Music Museum "Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos Mantzaros"

The Museum of the Corfu Philharmonic Society, which occupies the first floor of the Society's building, opened for the public on September 18, 2010. The Museum attempts to present in brief the history of the institution after almost two centuries of incessant activity (which coincides with some of the most dramatic periods of modern history). Moreover, the Museum honours Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros (1795–1872), the Society’s first artistic director (1841–1872), composer –among others– of the Greek national anthem, well-known music teacher and contrapuntist, as well as inspirer of a whole generation of composers that shaped the music of Ionian Islands, and not only, during 19th century.

The Museum of the Corfu Philharmonic Society “Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros” consists of five thematic sections, which present its activities and history:

1. Foundation, Administration, Organization: Features historical documents related to the Society’s early days and organization.
2. Educational activities: Presents documents and artifacts related to the music pedagogy within the limits of the Society. 
3. The concerts: The Philharmonic as a concert society for vocal and orchestral music.
4. The wind band: Documents, scores, instruments and artifacts related to the repertory and the activities of the Society’s wind band.
5. The people and their work: Important composers and teachers, who related themselves through their presence and their works with the history of the Society, as well as with the development of art music in 19th-century Greece. Scores by Spyridon Samaras (Spiro Samara), Pavlos Carrer (Paolo Carrer), the Liberali brothers, Spyridon Xyndas, Domenikos Padovanis, Dionissios Rodotheatos, Alexander Grek, Napoleon Lambelet, Andreas Seiler, as well as women composers from Ionian Islands are exhibited in this section.

The Museum also organizes an annual circle of musicological lectures and has initiated a series of musicological publications. It is open Monday to Saturday from 09.30 until 13.30. The entrance is free.

The Museum attempts to present in brief the history of the institution after almost two centuries of incessant activity. Moreover, the Museum honours Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros (1795–1872), well-known music teacher and contrapuntist, as well as inspirer of a whole generation of composers that shaped the music of Ionian Islands during 19th century.