Introduction: WOAC Art Competition 2023, the grand artistic celebration, will take place on October 5th at the Zappeion Megaron in Athens, Greece. We will launch a series of interviews with artists from around the world, the first of which features the Director of the Athens Conservatory, Philippos Tsalahouris.

"The poetry is the source of inspiration for all arts and the world." - Philippos Tsalahouris

The universality of art brings the world together and unites it in its beauty. WOAC Art Competition 2023, which will take place on October 5th at the Zappeion in Athens, Greece, will bring together artists from around the world and art enthusiasts to celebrate art. Before the opening, we have interviewed artists from different fields focusing on the theme "Environment, Climate and Energy" of WOAC Art Competition 2023, with the aim of connecting the world through art and illuminating it through art.

In this edition, we have the interview with Philippos Tsalahouris, the Director of the Athens Conservatory. He strongly endorses the theme of WOAC Art Competition 2023 "Environment, Climate and Energy". According to him, the most important idea is to explore issues related to humanity. He emphasizes his optimism about environmental issues and believes that future discussions about environmental problems will be philosophical problems and may ultimately lead to a philosophical view of life. Regarding art in general, as a musician, composer and musical director, he is also interested in visual arts and all other forms of art. Although art is without borders, he believes that poetry is the source of inspiration for all arts and the world.

Philippos Tsalahouris, Director of the Athens Conservatory of Music

Philippos Tsalahouris has been dedicated to music creation and education for a long time. Since 1997, he has been a member of the Union of Greek Composers and since 2015, a member of the Artistic Committee of the Benaki Museum and the National Opera of Greece.

His musical works have been performed by all major Greek orchestras and choirs, as well as at major Greek and international festivals. His works have also been performed at concerts in Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the UK, Spain, Bulgaria and many other countries. With over a hundred musical works to his credit, he is one of the most prolific composers of his generation in Greece.

Philippos Tsalahouris received the "Papaioannou" award from the Athens Academy in 2008. Also in 2008, he composed the background music for the collection ceremony of the Olympic flame of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Rachel Qin, Executive President of the WOAC, and Philippos Tsalahouris, Director of the Athens Conservatory

In the spring of 2023, the Executive President of WOAC, Rachel Qin and the President of Advisory Committee, Michele Genoves, were invited to visit the Athens Conservatory, where they had in-depth exchanges and agreed on several points of agreement and intentions for cooperation. Activities related to the opening ceremony of WOAC Art Competition 2023 will be organized with the Athens Conservatory. Located in the center of Athens, the Athens Conservatory is a typical Bauhaus-style building and the oldest artistic education institution in Greece, founded in 1871 by the non-profit association of music and theater, playing an important and influential role as a cultural and artistic center.

Meanwhile, Philippos Tsalahouris has been specially invited by the WOAC to compose the WOAC Art Competition 2023 anthem, in tribute to ancient Greek art and ancient Olympic art, as well as the mission of revitalizing and promoting WOAC Art Competition. This song will be officially presented at the opening ceremony of WOAC Art Competition 2023, where his notes will resonate at the Zappeion, contributing to the success of the opening ceremony of WOAC Art Competition 2023 and the further development of WOAC Art Competition.

The Zappeion Megaron in Athens, Greece