The presence of composer Panayiotis Karousos in North America was connected with a series of important artistic events that brought Greek musical creation closer to the Greek-American community, as well as to American and Canadian audiences.
This journey included an important milestone with the performance of the “Symphony of Liberty” in New York, presented in honor of Archbishop Demetrios as part of the Greek-American community’s celebrations of the anniversary of the Greek War of Independence. Archbishop Demetrios warmly congratulated Karousos and described his work as an important artistic achievement.
This was followed by a highly successful North American journey of Karousos’s opera “Alexander the Great.” The work was presented in Chicago, Greensboro, North Carolina, Montreal, Toronto, and New York, with the participation and support of organizations of the Greek-American community. In Chicago, the success of the opera was so significant that critics and journalists referred to Karousos as the “Verdi of the Greek-American community.”
In Toronto, the presentation of Alexander the Great brought together members of the Greek community, and Karousos was honored for his artistic contribution. In New York, the opera was presented again with great success, and the composer was honored by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.
Within this atmosphere, particular symbolic significance was also attached to Archbishop Demetrios referring to Barack Obama as “Alexander the Great.” During the annual White House reception commemorating Greek Independence Day, the Archbishop encouraged the newly elected American president to follow the example of Alexander the Great and to “cut the Gordian Knot” of the major challenges facing him. Obama responded humorously to the comparison, prompting laughter among those present.
At the same time, Karousos’s artistic activity became directly connected with Obama himself. During his presence in Chicago, the composer was given two poems written by Obama that had been published in a university newspaper. Karousos chose to set “Underground” to music, a youthful poem Obama had written in 1981, when he was only 19 years old.
The musical setting of the poem did not remain merely a composition. Following the successful presentations of Alexander the Great in the United States, Karousos continued to Canada and gave a series of chamber music concerts featuring, among other works, his musical setting of Obama’s “Underground.” In Montreal, the work was presented at an important concert with pianist Claudette Denys, mezzo-soprano Veronica Navarro, and guitarist Hilario Yanez.
Thus, Karousos’s North American journey became associated with two particularly symbolic elements: “Alexander the Great” as the central work of his artistic presence and Barack Obama, whose youthful poem he transformed into music and presented to audiences in the United States and Canada. According to the source text, the musical setting was appreciated by the American president, who conveyed his thanks through Alexis Giannoulias and the Greek-American community.
This sequence of events gives the story its particular significance: beginning with the “Symphony of Liberty” in honor of Archbishop Demetrios, Karousos went on to achieve a notable presence in North America through Alexander the Great, while his artistic path also became connected with the President of the United States, Barack Obama, through the musical setting and presentation of Obama’s poem. The Greek-American community served as an important link throughout this cultural journey.
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