Jerry (Jerónimo) Brignone

 

 

Jerry Brignone is an Argentine philhellene with Greek roots (maternal grandfather) engaged since 1997 in the spreading of modern and ancient Greek culture. Actively involved in local institutions (cultural associations, Greek communities and the Buenos Aires City Government), he teaches Modern Greek since 2001, presently at the La Punta University (ULP) and at the Buenos Aires University (UBA), where he studied General Linguistics, Ancient Greek Language and Culture and History of Philosophy. Actor and drama director, he has staged plays in Greek and diverse cultural events related to Hellenism, and has been invited by radio programs and local institutions to lecture or perform in numerous public ceremonies under the auspices of the Greek Embassy and the Buenos Aires City Government. 

 

 

Honours Bachelor and Professor's degree in Linguistics by the Philosophy and Literature Faculty of the Buenos Aires University (UBA 2008, average grade 9.50), plus Classical Greek studies in the aforementioned University (2001/2003), Ancient Philosophy (2004), Latin (2004/2005), Sanskrit (2005), Teaching of Spanish as foreign language (2005). He holds a Diploma in History of Philosophy (2019) and is completing in its Faculty of Social Sciences a Masters Degree in Culture & Communication.

Founder and Director of the Free Chair of Greek, Byzantine and Neohellenic Studies (CLEGBYN) of the Philosophy and Literature Faculty of the Buenos Aires University since 2009. Organizer of two Greek culture free related courses each semester. Professor of the semiannual courses "I to IV centuries Greek astrological texts: the making of a world view" (UBA 2013), "Glances on Greece: today's Greek in the movie's imaginary" (UBA 2015), "The hellenistic matrix of Western esotericism" (UBA 2018), "Modern Greek theatre acting workshop" (UBA 2019), "Introduction to modern Greek through its poetry" (UBA 2020), "Modern Greek translation workshop: Markari's Tale of Ali (UBA 2022) and "Semiotics of a passion: philhellenism, from the Acropolis to the Internet" (UBA 2023). 

Professor in charge from September 2006 to July 2007 in the Buenos Aires University (UBA) of the extracurricular course of Modern Greek organized by UBA´s Classical Philology Institute's Medieval Section and the Onassis Foundation. Professor since August 2007 until now of the six semiannual levels of the six weekly hours extracurricular course of Modern Greek organized in the UBA by its Classical Philology Institute's Medieval Section, presently also included in CLEGBYN's activities.   

Examining professor of the Sworn Translator career at the Law School of the Buenos Aires University since 2021 and coordinator and participant of the cultural cycle of lectures "Greece in the Clinics" of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Buenos Aires University since 2012.

Professor of Modern Greek at the Language Institute of the University of La Punta (ULP) in the Province of San Luis (Argentina) since 2023.

Invited guest representing the Buenos Aires University at the First Regional Assembly of Central and South America of the World Council of the Hellenes Abroad (S.A.E.), held at Santiago de Chile in November 2008.

Invited guest representing the Buenos Aires University at the First Greek Language Congress of Latin America held at Montevideo, Uruguay in October 2009.

President since 2022 and previously Secretary since 1997 of Karyatis, Argentine Association of Hellenic Culture (Cariatide, Asociacion Argentina de Cultura Helenica). Founded in 1978, its activities were declared of national interest by the Argentine Senate in 2000. 

Organizer since 1999 of Karyatis´ free lectures monthly cycle, held from 2003 to 2009 in the Greek Embassy in Buenos Aires and since 2010 in the Buenos Aires University Clinics Hospital.

In charge of the organization and presentation of Karyatis´ annual Homage to Greece in commemoration of the Oxi at the La Scala de San Telmo Theatre (1999), the Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires City Council Culture House (2000), the traditional Progress Club (2001), the Diario del Viajero´s Auditorium (2002), the Postgraduate Studies Auditorium of the Palermo University (2003), the Buenos Aires City Cultural Centre Recoleta (2004), the San Martin Municipal Theatre´s Cultural Centre (2005/2007), the Peloponnesian Hellenic Union (2008), the Greek Embassy (2009/2010), the Buenos Aires University Clinics Hospital (2011, 2016, 2019) and the National Institute for Historical Research (2012), the Superior Institute of Teaching Profession Joaquín V. González (2013), the Museum of Spanish Art Enrique Larreta (2014), FM Aprender (2015, 2017), the Federation of Art and Culture of the Argentine Republic FACRA in La Desterrada radio (2020, 2022) and the Philosophy and Literature Faculty of the Buenos Aires University (2018, 2021, 2023). 

In charge since 2003 of Karyatis´ website http://cariatideargentina.blogspot.com.ar/

Teacher of modern Greek in Karyatis´ beginners and intermediate courses from 2001 to 2007.

Teacher of Greek dances in New Delphi, Neoplatonic School since 2015.

Secretary of the Argentine branch of the International Association of Nikos Kazantzakis´ Friends from 2003 to 2007; First Titular Member from 2008 to 2009. Founder and Director of New Delphi Neoplatonic School since 2015.

Self-taught studies of Modern Greek since 1994, plus courses at local Greek communities. Second Level Certificate of Modern Greek (grade: άριστα) issued by the Greek Government through the Centre for the Greek Language Aristotelous, Thessaloniki University, taken in the Tsakos Foundation, Montevideo, Uruguay, 2000. Fourth Level Certificate of Modern Greek (grade: λιαν καλός) issued by the Greek Government through the Centre for the Greek Language Aristotelous, Thessaloniki University, taken in the Hellenic Association Communitie, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2010.

Ten stays in Greece since March 1996 (1998/1999 & 2018 two months stay; 1996, 2000, 2016 & 2017 one month stays; 2015 two weeks stay; 2001, 2009 & 2011 one week stays). Organization of a cultural tour to Greece in May 2000, guiding sixteen people. Reprise of the tour (although not escorting) in September 2001 and 2005.

Member and spokesman of Buenos Aires´ Greek communities since 1997. Buenos Aires City Government consultant (General Direction of Political and Institutional Affairs, Communities and Cults) in the Greek communities´ area, 2001/2003.

Interviews and participation (often reading texts in Greek) in Hellenic culture radio programs (Chicago Hellenic Radio, Athens, February 1999; Radio Splendid, Radio Municipal, Radio Argentina, 2001/2007). Weekly emission of Greek music and explanation of its lyrics in own radio program, FM 104.1 Station on 2007 and FM 106.1 Aprender with frequent interviews to local and Greek academics related do Hellenism (2014/2022, currently publicly available in Podcast). Organization and presentation of film cycles on Greek culture, history and myths, 2000/2006, 2013.

Author (pen name Iannis Zombolas, own grandfather's last name) and stage director of the play Ignea Medeas, based on Euripides´ tragedy and Maria Callas´ and Pasolini's film, Espacios Theatre, 1985. Published in 2015, ISBN 978-987-33-7232-2. Executive producer and stage assistant of the premiere of the renowned Argentine author Griselda Gambaro's play Furious Antigone; performances at the Goethe Institute Auditorium, The San Telmo Theatres, the Cervantes National Theatre, the San Martin Municipal Theatre and the Cordoba National Drama Festival (representing Buenos Aires), 1986/1987. Author, stage director and performer of the play Oidipous Tyrannos: the women's conspiracy, personal trilingual version with modern Greek music in Spanish, Modern and Classical Greek of Sophocles´ tragedy; fifty performances in the National Historical Site “La Manzana de las Luces” under the auspices of numerous local Greek institutions, with great audience success and good press reviews, 1997/1998, published in 2015 in Theater: rereadings and recreations, ISBN 978-987-33-7541-5. Author, stage director and performer of the play Julian Memoirs. Of One, of failure (2019), published in 2019, ISBN ISBN 978-987-86-2711-3.

Main role in the play Of heroes and gods… forever Greece, at the Municipal Theatre Reggio, under the auspices of the Greek Embassy, 1998. Stage director of Iannis Xenakis´ opera Kassandra, based on an excerpt of Aeschylus´ Agamemnon in classical Greek, La Scala de San Telmo Theatre, 1999. Author and performer of the bilingual show Sappho, Eros kai Kavafis, at the Pro-Arte Foundation, 1999. Organizer of concerts of contemporary Greek music, including excerpts of Sophocles´ Antigone in Spanish and ancient Greek at the Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires City Council Culture House, 2000. Main role and stage director of the drama-ballet Roots in Time (with George Dermitzakis´ choreography), based on Spyros Vergos´s book, in the Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires City Government Court Palace, 2001. Direction of a readers theater staged version of Julio Cortazar's play The kings (on the Minotaur) in the Museum of Spanish Art Enrique Larreta, 2014.

Organizer, lecturer or performer at public ceremonies (often with Ancient or Modern Greek texts in Spanish or Modern Greek) at Philosophy and Literature Faculty of the Buenos Aires University (2015/6, 2018, 2023), Buenos Aires University Clinics Hospital (from 2011 to 2023), Italian Culture Institute (2017), Superior Institute of Teaching Profession Joaquín V. González (2013), National Institute for Historical Research (2012), Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires City Council Culture House (2009), Peloponnesian Hellenic Union (2008, 2013), National Library (2007), Greece Public Square (organized by Nostos, Greek Culture Association and the Buenos Aires City Government, November 4^th 2007, and in March 25^th 2007, organized by the Panhellenic Argentine Federation, the Greek Embassy and the Buenos Aires City Government), Greek Embassy (2003/9), Peloponnesian Hellenic Union (2006/08, 2013), San Martin Municipal Theatre Cultural Centre (2005/6), Buenos Aires City Cultural Centre Recoleta (2004), Postgraduate Studies Auditorium of the Palermo University (2003), Diario del Viajero Auditorium (1999/2002), Buenos Aires City Council San Martin Theatre Auditorium (2002), Conquistador Hotel (2002), Progress Club (2001), Hellenic Community Panelinion (2001), XVIII Iberian Astrology Congress (Madrid, Spain, 2001), Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires City Council Culture House (2000), Argentine Writers´ Society S.A.D.E. (2000).