Rev. Fr. Romanos Karanos

The Rev. Dr. Romanos Karanos was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1975. Upon his
graduation from Anatolia College in 1993, he moved to the United States to study at Harvard
University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government in 1997. From 1997 until 2011,
he worked in the banking industry. In 2004, he earned a Master in Business Administration from
Boston University. From 1998 until 2003, he studied Byzantine Music under Photios Ketsetzis,
Archon Protopsaltis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. From 2005 until 2011, he
studied at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens under the guidance of world-
renowned musicologist Gregorios Stathis. In 2011, he successfully defended his doctoral
dissertation entitled “The Kalophonic Heirmologion” and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy
degree in Byzantine Musicology.

From 1998 until 2002, Fr. Romanos served as Protopsaltis of Dormition of the Virgin
Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, MA and from 2002 until 2011, he served as
Protopsaltis of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Boston, MA. He is currently
Director of Holy Cross St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir, with which he has produced
two CDs. He has lectured and performed as a soloist or member of various ensembles, including
the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Psaltikon,
and the Byzantine Choir of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, in universities, concert
halls, churches, and other venues throughout the United States and Europe. In 2020, the National
Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians awarded him the prestigious St. Romanos the
Melodist Medallion for Exemplary Archdiocesan Church Music Accomplishments.
In 2007, Fr. Romanos joined the faculties of Hellenic College Holy Cross. In 2011, he
was elected Assistant Professor of Byzantine Liturgical Music at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
School of Theology in Brookline, MA, where he teaches Byzantine chant, history of music, and
liturgical service rubrics. He is also the Artistic Director of the Boston Byzantine Music Festival
and the Director of the St. John of Damascus School of Byzantine Music of the Greek Orthodox
Metropolis of Boston.

Fr. Romanos was ordained to the diaconate on July 26, 2018 by His Eminence
Metropolitan Varnavas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis in Menemeni, Greece. On September 14,
2018, he was ordained to the priesthood by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America at
Holy Cross Chapel in Brookline, MA. For the first year after his ordination he served primarily
in the Holy Cross Chapel. Subsequently, he was assigned by His Eminence Metropolitan
Methodios of Boston as Interim Priest at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell, MA
(February-March 2020), St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Braintree, MA (March-
September 2020), St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Roslindale, MA (November 2020 –
January 2021), and Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Dracut, MA
(February 2021 – February 2022).

Fr. Romanos is married to Presbytera Dr. Panagoula Diamanti-Karanou, Assistant
Teaching Professor of International Relations at Northeastern University. They have three
children, Vasileios (15), Georgios (13), and Maria-Kyriaki (9).