HOUSTON, TX – On October 27, the University of Houston’s Moores Opera House hosted its annual Moores Symphony Ballet Orchestra and Houston Ballet Academy performance of traditional ballet classics, an artistic collaboration that has captivated audiences since 2000. This year’s program featured Greek-born, London-based conductor Augustina Kapoti, who spoke to The National Herald about her work and recent move to Houston from London.
Born in Athens, Greece, in a family of doctors, Augustina started developing a passion for music from a very young age, singing in children’s choirs and starting piano lessons at 5 years old. She earned her Bachelor’s and Integrated Master’s degree in Musicology from the School of Philosophy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Since 2013, she lives and works abroad, spending time between the U.S. and the UK. She holds two Master’s degrees in Conducting— both on full scholarship— from Bard Conservatory in New York and the University of Birmingham, UK. She was mentored by Sian Edwards at the Royal Academy of Music in London and some of her accomplishments include special commendations from The Conductors Institute in New York and the International Orchestral Conducting Competition in Graz.
Augustina studied composition with the acclaimed composers Dr. Panos Liaropoulos, George Tsontakis, and Joan Tower. Two of her compositions have been performed by the Da Capo Chamber Players in New York.
Kapoti has built a career spanning Europe and the United States, conducting in cities such as London, New York, Boston, Graz, and Berlin. She has worked with notable conductors including Jeffrey Milarsky (Juilliard, Columbia University) and served as Music Director and Artistic Advisor for various music organizations and collaborated closely with the oldest British-Jewish Music Organization based in London.
Her collaboration as assistant and guest conductor to Simon Halsey CBE, included projects at iconic venues such as the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, in world premiere with the London Symphony Orchestra-Chorus at Barbican Centre, at the Berlin Philharmonie venue, and the Palau de la Música in Barcelona.
Kapoti has been conducting world premieres of American renowned composers such as David Lang at Barbican Centre and Stephen Montague with the Southbank Sinfonia in St. John’s Smith Square in London. Shaped by distinguished mentors, her performances are known for their energy, precision, and emotional depth.
Alongside her conducting career, she is frequently a guest lecturer at institutions such as New York University, Berklee College of Music in Boston, and at the International Portoheli Festival in Greece. Her educational contributions are a natural extension of her work on panels for music competitions, auditions, and interviews.
In 2023, Augustina moved to Houston by invitation of professors Franz Krager and Dr. Rob Smith to pursue her Doctorate DMA in Orchestral Conducting, an opportunity awarded to her with two fellowships, teaching assistantship, and a full scholarship. She also serves as the Music Director and Artistic Advisor of the Houston Youth Chamber Concert Orchestra.
Recently, she was awarded the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association – AHEPA Chapter 29 scholarship for her conducting accomplishments and members of the Greek-American community of Houston attended her performance with the Houston Ballet Academy. Reflecting on her experience moving to Houston and meeting members of the Greek-American community, Kapoti enthusiastically shared: “I have been thankful and deeply honored to have been embraced, so warmly, by the Greek-American community of Houston, it feels like family to me. I am impressed by the Greek-Americans’ accomplishments in the competitive U.S. landscape because they are all exceptionally successful, hard-working people, and also kind and respected. Along with their success far from our homeland they insist on keeping Greece alive in their hearts and preserve all the precious gifts of our Greek heritage: The Greek language, Greek thought, religion, customs and traditions.”
Kapoti noted that: “I firmly believe in the contribution of the Greek diaspora as valuable ambassadors of Greece abroad. The diaspora plays a key and decisive role for the Greek heritage to be maintained, developed, and flourishing so it can continue its role as a rich source of inspiration and knowledge for the whole world.”
Kapoti’s future in the world of music undoubtedly promises even more remarkable milestones, and we wish her every success in the exciting years ahead.
More information about Augustina Kapoti is available online: www.augustinakapoti.com.
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