BCCM Opera Institute.
Ioannis is a recipient of the prestigious Onassis Foundation Scholarship and is a Bob Cole Scholar. Last year he received the Gerondelis Foundation Scholarship and in 2014, he won third prize in the International Conducting masterclass and competition with the Duna Symphony Orchestra and Michael Dittrich in Budapest, Hungary. He has attended both orchestral and choral conducting seminars and masterclasses with Andre Thomas, Michalis Economou, Andre van Der Merwe, Basilio Astulez, Miltos Logiadis, Doris Lang Kosloff, and Norbert Baxa.
What brought you to the Bob Cole Conservatory?
While searching for music schools in the United States I watched a YouTube video of the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony. I really liked how they sounded and I particularly noticed the clarity of Johannes’ conducting and thought that this would be a great place for me to get my master’s degree.
How is the audience involved in performance?
I feel the role of the audience in a classical music concert is to understand and get a closer insight into the composer’s original intention from the conductor through the orchestra. The audience is linked to the orchestra through the work of the conductor and the skill of the performers. What an audience experiences in a performance is just the tip of the iceberg of the details involved, as conductor and players work individually and together to create the whole expression.
Briefly describe conducting to younger students.
The conductor is the person who works as a channel between the composer and the orchestra and who is an extension to the audience through his/her interpretation.
Who first fostered your love of music?
At a very early age, my father would often select vinyl from his orchestral / opera collection and sit and listen to the music with me. He would always play classical music at home or when we were in the car and so I became very familiar with and fond of the orchestral sound and classical music in general.
What inspired you to become a conductor?
When I was very young I watched the 1940 Walt Disney production of Fantasia on VHS, with the great Leopold Stokowski conducting. His gestures and movements fascinated me. Since then I have always wanted to become a conductor and can’t imagine doing anything else.
Besides classical and operatic music, what other music do you listen to?
I really like classic rock, especially from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and also enjoy listening to jazz and blues. Two of my favorite bands are Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
What do you plan to do in the future?
My ideal goal would be to work as a principal conductor in one of today’s leading orchestras or in an international opera house. I would also like to teach in a university setting. I can’t imagine my life without conducting and creating music with others! |
