You ask, we answer

The courses taught are those which are defined by the Greek legislation regarding the education provided in Byzantine Music Schools. Therefore, all students will be able to take examinations for the Degree or/and the Diploma in Byzantine Music in Greece in accordance with the legislation in force.

The School is online. This means that every student can study at any time of the day or night that suits him best.

During your monthly subscription you have access to all five years’ worth of courses.

Teaching has been entirely entrusted to the Archon Maestor of the Great Church of Christ, Gregory Daravanoglou, who, in addition to his undoubted complete musical training, is today considered the most genuine exponent of the patriarchal style.

In all Byzantine Music Schools, online and offline, the curriculum is similar, because it is based on the relevant Greek legislation. What makes our School different from other Schools is not the curriculum, but the way it is taught.

The syllabus taught is defined by the relevant legislation, and detailed in the section of our website entitled “Syllabus”.

In each exercise of the method there is an introductory video, which explains in detail, the content of each lesson. This is followed by the main lesson and finally the questions of each lesson, which you can answer as many times as you like until you have mastered them. As far as the troparia are concerned, they are listed in two forms: a) Parallagi, in which the notes of the troparia are sung by the teacher, and b) Melos, in which the words of the troparia are sung by the teacher. The above teaching will be supplemented by educational seminars, which will be held at regular intervals, and which students will be able to watch either in person, live streaming, or on a recorded video at a later time.

In any class a student can ask any written question, which is sent to the teacher, who is responsible for the student, to be answered.

No special qualifications are required, but in order to take the qualifying examinations for the degrees, he must have finished the Secondary Educational Level (Lykeio).

Yes, there is a monthly fee.

No special equipment is needed just a personal computer (PC), a tablet or a smartphone and definitely an internet connection.

Anyone who interrupts attendance comes back at the beginning of the course.

From a young age, as long as he can operate a personal computer or a tablet or a smartphone and can read.

Fees can be paid via credit card, bank order or PayPal.

Periodically the School will give scholarships to needy students through the relevant Metropolises and according to the decisions of the School’s Management.

No, except for the purchase of books taught at the School, which as a chanter you will need anyway in the lectern.

The School’s online bookstore will sell as many books as someone needs.

Anyone who discontinues attendance loses access to the material that has been taught, and upon re-enrollment, he will revert back to the beginning of the course.

Since the Divine Liturgy and the other services of the Orthodox Church are written in the original Greek, therefore the Byzantine Music is also written in Greek. Possibly in the future we will translate the lessons of the School into the languages of other Orthodox, and non-Orthodox, countries (such as Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian or Arabic), but this will depend for each language on future partners.

No, basic computer skills are sufficient. After the end of each course, the School’s courses automatically advance to the next course. The School’s programme also automatically links each student to the point where he stayed last time.

The repetition of lessons is not compulsory, of course, but it does help to better memorise them, so you can periodically repeat lessons at will. After all repetition is the mother of all learning (Repetitio est mater studiorum).

There are no classes with personal attendance at the School, each student attends classes from their own space and at their own pace.

The student will benefit immensely if, in parallel with his attendance at the School, he attends regularly a psaltery of his choice, provided, however, that the chaplains of the Church are theoretically trained and practically experienced and, above all, willing to help him to sing what he has been taught, in order to familiarise himself as soon as possible with the lectern.

The online School of Byzantine Music tofanari.eu is so far the only online School of five-year studies that follows the provisions of the relevant legislation. At the same time it uses the latest technology in programs and techniques, in order to make it as easy as possible for the student to understand the course and learn to chant from the first lessons.

If they want to, yes, but this is unnecessary as all courses are in the cloud. There will be special seminars by distinguished Byzantine Music professors outside the School, in different lecture halls in different countries at a time. These seminars will be accessible online or in recorded videos for those who cannot attend them.

There is no such intention from the School. If someone is unable to attend classes, or is incorrigibly dissonant, we will recommend that they take some elocution lessons with a local teacher and come back when their condition improves.

Yes, the School’s legal advisers have taken all appropriate steps to protect the personal data of students, teaching and secretarial staff.

It depends on the student’s ability and the time he will devote to study. The curriculum is for five years, but one can finish the course in five, seven or ten years for example.

No, this is not possible and all those necessary measures have been taken to ensure the credibility and rights of the School.

No preparation is required.

It will be very difficult for the student to attend the classes because the troparia are written in Greek.

He will be able to apply for a position as a chanter in a church having an advantage because he will have proof that he knows how to chant in the traditional patriarchal style taught at the School.

The School will always be in need of well-qualified chaplains, and will make sure to put its graduates in contact with churches looking for chaplains. A graduate of the School will always be in demand because he will be able to sing all that is needed in Orthodox services in the correct manner and in the patriarchal style.

Not in the early stages of the School. But there is planning on the one hand to set up postgraduate courses for professional chaplains and on the other hand to provide our graduates with full musical services with full Typical Order.

Those of our students who pass the examinations of the relevant Ministry in Greece will be able to be employed as teachers in Music Schools, which include the Byzantine Music course, or in other local Byzantine Music Schools, and of course in the lectern.

As the School is structured, a student cannot progress to subsequent courses if he does not follow the training sequence. Therefore, someone who cannot meet the artistic requirements of the School will know this early enough to make decisions.

Yes, he can. There will be entrance examinations and regulations, and he will be advised to enroll in the class in which his skills and knowledge meet, not necessarily to continue from the class he was in at the other School. Thus a person who is, for example, in the fourth year of another School may be placed in the second Class of our School.