Spyros A. Eyagelatos

Spyros A. Evangelatos, a theater director, translator, and academic, was born in Athens to musician parents. He studied at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Athens, at the Drama School of the University of Vienna - Institute of Theater Studies, and spent a year in London on a British Council scholarship for scientific research. He graduated with honors as a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Athens in 1970. From a young age, he conducted primary research in the Archives of Venice, Padua, Kefalonia, Kythera, and others, uncovering new information on key subjects related to Georgios Chortatsis, Vincenzo Cornaro, Petros Katsaitis, Georgios Mormoris, the dating of "Zinos," the dating of "Stathis," and wrote numerous scholarly studies mainly on Cretan and Ionian theater topics. In 1975, he founded the "Amphi-Theater," organizing performances worldwide. In 1989, he was elected Associate Professor at the University of Athens, in the Department of History and Archaeology, and in 1991, Professor of the Department of Theater Studies, to whose establishment he contributed decisively. He directed approximately 200 productions: 50 ancient dramas, 24 old, mostly unknown, modern Greek texts (11th century to 1900), 65 works from the classical, neoclassical, realistic, and contemporary repertoire, and 53 operas. He served as General Director of the National Theatre of Northern Greece (1977-1980) and the Greek National Opera (1984-1987), stepping down in both cases at the end of his term by his own choice. He became President of the Greek National Opera in 1999. On January 12, 2012, he was appointed Vice President of the Academy of Athens and President in 2013. He received numerous accolades, including the "Karolos Koun" Award from the Municipality of Athens (1988), the Award from the Society of Greek Playwrights (1994 and 1996), the "Photos Politis" Award from the Museum and Study Center of Greek Theater (1997), the Order of the Phoenix by President of the Republic K. Stephanopoulos (1999), and the Silver Medal from the Academy of Athens (2001). He passed away on January 24, 2017, at the age of 77.