Mr Basilios Psilacos

After completing his Bachelor of Theology at St Andrew's in 1993, Basilios Psilacos continued his studies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), from 1995-2000, where he received his Masters of Theology (Hons). The topic of his master’s dissertation was: “Τό Ασματικό Τυπικό στη μουσική χειρόγραφη παράδοση” (The Asmatic Ordo in the musical manuscript tradition), under the supervision of the late Liturgics Professor Ioannis Foundoulis. Whilst in Thessaloniki, he also successfully completed a Bachelor of Byzantine Music at the School of Byzantine Music of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki, and a Graduate Diploma of Byzantine Music at the Musical Conservatorium AMO ‘The Galaxy’.

His interest in the art of Byzantine Music began from an early age. His first Byzantine Music Teacher was Archon Protopsaltis Mr Ilias Fraggoulis (Adelaide). Whilst undertaking his undergraduate studies in Sydney, he was further immersed in the art of Byzantine music by the late Archon Protopsaltis Mr Antonios Aristodemou (+2000). In Thessaloniki, his teacher was the late Archon Music Teacher and Protopsaltis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Mr Demetrios Sourlantzis (+2006). While in Thessaloniki, he also took part in various Byzantine music choirs (Ioannis Damaskinos, Ioannis Koukouzelis, Aristotle University Byzantine Choir), and chanted for the liturgical services at the Holy Monastery of Vlatathon with the Professor of Byzantine music Mr Antonios Alygizakis. Basilios Psilacos started teaching Byzantine music in 2001, after his return to Australia. He is now the Protopsaltis at the Parish of the Resurrection of our Lord, Kogarah, Sydney.

With a keen interest also in the health sciences, he successfully completed the requirements of the Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Macquarie University, Sydney, graduating in 2010.

Qualifications: 
MCh (Macquarie 2010), BChSc (Macquarie 2008), MTh(Hons) (Aristotle University Thessaloniki 2000), DipByzMusic (Thessaloniki 1998), BByzMusic (Thessaloniki 1996), BTh (SCD1994)

Email: 
[email protected]

Employment Status:
Full Time

Subject Area:
Worship, Liturgical Studies, and Byzantine Music.

Books

Byzantine Ecclesiastical Music: Chanting in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, 2^nd edition, St Andrew's Orthodox Press, Sydney 2020 (can be purchased online https://www.greekorthodoxbookshop.com.au/Byzantine-Ecclesiastical-music). Audio recordings of the exercises in this book can be accessed online at https://soundcloud.com/psilacos

Learning Greek Orthodox Hymns (Book-CD). Sydney: St Andrew’s Orthodox Press, 2010. [SOLD OUT]

Book Review in Refereed Journal

John Chryssavgis, Creation as Sacrament: Reflections on Ecology and Spirituality. London: T&T Clark, 2019. ISBN 9780567680709 (pbk.). pp. xii + 220. In Phronema 36:1 (2021).

Byzantine Music Scores (Unpublished)

Προοίμιον Κοντακίου Αγίου Ρωμανού Μελωδού είς τόν Πλούσιον καί Λάζαρον [Greek]

Byzantine Divine Liturgy (2021) [BILINGUAL: Greek-English]

Byzantine Divine Liturgy (2010) [ENGLISH]

Canon for Holy Communion [GREEK]

Great Compline [BILINGUAL: Greek-English]

Small Paraklesis [ENGLISH]

Module 4: Αὐτόμελα Τροπάρια - Standard Melodies [GREEK]

Module 9: Other Services (Baptism-Marriage-Funeral) (2025) [BILINGUAL: Greek-English]

ΑΣΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΑ ΕΣΠΕΡΙΝΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΣΥΝΑΞΙΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΧΙΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΩΝ ΜΙΧΑΗΛ & ΓΑΒΡΙΗΛ [GREEK - some English]

ΑΣΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΑ ΕΣΠΕΡΙΝΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΓΙΑ ΕΛΕΣΑ [GREEK]

Τῇ ΙΖ’. Τῆς Ἁγίας Σοφίας [GREEK]

Νοεμβρίου ΚΣΤ΄. Δόξα. Εἰς τὸν ἐσπερινόν [GREEK]

Byzantine Music Scales

ΑΣΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΕΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΙΕΡΑΣ ΕΙΚΟΝΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΥΠΕΡΑΓΙΑΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΟΝΟΜΑΖΟΜΕΝΗΣ «ΚΙΤΡΙΝΟΠΕΤΡΙΤΙΣΣΗΣ» [GREEK]

Participation in Church, Government and Industry Bodies

Principal of the NSW Branch of the Byzantine Music School of Australia (2020-current).

Teaching Byzantine Music for Children at the Cathedral, Redfern NSW (2024–current).

Teaching Byzantine Music at the Primary School of St Spyridon College, Kingsford NSW (2011-2020).

Protopsaltis at:

• Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, Redfern (2021-current).
• Parish of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Kogarah (2014-2020)
• Parish of St Andrew's, Gladesville (2005-2011)

Conferences Attended

SAGOTC Professional Development Day: On Assessment Items for Learners AND Teachers, SAGOTC Campus, Redfern, NSW 20 February, 2025.

GO Youth CHORA, 2024 Youth Conference: Ready for the Future, Axion Esti, Northcote, VIC 16-18 August, 2024.

SAGOTC Professional Development Day: On Academic Integrity, SAGOTC Campus, Redfern, NSW 15 & 22 February, 2024.

SAGOTC-SCD Professional Development Day: On Artificial Intelligence, SAGOTC Campus, Redfern, NSW 17 October, 2023.

The 12th Clergy-Laity Conference of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Sydney, 24-27 September, 2023.

4th Theology Symposium, St Andrew's Theological College on For the Life of the World: The Church's Missional Identity and Witness Today. Sydney, 18-19 August 2023.

The First Pan-Australian Clergy Synaxis. 18 - 19 October, 2022.

St Maximus the Confessor within 7th Century Christianity: Theology & History. 9th Patristic Symposium. SAGOTC Redfern 2 -3 September, 2022.

The Importance of Christology for the 21st Century. 3rd Theology Symposium. SAGOTC Redfern 20 - 21 September, 2019. 

SCD Technology Enhanced Learning, SCD Macquarie Park, 26 August, 2019.

SCD Student Planning Day, SCD Macquarie Park, 19 August, 2019.

Halki Summit III, Theological Formation and Ecological Awareness: A Conversation on Education and the Environment, Istanbul, Turkey, 31 May - 4 June, 2019.

SCD Professional Development Seminar: The Risk of Research, SCD Macquarie Park, 18 March, 2019.

SCD Professional Development Learning & Teaching Seminar: Academic Integrity; Becoming Research Ready, SCD Macquarie Park, 19 March, 2018.

Jesus of Nazareth: Historical, Theological & Pastoral Perspective, CIS / SCD Conference, 28-29 September, 2017

The Mystery of the Holy Trinity. 2nd Theology Symposium. SAGOTC Redfern, 1-2 September, 2017.

Wondering About God Together. SCD Learning and Teaching Conference, NSW 28-29 April, 2017.

Mobile Learning, SCD Office, 24 October 2016.

Research Supervision Workshop, SCD Talavera Road, North Ryde, 10 October, 2016.

St John Chrysostom. 7th St Andrew's Patristic Symposium. SAGOTC Redfern, NSW 23-24 September, 2016.

SCD Professional Development Seminar: Learning & Teaching, SCD Office, Macquarie Park, NSW 17 August, 2016.

Ecumenism Course, ACU, ACU Building, Napier St, North Sydney, 20-24 June, 2016.

The Earth is the Lord's; Environmental Theology and Ethics. St Andrew's Inaugural Theology Symposium, SAGOTC Redfern, 9-10 October, 2015. 

SCD Professional Development Day, 10 August, 2015.

From Alexandria to Cappadocia and Back Again. 6th St Andrew's Patristic Symposium. SAGOTC Redfern, NSW 26-27 September, 2014. 

Occasional Lectures & Activities

Melisma Ensemble Choral participation at the Melkite Event for their 130th Anniversary in Australia, Sailing to Byzantium: Empire, Art and Music, St Michael's Melkite Cathedral, Darlington, NSW, 19 October 2024.

Co-conductor of the choir for the Reception of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Parish & Community of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Kogarah NSW, 9 October, 2024.

Coordinator and Conductor of the Choir for the Divine Liturgy Officiated by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney Theatre, 6 October, 2024.

Coordinator and Conductor of the Choir for the Conferral of an Honorary Ecclesiastical Doctorate of Sacred Theology to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Seymour Centre, Chippendale, NSW, 5 October, 2024.

Coordinator and Conductor of the Choir for the Reception of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the the Inauguration–Doxology Service at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Redfern, NSW, 5 October, 2024.

Workshop on Byzantine Music at the 2024 GO Youth Conference, St Euphymia College, Bankstown, NSW, 21 September, 2024. 

SAGOTC Study Options and Course Information, Presented at the GO Youth CHORA, 2024 Youth Conference: Ready for the Future, Axion Esti, Northcote, VIC 16-18 August, 2024. 

"A Personal Reflection on Teaching Byzantine Music". Byzantine Music School of Australia, First National Conference for Teachers and Students, Melbourne [Presented vis Zoom], 2 March, 2024.

Coordinator and Conductor of the Choir at the Divine Liturgy for the 12th Clergy-Laity Conference of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Sydney, 24-27 September, 2023.

Four Byzantine Music Workshops on the Services of Baptism, Marriage and Funeral. Organiser & Presenter, for the students of the Byzantine Music School of Australia (NSW), at St Andrew's Theological College. 3, 10, 17 & 31 May 2023.

"The Service of Vespers", Talk Series at the Parish of St Stylianos, Gymea, NSW, 21 November, 2022.

Choir Performance - by Melisma Ensemble (dir. Dimitri Koubaroulis): Exclamation (ἐπιφώνημα) "Ἐξομολογήσομαί Σοι Κύριε" by St John Koukouzelis (14th c.), Plagal of Second Mode, at the Byzantine Music Day Retreat at the Holy Monastery of Saint George, Yellow Rock, 5 November, 2022.

"A Practical Application of the Ekphonetic Genre: with the use of the Kliton". NSW: Byzantine Music Day Retreat at the Holy Monastery of Saint George, Yellow Rock, 5 November, 2022.

Conducted the 40-Member Choir for the Divine Liturgy at the First Pan-Australian Clergy Synaxis, 19 October, 2022

Conducted the 'Australian Byzantine Music School Choir' performance at the Sydney College of Divinity 2022 Graduation. Great Hall, University of Sydney, 18 June, 2022.

Choir performance of the 'Kontakion by St Romanos Melodos for the Rich Man and Lazarus' (Greek Orthodox Parish & Community of Kogarah, The Resurrection of Christ, Our Lady of Myrtles, & St Elesa, Kogarah, NSW), 24 April, 2021.

‘The Complexity of Rhythm in Byzantine Ecclesiastical Chant’, Professional Development program, Byzantine Music School of Australia, via ZOOM, 23 January, 2021.

'Christ in the Liturgy', (Greek Orthodox Parish & Community of "The Holy Apostles", Newcastle, NSW), 10th December, 2020.

'Bearing Witness to Christ Through the Liturgy', Homilies Inspired by Our Holy Martyr Elesa Bearing Witness to Christ (Greek Orthodox Parish & Community of Kogarah, The Resurrection of Christ, Our Lady of Myrtles, & St Elesa, Kogarah, NSW), 18th July, 2020.

'Christ in the Liturgy', Meeting Christ in the Orthodox Church (St Michael the Archangel - Parish & Community of the Northern Suburbs, Crows Nest, NSW), 20 October, 2019.

'The Marriage Service", Adult Faith Education Seminar The Sacredness of Marriage (St John's College, Melbourne, VIC), 5 November, 2016.

'The Structural Overview and Meaning of the Ritual of Baptism', Adult Faith Education Seminar Being Clothed With Christ (Greek Orthodox Church of St Paraskevi, Taigum, QLD), 19th September, 2015.

'Liturgy and Music', St Andrew's Adult Faith Education Open Learning Seminar  The Divine Liturgy: The Heart of Orthodoxy (Greek Orthodox Parish & Community of St George, Thebarton, SA), 11th July, 2015.

'The Structural Overview and Meaning of the Ritual of Baptism', Adult Faith Education Seminar Being Clothed with Christ (St John’s College, Preston VIC), 27th June 2015.

'Liturgy and Music', St Andrew's Adult Faith Education Open Learning Seminar The Divine Liturgy: The Heart of Orthodoxy (Greek Orthodox Parish & Community of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Mt Gravatt, QLD), 18th October, 2014.

Graphic Layout & Production Designer

St Andrew's Orthodox Press 

Phronema (Journal), Sydney: St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College.