Australian Byzantine Choir home
The choir singing inside a church

The choir was founded in 1998 by Protopsaltis George Combis, a Sydney chanter who trained under his father, Father John Combis. It began as the Sydney Byzantine Choir and later became the Australian Byzantine Choir as its work reached across the country.

From the beginning, our purpose has been to share the beauty of Byzantine chant, a sacred art that grew up in the heart of the Byzantine Empire and is recognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Today our eighteen singers, drawn from parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, carry that purpose forward through performance, parish training, community seminars and charitable work.

Choirmaster George Scoufis leading the choir on stage

Eighteen voices, one ancient sound

Every one of our singers is an active chanter in a parish of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. Together they bring deep liturgical experience and a shared care for singing the tradition faithfully.

We have sung at Sydney Festival, Australia Day celebrations, St Andrew's Cathedral, St Mary's Cathedral, the University of Sydney, the Enmore Theatre and Carnivale Christi, and interstate in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Tasmania.

We welcome bookings for weddings, christenings and special ceremonies, and enquiries from press, documentary makers and fellow musicians.

Portrait of choirmaster George Scoufis

Choirmaster

George Scoufis

George Scoufis is Choirmaster of the Australian Byzantine Choir. He brings deep knowledge of Byzantine musicology and a contemporary musical vision to one of Australia's most distinctive choral ensembles.

His approach is known for its use of powerful drones woven through ancient melodies and dynamic phrasing. It honours the integrity of the tradition while opening it to new listeners.

Under his direction the choir has continued to grow as a performing ensemble and as a place of learning, training parish chanters and introducing Byzantine chant to new communities across Australia.

What is Byzantine chant?

Byzantine chant is the sacred music of the Eastern Christian Church, with roots in the Byzantine Empire many centuries ago. It is sung as a single melodic line, shaped by a system of eight modes called the oktoechos, and written in its own form of musical notation.

In 2019, UNESCO recognised Byzantine chant as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That it is still sung in Australia today is thanks to the communities who have carried it across centuries and continents.

Experience the music

We sing across Sydney and interstate. Join us at a concert, or get in touch about a booking.

See our concerts Contact us