Interview by Giouli Iliopoulou

Fantasy Choir is the first and only choir in Greece with a repertoire inspired exclusively by the world of fantasy – films, TV series, video games, anime, etc. Since 2014, it has participated in all major events in the field, bringing the magic of music to audiences through collaboration and creativity.

We met Fantasy Choir’s conductor, Charalampos Stergiopoulos-Roumpas, who introduced us to the vision behind the choir, its present, and its plans for the future.

Read on below.

How did your relationship with music begin, and especially with choral singing?

My relationship with music began almost quietly, inside our home, where my father’s records played from morning until night, featuring Greek and international songs from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Classical music works were also part of those choices. Without realizing it at the time, I started building my own world through these sounds. Then came two cinematic works that struck me straight to the heart: Disney’s “Fantasia” and the “Star Wars” trilogy.

In primary school, the music teacher continued this journey. He played the accordion and sang something that seemed impressive to my eyes. One day, finding an old accordion at my grandfather’s house, I felt as if luck were winking at me. I asked my parents to enroll me in a conservatory, and that’s where I joined a choir for the first time. That’s when I realized how beautiful it is when music is no longer something you listen to alone, but something you create together with others.

What motivated you to take on the role of conductor at Fantasy Choir?

What motivated me to take on the role of conductor at Fantasy Choir was a mix of necessity, inspiration, and… pure childhood joy. I always felt that fantasy music has a special power, as it can open doors to worlds we all carry inside us but rarely get the chance to share. At some point, I realized I wanted to create a space where this magic could come alive collectively.

The choir started as a small group of people who simply loved music and fantasy culture. I was a founding member, but I did not take on the role of conductor at first. As time went by, I saw the passion of the members when we sang together and felt that something wonderful was happening. Eventually, when the previous conductor stepped down, I decided to take on the leadership of the choir—not to be a “leader,” but to help a community flourish through art.

Which musical movements have most influenced your artistic identity?

My artistic identity is a mosaic of musical styles that shaped me at different stages of my life. Growing up, I listened to rock, pop, and metal—genres that carried the intensity and freedom of expression a teenager needs to find their way. At the same time, classical music was always a constant reference point. There I discovered structure, harmony, and the tension hidden within a symphonic work. Later came Greek repertoire, which gave me an immediacy and emotional depth found nowhere else. Byzantine music, on the other hand, taught me to respect the power of the voice as a pure expressive medium. And then there is opera, my great love. There I found the ultimate combination of theater, storytelling, and music. It is the genre that made me fall in love with the human voice in its grandest and most dramatic form.

My conservatory studies were one of the most defining parts of my musical journey. At the conservatory, I didn’t just learn techniques. I learned how to listen, how to breathe, how to exist within music. I obtained a diploma in Byzantine music, which gave me a deep understanding of vocal tradition; a diploma in classical singing, where I discovered the drama and expressiveness of the human voice; as well as advanced theoretical studies in Harmony, Counterpoint, and Fugue, which opened the way for me to see music “from the inside.” All these studies became the foundation upon which I build everything I create today.

How would you describe the style and philosophy of Fantasy Choir?

The style and philosophy of Fantasy Choir are based on a very simple yet essential idea: music is for everyone. Our choir operates as an open system. We do not demand perfection or years of experience. All that’s needed is a love for choral singing and a desire to be part of a group that creates with joy.

Our goal is to provide a safe space where everyone can express themselves, learn, and feel that they belong. Of course, we welcome those with musical knowledge as well, but we don’t consider it a prerequisite. After all, part of our process includes acquiring the musical knowledge a chorister needs. Fantasy Choir is a community whose members contribute their effort toward a shared result. And most importantly, we experience something together that truly unites us.

What makes this choir stand out from others in its field?

What makes Fantasy Choir stand out is not only its repertoire, but the way we experience it. We don’t just sing fantasy music—we live it as a story. Every rehearsal and every performance feels like a small journey. And the beautiful thing is that we all take this journey together, like a group of companions on an adventure. We are not a choir that simply “performs” pieces. We strive to create atmosphere, emotion, and imagery. To make the audience feel that, even for a moment, they are stepping into the world we create.

Additionally, as I’ve already mentioned, our spirit is deeply collaborative and open. Everyone brings their own energy, voice, and imagination. They invest their effort so that the result goes beyond the musical and becomes a participatory experience. We don’t want to sing for the audience—we want to travel together with them.

What goals have you set for the future of the ensemble?

Our goals for the future of Fantasy Choir resemble a series of quests that lead us each time to new, more exciting worlds. We want to continue growing as a group—not only in numbers, but also in depth. To explore new repertoire, more demanding arrangements, and ideas that challenge us to evolve.

One of our major goals is for our performances to become even more immersive experiences. We want to integrate technological tools such as artificial intelligence, not as a substitute for people, but as a supporting means that can enhance imagery, atmosphere, and storytelling—always keeping the human element at the core. Music and the live human voice are our foundation. Technology simply helps illuminate the world we create a little more.

Our ultimate goal? To build an even larger community around us—people who want to travel with us through every story we sing.

How do you select the repertoire for the choir’s concerts?

Selecting the repertoire for our concerts is a process that resembles cooking, with a touch of fairytale magic. We always start with the story we want to tell: what journey the audience will experience, what images will form, and what they will feel on the final note. Once we find the “myth” of the concert, we choose the pieces that serve that concept.

An important factor is also where we are performing. We participate in many pop culture and fantasy festivals, and we always adapt our repertoire to the style of each event. At film festivals, we sing soundtracks from movies; at festivals dedicated to Japanese culture, we choose anime themes; and at video game festivals, we present music beloved by gamers.

At the same time, we take into account the abilities and desires of the choir. We want the repertoire to excite us and help us grow. And of course, we always leave room for experimentation—for that surprise that transforms a concert into a living narrative rather than just a series of songs.

What is the most demanding aspect of conducting a large choral ensemble?

The most demanding aspect of conducting a large choral ensemble is not, in my opinion, the music—it’s the people. Each member comes with their own personality, learning pace, needs, and expectations. If you will, they also come with their ego. The difficult—but also most beautiful—part is first convincing them to leave their ego on the coat rack next to the rehearsal room, and then uniting all these different voices, literally and metaphorically, into a shared vision.

As a conductor, I must maintain balance. To ask the best from the group without losing the joy and sense of safety each member needs to express themselves. It’s a challenge to keep the pulse of a large choir—we are now 70 people—and to coordinate energy, breathing, and dynamics while simultaneously listening to the people behind the voices. But that’s where the magic lies. When all these different elements align, the result is something none of us could achieve alone.

How much preparation time is required to stage a performance?

The preparation time for a performance is much longer than one might imagine, because the performing arts come with their own unique challenges. They require countless hours of rehearsal to reach that one final moment where everything must appear effortless. It may take weeks or even months of work, depending on the scope of the performance and the material we have chosen. It’s not just about learning the pieces. We always go through the process of understanding them deeply, synchronizing with one another, finding common breathing, color, and expression. At the same time, we deal with stage presence, rhythm, transitions, and all those details that make a performance engaging. That is the truth of the performing arts. For one moment of magic on stage, an enormous collective effort is required. But when that moment arrives, you feel that every minute of preparation was worth it.

Is there a collaboration or concert that stands out to you, and why?

One collaboration that truly stands out for me—not only as a musician but also as a listener—is our work with Diviner and later with Elina Englezou on her metal opera. Fantasy Choir had the honor of participating in the choral parts of both recordings, and the experience was unique. On Diviner’s “Avaton,” an album already described as “explosive” by the music press, our choir was called upon to serve a deeply epic sound universe, full of energy and vocal lines that continue the heavy metal tradition. Hearing the choir blend into such a production, where every instrument and every voice has its own space, was a milestone for me.

Equally special was our participation in the rock/metal opera “Captain Hawk: Ghosts of the Sea” by Elina Englezou, with Bob Katsionis handling orchestration, mixing, and production. We’re talking about a truly cinematic experience: thematic motifs, storytelling, and epic climaxes—elements that suit us as Fantasy Choir and allow us to serve fantasy music.

Among concerts, however, the one that stands out most deeply—almost emotionally—is the first performance I conducted in 2017 at the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Heraklion. It was a co-production with the municipal choir, under the direction of my teacher in advanced theory, the late conductor and composer Nikos Fylaktos. Sharing the stage with him was far more than a concert for me. It was a moment of transition—a personal musical cycle closing and opening at the same time.

How does the audience respond to your repertoire? What age groups attend your performances most?

The audience responds to our repertoire in a way that genuinely moves us every time. Because we operate in the world of fantasy, cinema, anime, and video games, people who come to our concerts don’t just come “to listen.” They come to enter the world we create. We often see audience members smiling from the very first note as they recognize a piece, softly singing along with us, or remaining completely silent during a more dramatic moment. This mix of reactions is the greatest confirmation that the repertoire finds its way into their hearts.

As for age groups… the truth is that we have one of the most “colorful” audiences imaginable. From children who recognize themes from their favorite games and anime, to adults who grew up with cinematic soundtracks and seek that sense of nostalgia. We often see entire families attending together, which shows us that fantasy music has no age. It is simply a common ground where we all meet.

What is the greatest difficulty or challenge you have faced during a live performance?

One of the greatest challenges we face in live performances is that conditions are never “guaranteed.” There are festivals with a lot of noise and constant movement, outdoor venues with difficult acoustics, and of course stages that—no matter how much we want to fit—simply cannot accommodate a large choir like ours.

I vividly remember one festival (I won’t say which…), where the stage was so small that it was impossible for all of us to go up due to safety concerns. So we sang below it, in an area where other events were taking place simultaneously and people were constantly moving around. And just as I was conducting one of our most atmospheric pieces… the cleaning lady walked right in front of me with her cart! It was so unexpected that for a moment I didn’t know whether to continue or wish her “good luck”! It’s one of those stories we still tell and laugh about today.

Nevertheless, the audience always responds with respect and warmth. They understand the difficulties, recognize our effort to remain disciplined and consistent, and that’s what turns a difficult moment into a beautiful memory.

Are there new artistic directions or innovative ideas you would like to realize with Fantasy Choir?

There are—and many of them—because as Fantasy Choir grows, so do our dreams. One direction we are very eager to explore is the creation of more complete narrative performances, where music will not simply be the center, but part of a larger story with scenery, characters, narration, and theatrical elements. Small “musical stories” that the audience can not only hear, but experience.

At the same time, we want to experiment even more with multimedia elements: projections, motion graphics, special lighting effects, and of course technologies that open new paths in the stage experience. One of the most exciting tools of our time is artificial intelligence—not to replace humans, but to function as support. To enrich imagery, create digital environments, and assist storytelling. Our music already has a strong cinematic character, so why not give it a cinematic stage presence as well?

Alongside all this, the core remains the human voice and the shared experience. Our goal is not to “hide” the human element behind technology, but to use new media to further highlight the magic of the ensemble.

If you could realize a “dream” project with the choir, what would it be?

If I could realize a “dream” project with Fantasy Choir, it would be a performance that brings together everything we love: fantasy music, storytelling, theatricality, and modern technology—a fully cinematic experience on stage. I envision a concert where the choir doesn’t simply perform the pieces, but lives within a story, with light, shadow, characters, and an entire world unfolding before the audience. A kind of live “anime” or epic film on stage.

Another big dream of mine is to participate in the music of a video game or a cinematic production. Fantasy music is inherently cinematic, and it would be incredible to see the choir become part of such a universe—accompanying a battle, an exploration scene, or a dramatic revelation.

Equally important to me is collaboration with orchestral ensembles. The union of a choir with the energy of a live orchestra creates a whole new sound. I would love to present a large-scale work, either original or adapted, where voices and instruments breathe together.

All of this shares one common goal: to create an experience where the audience doesn’t simply watch—they live the music. And if one day all this becomes reality, I believe it will be one of those moments that remain deeply etched in memory.

Republished from www.peristerilife.gr.

The article, as originally published, can be found here.