Published: October 2022

Keywords:
Thanasis Dritsas, Aquatic Dreams, Petros Polychronis, Music, Sea, Meaning, Cure, Negative Psychology, Psychopathology, limits & boundaries, morphogenetic, dissipative structures, learning, Water therapeutic element.

Athanasios Dritsas

MD, FESC, Cardiologist, Deputy Director, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre, Composer, Member of the International Society for Music in Medicine (ISMM). Thanasis Dritsas was born in Athens. He graduated from Varvakeio High School. He studied medicine at the University of Athens and he specialised in cardiology at the university hospitals of Guy’s & Hammersmith Hospital, RPMS, London, UK. Alongside his medical studies, he studied advanced theory and composition with Costas Kidoniatis and Yannis Ioannidis and attended composition seminars at the Royal Academy of Music, London, UK. He has founded and served as president of the Quality of Life & Psychosocial Cardiology Working Group of the Hellenic Cardiological Society. He is a distinguished member of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and an active member of the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). He has been recognized internationally as a pioneer for his clinical and research activity in the use of music as a therapeutic tool (music medicine) and he is a distinguished member of the International Society for Music in Medicine (ISMM). He is an honorary member of the Hellenic Association of Graduate Professional Music Therapists (ESPEM). Producer of the radio show Magic Flute of the Third Programme of Hellenic Radio (1999-2001). His music was used by the internationally renowned choreographic group Gelabert-Azzopardi Companya de Danca at the Edinburgh International Art Festival 2004, Arthur's Feet in a ground-breaking performance presented by dancers with disabilities. In 2008 he was honoured by Prof. Ronald Haas, rector of the Mozarteum University of Austria, to give a keynote lecture at the first world conference on the clinical applications of music (Mozart & Science, Vienna 2008). In 2013 he was honoured for his contribution to the field of music in medicine with the International Award “Fontane Di Roma”. His scientific paper on the topic: The application of music for the treatment of pain and anxiety during electrophysiological surgeries, was awarded during the important conference EUROPREVENT 2014 of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). His works have been released on CDs: String Images (MUSICA VIVA 2002), Ydatografies (Aquarelles) (PROTASIS MUSIC 2004), Dyo Mousika Paramithia (Two Music Fairy Tales) (LYRA 2005), Morpheus, a healing CD with foetal sounds for sleep induction in collaboration with the American anaesthetist Fred Schwartz (INFO HEALTH 2004), World healing sounds (published by Eleftherotypia/E-Iatrika 2004), CD with a collection of songs based on Greek poetry entitled Stin Akri ton paramithion (On the edge of fairy tales), songs and fragile sounds for voice and piano (PROTASIS MUSIC 2008), CD Eikones-Kyklos Ellinikos (Images- Hellenic Circle) (Protasis Music 2015). He is also the author of the books: Music as Medicine (INFO HEALTH 2003), Code Blue- stories on the edge between life and death (published by Bartzoulianos 2008), Athenoula’s dream-fairy tales for older and younger children (published by Bartzoulianos 2009), The Disease of Health (published by Papazisi 2010). He edited the books Musikokinetic Events as Therapeutic Education (published by the National Hellenic Research Foundation 2003) and Art as a Means of Therapeutic Education (published by the National Hellenic Research Foundation 2004), sponsored by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. His musical works have often been presented in Greece and abroad during many concerts, see Athens Concert Hall (MMA) and Thessaloniki Concert Hall (MMTH), Theocharakis Foundation, Philippos Nakas Concert Hall, University of Patras, Municipal Gallery of Piraeus, Alekton Theatre, Athens College Theatre, etc. He works at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre as a Cardiologist, Deputy Director in the Department of Non-Invasive Diagnostic Techniques of the Cardiology Unit.

Abstract

In this issue – a tribute to Petros Polychronis, it is meaningful to me to share some compositions I created during the quarantine that aimed to comfort, relax, to cure the negative psychology of enclosure. I remember discussing this effort with Petros Polychronis, with special emphasis on the therapeutic value of the water element.

I dedicate my Aquatic Dreams to Petros Polychronis, and I thank him for the way he gave meaning to significant relationships in my life.