Museum of Music

The Music Museum of the Philharmonic Society of Corfu Greece, Ionian: The Music Museum Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros of the Philharmonic Society of Corfu opened in September 2010 and it is housed on the first floor of the building of the Society in Corfu Town. With a rich history and almost two centuries of uninterrupted course, the Philharmonic Society of Corfu was founded in 1840 by a team of well-educated Corfiots and its aim was to be organized on European standards.

The Society became very popular from the beginning as it accepted students from all social classes and gave them the opportunity to learn music theory, harmony, counterpoint, instrumentation, composition, as well as piano, vocal music, string and wind instruments. Courses were taught by professional musicians and teachers. This was the fourth civilian band in the Ionian islands, after those of Zakynthos (1816), Argostoli (1836) and Lixouri (1838).

The Music Museum of Corfu was established to honor and present the long history of the Philarmonic Society. The museum is dedicated to Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros, the first Artistic Director of the Society (from its foundation in 1840 till his death in 1872), composer of the Greek National Anthem and inspiring musician. The museum presents the history of the Philharmonic Society of Corfu, its early organization, the concerts, the education activities, the people who worked for the society and the most important composers of Corfu, an island with long musical tradition, like all the other Ionian islands.