The passing of Achilleas Yiangoulli has left a profound silence across Melbourne’s Greek-Australian community, whose presence was generous and deeply influential. Musician and director Irine Vela and Achilleas' life partner, choreographer and dancer Kathy Vlassopoulos, spoke to SBS Greek
Born to Cypriot parents, Achilleas built a life defined by music and service.
A rare multi-instrumentalist, he moved effortlessly between bouzouki, guitar, percussion and voice.
He was equally at home as a composer, arranger and long-time sound engineer at SBS, contributing quietly to countless recordings, broadcasts and live performances over decades.
Musician and director Irine Vela, who collaborated with Achilleas for more than three decades, describes a musician whose natural talent was matched by discipline and depth.
Ms Vela recalls first encountering him in Fitzroy in the early 1990s, performing alongside fellow musician Jacob Papadopoulos.
What she heard that night, she says, was unlike anything else in Melbourne’s Greek music scene.
That moment led to Achilleas’s involvement in larger musical projects, including choral works and cross-cultural collaborations.
It also marked the beginning of a long creative partnership between the two artists, one that would help bring his work to broader audiences beyond the Greek community.
His life partner, choreographer and dancer Kathy Vlassopoulos, remembers their first collaboration as the beginning of a creative and personal journey that spanned years.
She had been searching for a composer to bring ancient Greek texts to life through movement.
When she was introduced to him in the early 2000s, the connection was immediate.
Travel, particularly to Greece, became a space where his love for music remained constant.
Ms Vlassopoulos recalls a moment at the Greek composer Vassilis Tsitsanis’ museum in the Greek city of Trikala that captured his essence.
He taught widely, both privately and within community institutions, often going far beyond what was required.
Ms Vlassopoulos shares a story from a parent whose teenage son had been taking lessons with him.
He collaborated with artists from diverse backgrounds, including Turkish Cypriot musicians and world music ensembles, building bridges through shared musical language.
Born with a congenital condition, Achilleas spent much of his early life in and out of the hospitals.
Doctors did not expect him to live into adulthood.
A few pieces of information for the event
The performance features: John Kostarakis, Nick Kapralos, Paddy Montgomery, Dean Georgalas, Con Kalamaras, Paul Karalis, Paul Dounias, Aggie Gioftsidi, Stavrina Dimitriou, Maria Dalga, Kon Velanis, Jim Charitonas, Byron Triantafyllidis, Achilleas Kalanis, Tony Iliou, Jacob Papadopoulos, Nick Koutsouliotis, George Kyriakides, Wayne Simmonds, Argyris Argyropoulos, Anthea Sidiropoulou, Irine Vela, Mulaim Vela, Zois Tsikas, Sotiris Kiokpasoglou, Elias Hatziemmanouil, George Athanasopoulos, Kostas Papapanagiotou, Aris Gounaris, and students of "Nestoras" College. Peter Stathopoulos will be the MC of the event.
On the 21st of May, on what would have been his 62nd birthday, Melbourne’s music community will gather at the Brunswick Ballroom for a tribute concert in his honour.
Dozens of musicians, many of whom shared the stage with him, will perform voluntarily.
Proceeds will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital, a cause deeply personal to Achilleas.
