Maria Diamantis, BMus Dimitris Ilias, BFA, DAMPS
Artistic Directors Chroma & Musika Panarmonia Atelier Musical
Born in Montreal, soprano Maria Diamantis holds a degree in Voice Performance from McGill University where she studied with Lucile Evans and coached with Dr. Robert Evans. Participating in Master Classes, Maria had the opportunity to sing for soprano Sena Jurinac and Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester. Her other studies have included summer programs with the University of Miami in Salzburg, Austria and at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria. Maria has appeared in various solo performances with numerous renowned symphonic orchestras.
Tenor Dimitris Ilias, also born in Montreal, and educated both in Canada and Greece, holds a Bachelor in voice-performance and a graduate Diploma in Advanced Music Performance Studies from Concordia University for which he received an award from the Hellenic Board of Trade. He has successfully interpreted many operatic and operetta roles while as a soloist he has sung with numerous orchestras and ensembles in Canada, Greece, and the US. Dimitris Ilias is a full member of the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ) and has been an announcer and music producer for CFMB 1280 AM Radio Montreal. In 2017 he was the lead vocalist of the ancient Greek chants in Assassin's Creed Origins and also organized and supervised the recordings of the ancient Greek instruments for the games soundtrack.
Hailed as “big names of the Hellenic community of Montreal” by the Journal de Montreal, Maria Diamantis and Dimitris Ilias were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Medaille de l’ Assemblée Nationale du Québec, Canada's Sesquicentennial Citizenship Award, the NEPMCC award for Culture & Living Arts by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David C. Onley, the Socrates award and the DEKA 2010 award. They have an extensive discography which includes 5 CDs with orchestras like the Hellenic Radio Television Orchestra (EΡΤ) and 11 children’s operas and musicals in collaboration with top Greek and Canadian labels and publishing houses working alongside actors like Terry Jones (Monty Python), Guy Nadon and Governor General Award winning authors and illustrators.
Via their music organizations Chroma Musika and Panarmonia Atelier Musical, Maria Diamantis and Dimitris Ilias, organize a plethora of concerts, seminars and recordings ranging from ancient Greek music to contemporary composers. They provide employment opportunities to many Quebec musicians and as a result of these activities each year thousands of dollars are donated to various educational institutions and charities.
For many years they have developed a specialized vocal workshop for children leading them to positions as the musical directors of many children's choirs. Through their Children’s book/CDs operatic productions they have exposed thousands of children from over 60 ethnic backgrounds to symphonic music and mythology while giving unique opportunities to those young choristers to sing with renowned Montreal symphonic orchestras and learn how professional CDs are recorded in venues like Oscar Peterson Concert Hall and Église St-Jean Baptiste to name a few.
Their productions have received dithyrambic reviews, massive media exposure and have been launched inside the Parliament of Canada, The City Hall of Montreal and The Salon du Livre de Montréal.
In 2007 they pioneered the Annual Voice Camp. For many years, hundreds of children explore all the aspects of a stage production like: Vocal Training, Acting, Dance, Studio Recording, Ensembles, Musical Activities, Masterclasses, Fitness for Singers and Stage Make-up.
They are full members of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and have been invited to give seminars in Canada and Greece. In 2010 they were chosen by the Greek Embassy in Washington DC to participate at the Euro Kids Festival creating a musical interactive adventure commemorating the 2500 years since the Battle of Marathon.
Their most recent production “The Golden Touch” was chosen among 192 applicants to be part of the City of Laval’s 50year celebrations.