My first teacher was my father Athanasios A. Ditsis (1890-1964) who was a cantor (and lead cantor of our village’s church) and a connoisseur of Byzantine music, which he taught me when I was very young. He was a modest man, gentle-toned and highly creative. During those challenging years, he had the opportunity to be educated (he was a high school graduate) and learn Byzantine music, which he passed to me and my brothers. Simultaneously, he worked at OSE as the stationmaster of a small train station, practiced farming and was a tailor (he mainly decorated traditional clothes with metal threads). I had stopped attending high school during that period due to the war and as I was academic, I engaged in Byzantine music with great devotion. He started taking me with him to the lectern and so began the wonderful journey (of Byzantine music) that offered me great joy. He later advised me to look for more estimable teachers of Byzantine music in Thessaloniki, in order to perfect my education.

This is how I came to Thessaloniki, where I had the chance to study, watch, sing along and especially be taught by some of the most reputable cantons and teachers of Byzantine music. I attended the school of Athanasios Karamanis; my fellow students and I attended the musical executions of Konstantinos Priggos, Chrysanthos Theodosopoulos, my class consisted of excellent cantors of Thessaloniki, all of whom I remember and highly appreciate. Furthermore, I had the good fortune to know Charilaos Taliadoros, with whom we used to exchange our thoughts and concerns.

​

My second teacher (of Byzantine music) and a decisive figure in my future music life, was the Protopsaltes Athanasios Karamanis. I was 27 years-old when I first came to Thessaloniki in 1954. Amongst the greatest and most reputable cantons that were operating in Thessaloniki during that time, I immediately singled out my teacher (Athanasions Karamanis), whom I fully trusted and followed and studied faithfully his teachings. He also acknowledged my talent, by trusting my judgement and appreciating my opinion on the musical executions. I am glad because he (Karamanis) would always ask our common canton friends about my health and enthusiastically endorse me and my qualities, by speaking highly of me. I believe that is the greatest honor a student may receive from their teacher.

I will not omit to accentuate the great appreciation that Athanasios Karamanis had for the Great Teacher Mr. Priggos, as he advised as to attend his musical executions every time we would visit Thessaloniki and sing in a church. When we asked him (Karamanis) how he (Priggos) managed to perform these difficult musical executions and sing in such a high pitch (up to two levels higher), he answered, clearly showing his deep appreciation; “he can sing like that because he is Priggos” .

​

I am thankful that I lived those wonderful years and I immersed myself in singing with those “myths” of Byzantine music. The noble competition for the best, the perfect, the most beautiful execution of our sacred psalms, always according to the rules of Byzantine music, formed a wonderful “landscape”, a field of action, where musically talented people had the opportunity to “compete” and act out of love for the good, the beauty, the music itself and the Great Liturgy. I doubt whether such great times will ever come back. I wish so, though.

          

​