Meet the Teaching team of ISMA

PIANO- CHAMBER MUSIC

GEORGE-JULIUS PAPADOPOULOS-Piano     12-22 July 
Artistic Director of Municipal Conservatory of Kavala(GR)

Pianist and musicologist George-Julius Papadopoulos has appeared with various ensembles and programmes in more than 60 recitals, concerts and international festivals in Europe and the U.S.A. He has won several distinctions and awards for his studies and performances, which have been broadcast on Greek Radio & TV, the Third Programme of the Greek National Radio, the BBC World Service and other radio stations in London.

As a scholar, he specializes in the life and work of German composer Johannes Brahms, having presented papers at 10 international musicological conferences in Europe and the U.S.A., while his articles have been published in academic journals in Greece and abroad. He has given lectures at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Thessaloniki Opera, the Greek National Opera and the Benakis Museum in Athens, and has been regularly contributing articles to the journal Classical Music Review.

He graduated in 1992 from the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki with the Piano Diploma (achieving the highest honours in his year) and a first prize distinction, as well as the Degree in Harmony (also with the highest honors in his year). At the same time he studied at the Department of Musical Studies (Historical Musicology) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

 In September 1992 he commenced his postgraduate studies in Piano at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with a prestigious Entrance Exhibition “for the quality of [his] performance and the potential [he] displayed”. For his studies he was awarded scholarships from the RAM, the Schilizzi Foundation, the Lilian Voudouris Foundation and the British Council (British Council Fellow). He graduated in 1996 with the LRAM in Piano Pedagogy, the Diploma of Advanced Studies, and the Master of Music—a degree awarded by King’s College, University of London, jointly with the Royal Academy. As part of the academic requirements for his course, he submitted the following papers: “The Creation of the ‘Soviet Piano School’: Critique of the Rhetoric and Evaluation of Sources”; “Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust: Dramatic Oratorio or Secular Cantata?”; “Manolis Kalomiris’ Album for the Children”; and an edition with commentary of Six Songs by George Bizet.

In 1996 he was offered a Recruitment Award by the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, to pursue doctoral studies in Historical Musicology (Music History). Since then, he has written papers on such topics as musical semiology, issues of Brahms scholarship, the aesthetics of music and the philosophy of art, as well as on performance practice. As a Teaching Assistant and sole Instructor, George-Julius worked on eight different courses, three of which where designed and first taught by him. He also assisted two of his professors with projects involving as diverse skills as using music notation computer software and researching Russian, German, English, and French sources of 18^th-century operatic performances in Russia (both of these projects were published as books).

  

In 2000, he was nominated by the entire Music History faculty and the School of Music for the Excellence in Teaching Award, given annually to the best Teaching Assistant at the UW. In 2003 he was awarded the annual Adelyn Peck-Leverett Prize for the best paper in Music History at the UW. His doctoral dissertation, entitled “Johannes Brahms and Nineteenth-Century Comic Ideology,” received the Karl Geiringer Scholarship of the American Brahms Society for the best American dissertation on a Brahms-related topic. Other areas of interest include the development of the piano concerto and musical aesthetics.

  Since September 2008 he has been the Artistic Director of the Kavala Municipal Conservatory, increasing its student body from 430 to 590 in less than 18 months.

MEROPI KOLLAROU-Piano & Chamber Music   12-22 July
Artistic Director of Municipal Conservatory of Alexandroupoli(GR)

MEROPI KOLLAROU was born in Alexandroupolis.She studied at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki(class of G. Thimis) and received her diploma with aspecial award distinction. She studied in Belgium withRosa Sabater (Spanish music) and Noel Lee (American contemporary music) with scholarship by the international organization Music Youth. She studied for five years with Ferenc Rados, Annie Fischer (piano), Cyorgy Kurtag (chamber music) in the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in Budapest with scholarship by the Hungarian government. She has participated in international piano seminars with Maria Cursio, Cyorgy Cebok, Tomas Vasary, Dimitri Baskiroff, etc. She has collaborated with Hungarian, Finnish and Austrian symphonic orchestras and in Greece with the State Orchestras of both Athens and Thessaloniki, the Symphonic Orchestra of Greek Radio and the Orchestra of Colors. She performed recitals and chamber music concerts in Greece, Belgium, Finland, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria and has recorded accordingly for radio and television networks. She has performed works of B. Britten, A. Copland, K. Nikitas, K. Sfetsas, G. Sisilianos, in avant premieres in Greece with conductors such as A. Paridis, L. Chalkiadakis,S. Xarhakos, M. Chatzidakis. She has collaborated with the National Theatre of Northern Greece in the music theatrical productions «The Threepenny Opera» and «Maroula’s Luck». She has taught piano in the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and in the Ferenc Liszt Academy, as well as
in summer piano and chamber music seminars in Finland. Currently, she teaches piano in the F. Nakas Conservatory (Athens) and is the artistic director of the Municipal Conservatory of Alexandroupolis.

 Payam Gül Susanni-Piano    12-22 July
Lecturer-International Coordinator of Yasar University-Izmir (TUR)

Payam Susanni was born in 1974, Izmir, Turkey. She received her BM degree from Dokuz Eylul University Izmir State Conservatory where she studied Piano with Dr. Nilgun Alkan.
She studied Piano with David Renner and Chamber Music with Dennis Parker at LSU School of Music and got her MM degree from University of Texas at Austin where she studied Piano with David Renner, Chamber Music with Gregory Allen and Piano Pedagogy with Prof. Sophia Gilmson. She has given many solo, duo and chamber music concert around USA and Turkey.During 2000-2008 she worked as a Piano and Chamber Music teacher at Clavier Werke School of Music, Austin, TX. During her teaching career she was invited to organize and judge many music festivals and competitions.
After coming back to Turkey, Mrs Susanni continues her teaching position at Yasar University Fine Arts Department Music School in Piano and Guitar Department. She holds the position of Coordinator of Erasmus and YUSEM School of Music .


 PAOLO SUSANNI - Piano     12-22 July
Assistant Proffesor at the Yasar University -Izmir (TUR)

Italian born pianist and scholar, Paolo Susanni, received his formal musical training in South Africa and the United States. There he received his B.Mus and M.Mus at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and his (DMA) from the University of Texas in Austin. He studied with Jacob Maxin, Krassimira Jordan and David Renner.He has performed in solo, chamber music and orchestral concerts in the USA, Italy, South Africa and Turkey. He has participated in several International piano competitions, festivals and performed in master classes with musicians such as Leon Fleischer, Gabriel Chodos and Thomas Rajna. He is the head of the piano/guitar department at Yasar University Fine Arts Department School of Music where he teaches Piano, Music Theory, History and solfege as he has done at Texas State University for the past seven years. He is a published author, specializing in the music of the 20th Century and has published several papers and an English/Italian translation of the volume “The Music of Bela Bartok” by Elliott Antokoletz. He is at present working on a book on 20th Century Music analysis that will be published in the near future. He is also the editor for the new edition of the Bartok Research guide.

ERATO ALAKIOZIDOU-Piano & Chamber Music    12-22 July 
Artistic Director of Municipal Conservatory of Thermi /Idee Fixe ensemble (GR)

She belongs to a group of fine and select musicians of Thessaloniki,actively involved in

contemporary music. The last few years she has taken a special interest in the study and promote of works by 20^th & 21^st century Greek composers.She was born in Thessaloniki in 1971, and studied piano at the State Conservatory of Greece with E. Papazoglou. She received her diploma with the highest distinction in 1990.She has furthered her postgraduate studies with Julia and Constantine Ganevi (Greece, Belgium), Roberto Szidon(Germany, Switzerland) and Lilly Boyadjieva in Paris(Conservatoire de Villepinte)from where she received her «Diplome Superiere du piano» with the highest distinction and the first prize. Αlso she attended a number of master classes by distinguished artists such as: S.Dimitrova ,C.Cuidici,A.Speranza ,M.Newmann.In addition, under Macedonian Conservatory’s scholarship , she completed her advanced theory studies with D. Athanasiadis ,obtaining diplomas in Harmony, Counterpoint ,Orchestration and Fugue.
One of her mentors for many years has been the distinguished pianist, conductor and composer Nikos Astrinidis ,whose works she often performs.She regularly gives recitals or participates in chamber music concerts and summer festivals of contemporary music e.g. those of Athens , Thessaloniki and other cities of Greece as well as in Switzerland, Germany, Poland,Italy,Turkey,Belgium,Serbia and Bulgaria.She has often presented work premieres as well.She has collaborated with the symphonic orchestra “Nae Leonard” Galati of Romania and with the Orchestra of Colors as a member of the “Tangos a Cuatro”quartet. She is a founder member of the ensembles “Tangos a Cuatro” and of the contemporary music ensemble “Idee Fixe”. She recorded for the Greek and Bulgarian state television and for the German southwest broadcasting corporation
Her repertoire includes a wide range of important classical and contemporary works Since 2000, she is actively involved in contemporary music.
She has recorded works of Astor Piazzolla with the quartet “Tangos a Cuatro” for Protasis Productions (2003-PR 1058-2) and works of Astor Piazzola based on poems of J.L. Borges in the cd “Somebody is talking to tango” with ankh productions (2007-c 2202-2).Also she has recorded works of greek composer Nikos Astrinidis “(90th birthday anniversary-Nikos Astrinidis”-subways music (2010-SM101).
In collaboration with the German pianist Thomas Wellen, she has redacted the piano sonatas of J. Haydn, which are published by the Music Melody Maker editions.
Also since 2000 she has been working as a accompaniment pianist (being in charge of this department) at the State Conservatory of Greece. Since 1991 she has been teaching piano at the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi and since 2002 she was appointed Artistic Director of the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi. In 2005 she founded the contemporary music festival “Synthermeia”, which being produced by the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi and is held every two years. Since 2007 she is a member of the Panel of Experts of the Alumni Association of Thessaloniki Conservatories.She has received excellent critiques for her entire presence in the artistic domain. In 2008 and while being artistic director, the Union of Greek Reviewers for Theatre and Music awarded the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi for the successful organization of the “Synthermeia” festival but also for the entire artistic activities with the “Honorary Distinction for cultural organisation, active outside the capital of Greece”.


 GEMMA DIBATTISTA-piano     14-18 July
International Coordinator Niccolo Piccinni Conseratorio -Bari (IT)

Gemma Dibattista studied piano  at "Niccolò Piccinni" Conservatory in Bari and in 1984 she  graduated with all the honors.

After then she attended many master classes  with famous piano teacher as  Michele Marvulli at “ Accacademia Musicale Pescarese”,  Fausto Zadra at Ecole International de piano de Lousanne,  and Sergio Fiorentino, Paul Badura Skoda, Alexander Lonquich.

In the  1987 she started to play  piano duo with Marilena Liso and as a piano duet she was winner of several prizes in International Competition like:” International Piano Competition of Stresa”- “National Piano Competition A.Longo-A.M.A Lamezia terme”- International Piano Competition of Città di Bardolino”-  “International Piano Competition of Torre Orsaia”.

Since then she has continued to play as piano duo performing in Italy and abroad for several prestigious music associations receiving positive reception from audiences and critics which have highlighted "a deep self-confidence  and an interesting versatility of interpretation" and "a remarkable ability to communicate emotions through a careful and philological musical research combined with spontaneity and improvisation".

She's regularly invited to teach Master Classes in several Music Institutions and also as a judge in piano competitions.    

Gemma Dibattista holds a Chair in Piano at "Niccolò Piccinni” Conservatory in Bari (Italy).

 MARILENA LISO-piano     14-18 July
Niccolo Piccinni Conseratorio -Bari (IT)

Pianist Marilena Liso graduated “cum laude” from the “N. Piccinni” Conservatory of Bari, where she studied with Giovanna Valente. She has been a prize-winner of important competitions, such as “Città Martina”, “F.I.D.A.P.A.” in Catanzaro and the “International Piano Competition Città di Catanzaro”.

She has participated in master classes by A. Ciccolini, P. Badura-Skoda, M. Marvulli, F. Zadra, A. Lonquich and S. Fiorentino. In 1989 she graduated from the triennial Master Courses of the Accademia Musicale in Pescara with M° M. Marvulli. She was also selected to attend Joaquin Achucarro’s master class at the famous Chigiana Academy in Siena.

She has formed a piano duo with Gemma Dibattista. The Dibattista-Liso piano duo has won many important competitions (“Città di Bardolino”, “Città di Stresa” and A.M.A. di Lamezia Terme) and has performed in various concert venues.

In November 2011 the duo played in the Italian Art Festival, held at the Russian Army Cultural Center in Moscow, and in 2013 they were invited to play again. Other appearances include Siviglia Malaga and Jimena de la Frontera. Twice they were invited to play in Izmir (Turkey), where they gave recitals at Yasar University and the American Cultural Centre.

Marilena Liso is a graduate in Foreign Languages and Literatures from Bari University, where she presented her thesis on John Field and the Nocturne.

In 1995 she was appointed professor of piano the “N. Piccinni” Conservatory of Bari. She is regularly invited by many musical associations to give master classes.

CHRISTOS LENOUTSOS -piano    12-17 July
Municipal Conservatory of Larissa (GR)

Christos Lenoutsos was born in Larisa. He obtained his Diploma in Piano with distinction from the class of Ariadne Kalliazi at the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa, where he also studied Music Theory with John Tsanakas.

He continued his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, on the piano concert part, with Doris Wolf-Blumauer & Elza Kolodin. He graduated with the title "Magister der Künste" (Master of Arts). During his studies, he was honored by the Academy of Athens with the "Helen Mykoniou "Prize, and has received scholarships from the "Gina Bachaouer" Foundation, the Public Benefit Foundation "Alexander S. Onassis" and the Ministry of Science and Research of Austria.

He actively participated in master courses with Lazar Berman, Katerina Polyzoides - Sourvali, Lev Vlassenko, Rudolf Kehrer, Bernard Ringeissen, Patrick Cohen and Malcolm Bilson.

His artistic activities include numerous solo recitals and chamber music concerts in Greece and Austria. He has performed as soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Iasi (Romania), with the Symphony Orchestra of Nis (Serbia) and the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa. He is also a member of the Piandaemonium ensemble (6 pianos-12 pianists), wherewith he has performed at the Concert Hall of Thessaloniki.

He teaches piano at the Contemporary Conservatory of Thessaloniki, the Municipal Conservatory of Larisa and the Municipal Conservatory of Florina. From 1999-2012 he taught piano at the Department of Music Science and Art, University of Macedonia.



 CHARALAMBOS AGGELOPOULOS -piano    12-17 July
Municipal Conservatory of Thessaloniki (GR)

Pianist Charalambos Aggelopoulos was born in Thessaloniki. He studied with I. Simirioti (State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, Piano Diploma with the highest mark) and D. Evnouhidou. A scholarship from the “L. Voudouris” Foundation enabled him to continue his studies with Α. Kontarsky and A. Valdma at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. He graduated with the Soloist Diploma, receiving the highest mark, while concurrently attending courses of the pedagogical department. Following further postgraduate studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he was awarded a Master in Performance degree (class of V. Sangiorgio).

He has represented Greece in many international meetings (Algiers, Niort, Berlin, Luxembourg, Novi Sad etc.). He has also studied with important artists, such as D. Βashkirov, R. Kehrer, M. Tirimo, D. Alexeev, C. Ortiz etc.

In 1992 he won the “F. Nakas” Prize, while in 1993 he was placed deputy pianist of the EEC Youth Orchestra. In 1995 he and oboist D. Vamvas won 1^st prize at the 5^th “Helexpo” International Chamber Music Competition. In 1998 he received the 1^st prize at the Pan-Hellenic Piano Competition of the Thessaloniki Rotary Club and in 1999 he won a distinction at the Governor’s Recital Prize Competition in Glasgow. The same year he was a prize-winner at the Grand Konzerteum International Competition. Lastly, in 2002 he won 1^st prize at the “G. Thymis” Pan-Hellenic Piano Competition.

His repertoire includes 25 concertos for piano and orchestra, numerous pieces for solo piano and chamber music works, and extends from Bach to the contemporary composers of the 21^st century.His appearances in venues such as the Athens and the Thessaloniki Concerts Halls, the Centre Cultural Portugal Paris, the Κendal Town Hall, the Wells Concert Hall, the Musashino Center Tokyo, as well as his participations in international festivals, have received positive reviews.

As a soloist, he has collaborated with the Athens and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestras, the Apollon Orchestra Berlin, the Orchestra of Colors, the “Camerata” Friends of Music Orchestra, the Patras Orchestra, the Athens Chamber Orchestra, the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra, the RSAMD Symphony Orchestra, the Greek National Opera String Orchestra, the Athenian Youth Symphony Orchestra and the National Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra.

Together with pianist Titos Gouvelis they perform frequently repertoire for four hands or two pianos. He is a member of the Piandaemonium ensemble (6 pianos, 12 pianists). He and Th. Sotiriades have recorded D. Constantinides’ works for saxophone and piano. Other recordings include a live concert of Piandaemonium and a cycle of songs by E. Riadis.Since 2012 he is manager of organization and artistic planning manager for the Thessaloniki Piano Festival – jointly with pianist Nikos Kyriosoglou.

LETO THOMOU-piano, piano accompaniment    12-22 July
Idee Fixe ensemble

Leto Thomou born in Athens . She began piano lessons at six years old and at seventeen she graduated from the National Conservatory (class M. Mavrikou) with First Prize and Excellence exceptional service .
Then she continued her studies with Constantin and Julia Ganevi in Sofia and Bulgaria with Germaine Mounier the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris , from where she graduated with the Diplome Superieur d'Execution de piano with the highest distinction .
Her teachers were among others, Alexander Jenner and Rudolph Keher Academy of Vienna , Jenny Jacharieva, Achilles delle Vigne and Ralph Nattkemper in Brussels and Germaine Mounier in the Salzburg Summer Academy .
Awarded at international piano competitions , Concorso Pianistico giovani pianisti in Marsala , Albert Roussel in Sofia and Guilde in Paris, and the competition CH.O.N in Athens .
She has appeared as soloist with orchestras collaborating in chamber music and solo recitals in many European countries ( Greece , Italy , France , Belgium , Switzerland , Bulgaria , Ukraine ) wresting always very good reviews.
She has recorded occasionally for the State Radio and Television of Greece , Bulgaria and Ukraine, and Vatican Radio .
In repertoire belong outside of the masterpieces of the classical period and projects and other composers of the modern repertoire , much of which is present in the first Panhellenic execution. In this context she has worked with the ensemble " Skalkotas " with the Greek Composers Union , with the Orchestra of Colors , and the Camerata - Orchestra of the Friends of Music.
In the spring of 2012 released the cd "metamorphosis", in collaboration with oboist Spyros Kontos , with works by contemporary Greek composers for piano and oboe , recorded the world premiere , which won honors from the Association of Greek theater and music reviews as the best cd Greek interest for the year 2012 .
She teaches at the Conservatory Philip Nakas in Athens .

JEAN -CHRISTOPHE CHARRON -piano, piano accompaniment   12-22 July
Idee Fixe Ensemble

Jean-Christophe Charron accomplished his studies in piano, chamber music and accompaniement at the National Conservatoire of Bordeaux (France) and Boulogne-Billancout (Paris) with Alain Motard and Marie-Paule Siruguet. He graduated in orchestration and higher theory at the Superior National Conservatoire of Paris, before concluding his studies with a postgraduate degree in orchestral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music of London (Postgraduate Diploma with distinction) under the guidance of Colin Metters. He attended conducting masterclasses with Sir Colin Davis, Ilya Musin, George Hurst (London), Lothar Zagrosek (Academia Chigiana, Siena), Salvador Mas Conde (Wiener Meisterkurse, Vienna) and Jörg Bierhance (Freiburger Dirigentenakademie, Vidin).Since 2006 he appears regularly as a conductor with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, the Thessaloniki Municipality Symphony Orchestra and the Athens State Symphony Orchestra (Greece). He has been an assistant conductor and a vocal coach at the Opera of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki Concert Hall from 2006 to 2013. In 2007 he conducted the production of Carl Orff’s “Die Kluge” at the Opera of Thessaloniki. He is an associate conductor at the Greek National Opera in Athens since 2012.As a chamber musician he performed in the UK, in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Greece and Taiwan. He was an accompanist for the masterclasses of Cheryl Studer, Gary Hoffman, Christa Ludwig, Gidon Kremer, Kurt Equiluz, Sonoko Numata, Christopher Henkel, Laurent Pillot (European Opera Centre), for the Pablo Casals Festival classes (Prades, France) and many others. As a pianist he was a member of the “Trio Cervantes” (1996-2003) and the “Orpheus Soloists” (2009-2013).From 2000 until 2005 he was a chamber music teacher at the National Conservatoire of Cergy (Paris) and at the “Rencontres Musicales d’Arcachon” festival in France. Since 2005 he has been a piano, chamber music and partiturspiel teacher, a conductor, a choir master and an accompanist at the “Neo Odeio” (“New Conservatoire”) of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki National Conservatoire and the “Idimelon” conservatoire in Polygyros (Greece). Since 2014 he is a guest teacher at the Universität der Künste in Berlin.

YANNIS KANAKIS-piano,piano accompaniment     12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Yannis Kanakis was born in Kavala and at the age of six he took his first piano lessons at the Municipal Conservatory. He studied here with Kalypso Kalpakidou and Zoe Samsarelou, then with Giorgos Thymis at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, with Anna Tsitsa-Kounio and Kosmas Galileas (chamber music) at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, and privately with Dimitris Sgouros.

He graduated from the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki with the Degree in Harmony (1993), as well as with the Degree and Diploma in Piano (1998 and 2000, respectively) with the highest marks. He participated in piano masterclasses with Brandt Fredriksen, Martino Tirimo and Janis Vakarelis, and attended postgraduate piano classes in Vienna with Walter Fleischmann.He has appeared in solo recitals and chamber music concerts, and as an accompanist in voice and guitar recitals in Greece and abroad. He has composed music for musical-theatrical shows, and has written original works for the 5^th Symposium of Mediterranean Poetry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing (University of Ulster). Since the Fall of 2010 he has been an instructor of piano and accompanist at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala.

STRINGS

MIECZYSLAW SZLEZER- Violin    12-22 July
Krakov Music Academy (POL)

Mieczyslaw Szlezer was born July 26. 1955 in Krakow, Poland.He has started his musical education at age six under the tutorship of hisfather Zbigniew, renowned violinist and teacher himself. He was graduated with honors from the Academy of Music in Krakow and continued his postgraduate
studies at "Indiana University School of Music" in Bloomington, Indiana (USA) with Joseph Gingold and Tadeusz Wronski. Among his teachers were also such famous violinists like Henryk Szeryng and Franco Gulli. He is a multiple laureate of international and national Violin competitions.
As a soloist, member of chamber ensembles and concertmaster of theorchestras "Capella Cracoviensis" (1978-87) and "The State Philharmonic Orchestra K.Szymanowski"" (1987-2000) he has given over a thousand performances in more than 30 countries on four continents.
He did also numerous recordings for:"PRiTV", "RAI", "Yugoton", "France Musique", "Equant", „STEBO”, „Amadeus-Records”, ”Oko-Art” and "Moderato". Since 1995 he is a founding member of the Piano Trio "Artemus".His teaching career started in 1978 at the Academy of Music in Krakow
where he is now holding the titular professorship in Violin and Chamber Music
and a Chair of the Violin and Viola Department. Between 1996 and 2008 he was entrusted duties, respectively the Dean of the Instrumental Faculty and the Deputy Rector in charge of the International affairs.

DIMITRA KATIONI -violin     12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of A.Paulos

Dimitra Kationi was born in Kavala (1983). She studied the violin and the viola with Irina Dragneva, Roussi Dragnev and Chara Seira. She is a violin and viola teacher in Thessaloniki and Polykastro Kilkis. Along with her pupils, she has founded the string ensemble Spira Minore. Her teaching is based on the Colourstrings method, as taught to her by Géza Szilvay. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Law (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), as well as a Master’s degree in the same faculty.

EVANGELOS PAPADIMITRIS-violin    12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Violinist Evangelos Papadimitris began his soloist activity at the age of 16 and a year later he was called by the Albanian Radio & Television to record works by contemporary composers. Since then, he has collaborated regularly with orchestras in Greece and abroad in the most important concertos of the repertoire, and he also makes frequent public appearances as a recitalist or chamber musician, performing works that cover a wide period from the Baroque until the late 20^th century.

He studied at the School of Fine Arts and at the Tirana Academy of Arts, graduating with the title of “Violinist”. He then pursued postgraduate studies in Italy, first at the “Giuseppe Verdi” Conservatory of Turin and subsequently at the Academy of Biella, with professors B. Landi and C. Romano.

From 1981 until 1992 he was Head of the Violin Department at the Tirana Academy of Arts. In 1992 he came to Greece and for 4 years (1992-96) he worked the concertmaster of the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra, concurrently teaching violin at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki. In 1993 he joined the first violin section of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, where he continues to play.

His pedagogical work has received international recognition in competitions and congresses. For two consecutive years (1995 and 1996) he was invited to represent Greece at the “Rodolfo Lipizer” International Violin Congress in Goritzia (Italy), where he presented essays on various issues of pedagogy and analysis. His first solo CD features works by contemporary Greek composers.

ZLATKA ZLATEVA-violin     12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Zlatka Zlateva was born in Pleven, Bulgaria. She began violin lessons at the State Conservatory with Iovka Iordanova, who later became a teacher of gifted children at a conservatory in Moscow. At the age of 15 she made her first concerto appearance with the State Orchestra of Pleven. In 1974 she completed her secondary music education with the highest marks and, following a competition, she was admitted to the “P. Vladigerov” National Academy of Music in Sofia. For her excellent marks she was awarded a state scholarship and, following an audition, she was admitted to the two-year postgraduate program in violin and chamber music.

From 1980 until 1988 she taught at the State Conservatory of Varna as a professor of violin and chamber music. During this period, she gave many concerts with the “Varna” Trio (violin, flute and piano) in various cities of Bulgaria and abroad (Italy and Czech Republic).

In 1988 she was invited to teach violin at the Synchrono Conservatory of Thessaloniki. She has worked as a concertmaster of the Greek Radio-Television 3 Orchestra and a member of the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra. She has taught at many master classes and given recitals all over Greece. Talented students from her class regularly receive prizes and awards in competitions or pursued graduate and postgraduate studies in Greek or foreign universities music academies. She teaches violin at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala.



MICHAEL FLASKMAN-cello     12-17 July 
Mannheim  Musikhochschule(GR)

Michael Flaksman was born 1946 in Akron, Ohio, USA. He received his first violoncellistic training with Ernst Silberstein, principal cello of the Cleveland Orchestra, then with Casals disciple Maurice Eisenberg and finally with Antonio Janigro in Salzburg and Stuttgart.

He participated repeatedly in master classes with Leonard Rose and Josef Gingold (chamber music) at “Meadowmount”, the summer school of Ivan Galamian. Still in his teens, he was a scholarship winner at the Boston Symphony “Tanglewood” Festival, which permitted him to play under the direction of Erich Leinsdorf and Seiji Ozawa. While there, he also played in the Tanglewood Ensemble for New Music under the direction of Gunther Schuller and Iannis Xenakis.

At Harvard University he pursued musical studies with Luise Vosgerchian and Leon Kirchner, among others. He organized and participated in chamber music performances with fellow students Ursula Oppens, James Oliver Buswell, Seth Carlin and Tyson Street. He then served as principal cellist of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra under Henryk Swoboda.

After a period of studying in Paris with Nadia Boulanger (harmony and composition) and Paul Tortelier (cello), and playing in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, in 1969 he received the Bachelor of Arts degree at Harvard University.

At the “Marlboro” Festival Flaksman played chamber music with Rudolf Serkin, Felix Galimir, and with members of the Budapest and Guarneri Quartets. In addition, he participated in Pablo Casals’ master classes and recording sessions of Bach and Beethoven.

Flaksman played as a section member and as principal cello in the orchestras of the National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Hamilton Philharmonic and the Lakehead Symphony (Canada), in the Berne and Basle Symphony and Opera Orchestras as well as in the Chamber Ensemble Radio Berne (Switzerland), in the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra (Germany) and in the Camerata Academica of Salzburg (Austria). In Canada, he was a member of “The Revolutionary Bow” – a string quartet that performed crossover as well as classical concerts and toured Canada with non-classical musicians.

A Fulbright scholarship enabled him to continue his postgraduate studies with Antonio Janigro, first in Düsseldorf, then at the Salzburg Mozarteum (in addition to chamber music lessons with Sándor Végh) and finally at the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart. Flaksman worked as Janigro’s assistant in Stuttgart and Salzburg.

Since 1975 he has given innumerable international master classes and has also accepted many guest professorships at various institutions and places: “Mozarteum” International Summer Academy, Chopin Academy in Warsaw, Oberlin College, Padua, Bari, Danzig, Seoul, Taipei et al.

In 1978 he founded the “Carl Flesch Courses” in Baden-Baden. Today he is Artistic Director of two festivals in Italy: the “Carl Orff Festival” in Apulia and the “Ascoli Piceno Festival” in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. From 1980 to 1990 Flaksman taught the autonomous cello master class at the Conservatory of Schaffhausen (Switzerland). Simultaneously he taught as Professor at California State University in Fresno. In 1987 he transferred from California to the Stuttgart Musikhochschule to replace Professor Antonio Janigro, who retired for reasons of health.

Since October 1991 he is tenured Professor at the Mannheim Musikhochschule (University of Music and Performing Arts) in Germany. He was Vice President of the Hochschule for four terms of office, from September 1999 until August 2010, after serving several years as Head of Strings. As an administrator with fluency in several languages, he supervised the creation and development of foreign relations for the Mannheim Hochschule, creating a network of about 20 European institutions.

He is active as a concert cellist in Western and Eastern Europe, and in the Far East. A prizewinner in international competitions in New York (Rockefeller), Barcelona (Casals), Bologna (Accademia Filarmonica), Michael Flaksman he has had the good fortune to perform with great musicians of the previous generation (Végh, Serkin, Zsigmondy, Alberto Lysy, Jean Fournier) and of the present (K. Bogino, V. Mendelssohn, A. Weiss, J. Menuhin, etc.). His CD productions have included the Six Suites of J. S. Bach, the complete works of Gabriel Fauré for cello and piano, as well as works by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Pergolesi and others, in addition to works for cello and orchestra composed for him (e.g., Klaus Cornell’s “Der Weinstock” or Jack Fortner’s “Concertpiece”).

PAOLA ZANNONI-cello -Jazz ensembles      17-22 July
Conservatorio di Verona (IT)

Paola Zannoni graduated in the cello at the Conservatory of Milan and in the recorder at the Royal College of Music in London. For many years she performed in the field of Early Music (playing recorder and baroque cello) and also specialized in music pedagogy and the production of musical events with and for children. At the same time she pursued her interest in jazz and improvisation, studying with Salvatore Maiore, Vincent Cortois, Erik Friedlander and Roberto Rossi and obtaining an advanced diploma in cello jazz at the Conservatory of Verona. Today she plays in various ensembles (latin jazz, groups with voice, with guitar, etc.), conducts string orchestra projects in primary schools and holds courses of improvisation in various music schools (conservatories and other public schools). She has held workshops on the subject of “first steps in jazz for strings” and has been invited to the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunste in Mannheim (D). She teaches at the Conservatories of Mantova and Verona. 

The course proposes an initial approach to improvisation and jazz with the cello and other string instruments. There will be an introduction to the use of chords and the more simple structures, such blues and certain aspects of modal jazz and to a different use of the instrument (walking bass, chords, etc.). At the end of the course some arrangements of standards and blues for string ensemble will be performed. 

ANGELOS FILIPPOU-cello    12-22 July
Artistic Dierctor Municipal Conservatory of Drama(GR)

Maestro Angelos Filippou, son of maestro Dimitris Filippou, has made numerous recordings and possesses a rich repertoire, covering a wide spectrum of works from the Baroque to the present day. He has also made recordings and live concert broadcasts for radio-television stations in Sofia, Tokyo, Moscow, Leningrad, Berlin and Vienna.Born in Thessaloniki, he studied at the Sofia Music Academy and graduated as a solo cellist. He later studied conducting with Vladi Simeonov and Emil Ianev.From 1968 until 1980 he gave many chamber music concerts with Maya Patroneva, professor of the Sofia Music Academy. From 1981 to 1984 he taught at the Department of Orchestral Conducting at the Sofia Music Academy, and since 1985 he has been Director of the Sofia National Orchestra.Since 1991, when he returned to Greece, he works as a cello instructor and conductor of student orchestras at major conservatories of Northern Greece, such as the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala, the Northern Greece Conservatory, the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi, the Municipal Conservatory of Ampelokipi and the Conservatory of Sykies. He is the founder and artistic director of the Municipal Conservatory of Drama.He has given master classes in cello and orchestral conducting in Porto Carras, Kavala and Thessaloniki, and has served as an adjudicator in the “Papaioannou” Festival International Mozart Competition.His students have won first prizes in Greece and abroad, and have continued their studies in London, at the Trinity College of Music and the Royal College of Music

 CHRISTOS KOZALLIS -cello    12-22July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala (GR)

Cellist Christos Kozalis was born in Thessaloniki. He began taking cello lessons at the Makedoniko Conservatory of Thessaloniki with Damianos Kailoglou. Three years later he continued his studies at the Polyaneion Conservatory of Kilkis and then at the Music College of Thessaloniki, with Zoran Stepic.In 2003 he was admitted to Dimitris Patras’ class at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and in June 2009 he graduated with the Diploma (highest mark by unanimous decision). He is also a graduate of the School of Business Management and Administration of the University of Makedonia. Currently, he pursues further studies in cello at the School of Musical Science and Art of the same university, with professor Dimitris Patras.He has attended cello master classes with Xenia Jankovic, as well as chamber music and orchestral seminars. He has given recitals and chamber music concerts all over Greece, and has played in concerts as a special member of the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra.In May 2012 he won 1^st prize at the chamber music competition of the University of Makedonia. In December 2012 he was elected a member of the Board of the Thessaloniki Conservatories Graduate Society.He has worked at the Florina Prefecture Conservatory and the Philippos Nakas Conservatory. Since September 2010 he teaches cello at the Friends of Letters and Arts Society of Serres and at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala, where he also conducts the Chamber Orchestra.

WIND INTRUMENTS-CHAMBER MUSIC

DIMITRIS LEONTZAKOS-Clarinet    12- 22 July 2014
Municipal Conservatory of Thermi/ Idee Fixe ensemble(GR)

Dimitris Leontzakos was born in Kavala. He introduced himself to music by playing the clarinet, flute and the recorder. He dedicated himself to the clarinet. He graduated from the Synchrono Conservatory of Thessaloniki (class of K. Papadopoulos). He also studied the clarinet with Gerd Starke (Music Academy of Munich, Germany), Anton Hollich (Baden-Baden), Vincenzo Mariozzi (Santa Cecilia Music Academy, Rome) and Richard Faria (Fulbright Scholarship, Ithaca College, New York, U.S.A).
He participated in Masterclasses with Charles Neidic, Aurelian Popa, Walter Boeykens and Michel Letiec.
He now permanently performs with the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Volos Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Symphony Orchestra of Katerini Music School and Symphony Orchestra of Serres Music School. He teaches the clarinet in the Filippos Nakas Music Conservatory in Thessaloniki. He has co-founded the contemporary music ensemble ‘OMAδA 3 plus’ (clarinet, violin & piano) and he is member of the contemporary music ensembles “Idée fixe” and “Terra Incognita” (Jazz, Experimental).

BARBARA VENETIKIDOU- Clarinet    17-22 July
Guest of the Papaioannou festival

Born in 1981 in Thessaloniki,Greece, Barbara found the way to the clarinet at the age of 13.

She received her clarinet degree in 2001 at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki with "cum laude", class of Paula Smith.

In 2001 she came to Berlin and studied at the Uninversity of Fine Arts, from where she received the clarinet degree with "cum laude", class of Prof. Georg Zeretzke.

She went on with her master's studies at the Music University of Wuerzburg, class of Prof. Ulrich Wurlitzer, where she received the master's degree in clarinet with "cum laude"

She received the Greek State Scholarship during her master's studies.She was winner of the national clarinet competition of Greece in 1999.She played as soloist with all the Greek symphony orchestras, as well as with the Symphonie Orchester Berlin , performing the concerto of Mozart in the famous Berlin Philharmonic Hall.She has represented Greece in various musical occasions as the International Meeting of the Conservatories of the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra and the European Union Symphony Orchestra.After her studies in Germany she became both clarinet player at the National Opera of Athens and a clarinet teacher at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, where she had studied herself.

One of her students was accepted at the European Youth Orchestra at the age of 16 and won many international prizes.Today Barbara is the solo clarinet player of the Police Orchestra of Berlin-Brabdenburg, at the musi ensemble of the contemporary theater Berliner Volksbuehne, at the woodwind ensemble "Aeolides Quintet" and teaches clarinet at the State Conservatory of Potsdam.

 THEOFILOS SOTIRIADES-Saxophone    12-22 July
 Municipal Conservatory of Thermi/Idee Fixe ensemble(GR)

 Theofilos Sotiriades was born in Thessaloniki (Greece) and graduated from the Faculty of Psychology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He graduated from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki with the degree of the highest distinction (class of Vassilis Vradelis) and then as a scholar of the Foundation of the Greek State Scholarships, he studied in the “’Ecole Nationale de Musique de Créteil” in Paris, in the class of Georges Porte (first prize and special distinction about the interpretation of contemporary music). During his residence in France he won prizes in the European Music Contests “Picardie” and “Leopold Bellan”.
As a professional saxophonist he realized concerts in Europe, Ukraine and USA and officially participated in International Music Festivals and Congress such as LSU International Mini Festival of Art (USA), BGSU 27th New Music Festival (USA), XIX Festival Forfest Czech Republic, ΕlectroMediaWorks 2008 (Athens, Greece), XIII & XIV World Saxophone Congress (Minneapolis, USA and Ljubljana, Slovenia) and Odysseia Symposium (Georgia State University). As a soloist, Theofilos performed with the famous French Quintet of Saxophones of Paris, Louisiana Sinfonietta (USA), Neuchâtel Chamber Orchestra (Switzerland) and the State Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki (Greece).
Distinguished contemporary Greek composers have dedicated some of their works to him and he performed their world premieres (more than thirty). As a result of his deep interest for the promotion of the Hellenic music for saxophone, he recorded two compact discs: “Recollections” and “Theofilos Sotiriades and friends. Music for saxophone by Dinos Constantinides”. He also recorded American contemporary music for Newtertian Recordings and Magni Publications. As a researcher, he is actually completing a catalogue of all the saxophone works written by Greek composers.
Moreover, his artistic creativity covers a wide range of activities: artistic director of the Hellenic Festival of Saxophone and the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet, founding member of the Hellenic Association of Saxophone and creator of diverse ensembles: “Panas Duo” (saxophone & dance), “The guitarphone of Adolf Sax” (saxophone & guitar), “Aegean Duo” (saxophone & piano).
Passionate about teaching, Theofilos holds a position in the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and Municipal Conservatory of Thermi, a contract job in University of Macedonia and teaches as a guest professor in Pelion Festival and the “Brache International music Days” (Germany). He also taught as a visitor professor in American Universities such as Georgia State, Rutgers and Kutztown. His obsessive belief about the social and educational dimensions of music as a mean for the improvement of our human life comes true as a long-term and strong collaboration with the UNESCO Chair of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the creation of the “kUkLuXsaX” orchestra (youth, non-professional saxophone orchestra).
Recently, he received his master’s degree of Music Performance from the studio of Dr. John Sampen in Bowling Green State University while he was working as an assistant professor of saxophone at the same institution.Τhe current year 2010 became promoter as “Rico Artist” of the RICO company, one of the most prestigious companies of the world in producing high quality reeds for saxophone.

 THANOS FISEKIS-Saxophone    12-17 July
 Municipal Conservatory of Lamia(Gr)

Thanos Fisekis obtained saxophone degree (Theodore Kerkezos class) and also classes under Jean-Marie Londeix. He has appeared as recitalist and chamber musician in halls like- The Athens Concert Hall, The National Opera, Acropolis of Athens, Goethe, Parnassos Hall, Athens College, and others. He teaches in various conservatories in Greece since the year 2000 and his students have participated and won prizes in panhellenic and also international competitions. He has organized the International Saxophone Competition in the Municipal Conservatory of Lamia in 2007 which hosted big personalities of music. He has also co-organized the Panhellenic and Pancyprian Saxophone meeting in Volos in 2012 in cooperation with the saxophone classes of the European University of Cyprus, the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi Thessaloniki and others. He has been an artistic director of the cultural Olympiad Athens 2004 to which participated 34 school units from the state of Fthiotida, Greece. He has collaborated with the largest manufacturer company of Saxophones <<Η.Selmer Paris>> he frequents as jury member and is also honorary member of the European Center for Saxophone Study as a personality of Saxophone in Greece.


NIKOLOS DIMOPOULOS-Flute    12-22 July  
 Municipal Conservatory of Thermi/Idee Fixe ensemble(GR)

Nikolos Dimopoulos was born in 1967 and had his first piano lesson at the age of six and his first flute lesson at the age of 12. Initially a member of popular music groups, he went on to study the classical flute at the State Conservatoire of Thessaloniki with T. Takahashi and Ilie Macovei under whom he graduated with merit and a special prize in 1988. He then went on to study at post-graduate level at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Lorant Kovacs and Istvan Lang (contemporary music). Upon successfully completing his studies there, Mr. Dimopoulos took part in master classes with William Bennett, Alexandre Magnin, Marc Grawels and Istvan Matuz. One of his main interests today – owing to these experiences – is with organology and historical performance.
Nikolos has given numerous recitals around Greece and abroad. As a soloist he has performed with the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, the State Orchestra of Cyprus, the Vratza Symphony Orchestra (Bulgaria) and the Symphonic Orchestra of Larissa. He is a founding member of L’estro Armonico, the Thessaloniki flute quartet, and ensemble Jazsic and retains a vivid interest in chamber music. From 1989-1999 he was co-director of the Kozani International Classical Music Courses, in the context of which he performed and worked with many renowned figures of the international music scene.
As a staunch advocate of contemporary music, he has given premieres of many works and has commissioned works for the flute to composers in Greece and abroad. Recently, he undertook the making of a commercial recording of new
works for the flute for the Union of Greek Composers.
In 1996, Mr. Dimopoulos began his career as an orchestral player, joining the Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki and from 1997 he is principle flute for the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki. As a teacher he has taught at the State Conservatoire of Thessaloniki (1995-2004) and has been a guest tutor in most of the main state conservatoires in Northern Greece. He has also been a guest professor in the international summer courses of Kozani (1996-1998), Vertiscos (2002-2003) and Vlasti (2005-2007).
Since 2005 he teaches at the Municipal Conservatory of Thermi.

STEFANIA SOAVE -Flute    12-22 July
 Conservatorio di Trieste(IT)


After graduation, brilliantly achieved in 1983 at the "C. Pollini "of Padua, with C.
Hoogendoorn Scimone, she continued his studies under the guidance of Conrad Klemm and
William Bennett in Italy and with Alain Marion at the International Academy of the Mozarteum in
Salzburg.She played in various chamber and orchestral ensembles, including "I Solisti Veneti”, the
Quintet Patavium, the Quartet of Flutes Briccialdi, Trio Soave, Instrumental Trio Academy of
Padua, the group" I Solisti di Padova ', the Mozart Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble of Padua, the
Duo Magadis, the Aeolus Ensemble, Duo Arcadia, Orchestra Mozart, Flute Quartet Berthomieu.With “I Solisti Veneti” attended the Salzburg Festival '83 and '84 and recorded for Erato.
Apparent winner of awards in national and international competitions with the Flute Quartet Briccialdi (Chienti '87, Stresa '87, '87 Porcia, ACAD ENDAS Genoa-'88) is also awarded to the Trio
Soave Review Centese '85, Stresa ' 86, Isle of Capri '89. With the WoodWind Ensemble of Padua,
conducted by Pierluigi Destro, was rewarded in Stresa '93 and won the Award of Merit in the
competition A.Gi.Mus. TIM '93.With I Solisti di Padova was invited to play in Hungary, Norway and Sweden, where she recordedfor Swedish Radio.As a soloist she has performed with the Festival Orchestra of Plovdiv (Bulgaria) during the Italian tour '97, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Moldova in '98, with PloiestiPhilarmony Orchestra in 2008, with the Orchestra of St. Marco di Pordenone in 2010, always under Pierluigi Destro’s baton. Teaches flute for over twenty years and is interested in teaching flute for groups of children and young people, treating musical adaptations and receiving awards in many reviews.Winner of the national competition for teach flute at the conservatories, is professor of flute at the"Tito Schipa" Conservatory in Lecce.
From 2002 she plays as Principal Flute with the Civic Wind Orchestra of Padua, a brilliant
team that performs music concert seasons summer and autumn in Padua, in addition to touring in
Switzerland, Germany and Slovenia.With the Flute Quartet "Marc Berthomieu” (www.quartettoberthomieu.it) she dedicated to the research and implementation of the repertoire for flute quartet nineteenth century to the present day and recorded the cd " French atmosphere ". A deepening and completion of the teaching and concerts, she is the author of research on the biographies of great flutists of the past (for example, "Jean-Pierre Rampal, the flutist of the twentieth century," "Reflections in a golden flute: Severino Gazzelloni" "Arrigo Tassinari, the flutist of Toscanini”), and lectures in collaboration with M ° Fabio Bacelle at Libraries and Italian Conservatories.

VESSELIN BELOMAZHOV-flute    12-22 July

Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Vesselin Belomazhov was born in Bulgaria. He graduated from the State Conservatory of Pleven (in the class of his father, G. Belomazhov) and the State Academy of Sofia. In 1980 he was appointed solo flute at the National Opera of Varna. In 1983 he founded the “Varna” Wind Quintet, which won several awards at competitions and performed in many international festivals (Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, France and Spain).

Since 1989 he lives and works in Greece as a performer and flute teacher at the Contemporary Conservatory of Thessaloniki, and since 1995 at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala. Aside from works by Greek composers which he has presented with the Chamber Orchestra of the ERT-3, he has also recorded for the Bulgarian, Polish and Greek State Radio-Television.He regularly teaches at seminars and serves as jury member at competitions. Among the young flutists who have graduated from his class, more than 20 are currently enjoying a successful career in Greece or abroad.

PIERLUIGI DESTRO Wind ensembles    12- 22 July  
 International Coordinator at the Conservatorio di Padua(IT)

Pierluigi Destro (1959) was a student at the Venice Conservatory and graduated in oboe in 1982 with full marks under the guidance of M° Bruno Baldan (principal oboe of Teatro La Fenice Symphony Orchestra, Venice). He completed his instrumental studies in 1980 at the Nice International Academy
with M° Pierre Pierlot (1st prize at the Geneva International Music Competition, international soloist and 1st oboe soloist at the Opéra de Paris orchestra), in 1981 at the Pescara Music Academy with M° Augusto Loppi(1st prize at the Geneva International Music Competition, principal oboe of Teatro alla Scala in Milan and also of the Accademia di S. Cecilia in Rome).Pierluigi was awarded the Diploma of Merit in 1981 and thereafter studied in 1984 in Salzburg at the Mozarteum Music Academy with Mo Lothar Koch's Berliner Philarmoniker. Destro also studied in Italy with M° Walter Bianchi (principal oboe of San Paolo Symphony) and with M° Maurice Bourgue (1st prize at the Geneva International Music Competition and international soloist). He also studied Alexander Technique in Padua with Giorgio Ravazzolo and was awarded the Diploma of Merit.  From 1983 to 1986 he performed as an oboist in Padua with "I Solisti Veneti" chamber orchestra and from 1983 to 1991 in Rome with the RAI Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra. Founder of the Padua Double Reed Trio and Padua Wind Quintet, Destro won several national and international prizes and was awarded the Diploma of Merit at the prestigious 9th Martigny Chamber Music International Competition in Switzerland. As a specialist in chamber music, Destro has given concerts in Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, France, Hungary, Italy, India, Kazakhistan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Rumania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. In 1998 he oversaw the reconstruction and revision of the score of Beethoven's symphony n° 7 in the version for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassons and double basson, originally published in 1816 by Steiner – Wien. This new version was published in 1998 by Ut Orpheus (Bologna) and presented wordwide for the first time in March 1998 at the fairs of Frankfurt and Paris, where it was reviewed by Radio France as “the best work of the year”.Since 1983 Destro has been teaching Chamber Music for Woodwind Ensemble, working in Castelfranco Veneto, Udine, Vicenza (where he has also acted as Quality Assurance Coordinator, International Relations Manager, Vice Director and Director) and, last but not least, in Padua where he is currently Permanent Professor, Erasmus Coordinator, A.E.C. Coordinator and International Relations Mananger. Destro studied orchestral conducting with M° Ludmil Descev (principal conductor of the Sofia State Symphony and Ballet orchestras for 25 years in Bulgaria). In 1994 he graduated in Orchestra Conducting with full marks. In 1996 he completed his postgraduate studies in Opera Conducting with great honours. Since his debut, Destro has conducted: Yerevan Chamber orchestra (Armenia), J. Haydn Wind Ensemble (Austria), Classic Avantgarde Chamber
Orchestra and the Belorussian State Academy Symphony Orchestra (Belarus) where he was appointed Permanent Guest Conductor in 2005; Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra, Schoumen State Symphony, Sofia Chamber Orchestra and Sofia Soloists (Bulgaria) , Shenyang Youth Symphony Orchestra (China), Kazakh State Chamber Orchestra (Kazakhistan) , Riga Wind Symphony
Orchestra (Latvia),Vilnius Wind Ensemble (Lithuania), Calcutta Foundation String Orchestra (India) where he was appointed International Guest Conductor in 2001; National Philarmonic Orchestra and RadioTelevision Symphony where he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor in 1997
(Rep. Moldova); Bacau Symphony Orchestra (Rumania), National Library Symphony Orchestra (Russia), Yasar Chamber Orchestra (Turkey), Cordoba Wind Ensemble and Badajoz Wind Ensemble (Spain), Mimar Sinan Wind Ensemble (Turkey) and Zaporozhye Symphony (Ukraine). In his native Italy, he has conducted the C. Pollini Chamber Symphony, Euphonia Chamber Symphony, Padua Wind Ensemble (Principal Conductor from 1990 to 1997), Pordenone Symphony, T. Schipa Wind Ensemble, Vicenza Jazz Orchestra and Rapallo Symphony Orchestra.Since 1983 Destro has been teaching Chamber Music for Woodwind Ensemble, working in Castelfranco Veneto, Udine, Vicenza (where he has also acted as Quality Assurance Coordinator, International Relations Manager, Vice
Director and Director) and, last but not least, in Padua where he is currently Permanent Professor, Erasmus Coordinator, A.E.C. Coordinator and International Relations Mananger.

VOCAL

VITTORIA LICARI - Vocal     12-21 July
 International Coordinator at the Conservatorio of Brescia(IT)

Graduated in piano, harpsichord and singing, she studied musicology at the School of Paleography and Musical Philology of Cremona. She is going to earn her master’s degree in History and Criticism of Cultures and Musical Goods at the DAMS of Turin. 

She got the specialisation in chamber vocal music at the Conservatory of Milan under the guidance of tenor Petre Munteanu. 

She followed in-depth study courses on the executive praxis of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music with Andrea von Ramm, Barbara Thornton, Benjamin Bagby, Piero Cavalli, Evelyn Tubb, Sergio Vartolo, Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini; on the executive technique and praxis of Italian opera with Maria Luisa Cioni, Eugenia Ratti and Virginia Zeani; on classic Indian singing (Dhrupad) with Amelia Cuni.Co-founder of Ensemble Adelchis, specialised in the performance of Medieval music, in 1984 and joiner of the same group until 1989. Soloist of the New Polyphonic Ambrosiana Choir of Milan for many years. She carried on an intensive concert activity for prestigious institutions such as the Cini Foundation of Venice, the Musical Union of Turin, the Tudertina Academy, the San Giulio d'Orta September Music, the Borromeo College of Pavia, the Foundation of the Italian Centre for Medieval Studies in Spoleto, the International Association for the Study of Gregorian Chant and others. 
She is interested in the history of gestural character and she constantly gets up-to-date with vocal didactics and bodily problems. She obtained the diploma of École Internationale Serge Wilfart for the teaching of the method “Pneumaphonie – Analyser, construire, harmoniser par la voix” and she is deepening vocal didactics with Yva Barthélémy. She is very active in essay writing and journalism as well. She regularly contributes to Corriere del Teatro, a specialised magazine in the field of music theatre, and to web site eu-phonia.eu..She teached Opera Stage Art at the Music Conservatory of Mantua since 1993 - after one year at the Conservatory of Matera - until 2008. In parallel with the teaching activity she was Enzo Dara’s assistant for the 17th Century Music Theatre Workshop that since 2000 has been occurring in Mantua every two years.
Since 2008 she’s Singing and Opera Stage Art Professor at the Music Conservatory of Brescia.She’s also essayist and journalist.

ARIS CHRISTOFELLIS-Vocal     12-17 july
Guest of ISMA

Aris Christofellis was born in Athens in 1960 and studied music (piano and singing) in Athens and Paris. He was the first countertenor of the modern era to revisit and give prominence to the soprano repertoire of the 18^th-century castrati – until that time, countertenors had concentrated only on the alto repertoire. He gave his first concert performance at Mai Musical de Bordeaux in 1984, and has since appeared internationally in numerous concerts and operas (Théâtre du Châtelet Paris, Festival de Radio France et Montpellier, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, Theater an der Wien, Teatro Mercadante di Napoli, Teatro Arriaga Bilbao, Festival di Martina Franca, Festival Barocco del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Wiener Konzerthaus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and elsewhere).

His repertoire ranges from Renaissance music to contemporary works, with a particular focus on Italian Baroque Opera of the eighteenth century. As a musicologist, he has brought many pieces of this period to light, and is a specialist on 18^th and 19^th-century vocal music ornamentation.

Christofellis has recorded for EMI Classics – L’âge d’or des castrats, Farinelli et son temps, Airs de virtuosité du XVIII siècle, Les castrats au temps de Mozart, From Distant Lands and Peoples. He also has made several other recordings: Vivaldi’s Ottone in villa (Bongiovanni) and L’Olimpiade (Nuova Era), songs of the twentieth century by Berg, Ives and Barber (Sirius), Songs to the Tree of Oblivion (Sirius, 2009), Music in Shakespeare’s Time (Musica Viva) and Carissimi oratorios (Musicaimmagine). He has also performed and recorded works written specially for him by Greek composers Yorgos Koumendakis, Nikos Kypourgos and Lena Platonos (Sirius, Lyra).

A Bononcini aria performed by Christofellis was recently included in The Record of Singing Vol. 5 (1953-2007): From the LP to the Digital Era (EMI Classics, 2009). This series collects and documents landmark recordings in the history of opera, from 1899 to the present day.

In 2000 Christofellis gave his last live performance and returned to Greece to begin a five-year collaboration with the Greek National Opera. He was assigned the artistic direction of Haendel’s Serse and Alcina, Vivaldi’s Orlando furioso and Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, teaching the works to a new generation of young Greek singers. These productions enjoyed great success, and signalled the beginning of a Baroque opera tradition in Greece. It was at this time that he also began to collaborate with the Orchestra of Colours on a regular basis, preparing and teaching thematic concerts of vocal music, and working always with young singers.

He regularly gives master classes at the Athenaeum Conservatory, the Athens Conservatory, the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala and the “N. Mantzaros” Conservatory, as well as at the annual “Suoni e luoghi del Barocco” Summer Academy in Sicily.

The year 2007 saw Christofellis collaborate with the Hellenic Festival to oversee, prepare and teach two concerts – given at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus –dedicated to the Greek years (1937-45) of Maria Callas’ career, as part of the “Maria Callas – Thirty Years On” tribute.

In May 2009 he was appointed Head of Studies of the Athens Opera Studio, a branch of the Greek National Opera, where he taught for two seasons. He is on the faculty of the OperaVerona master classes and in 2014 he taught at the Teatro “Carlo Felice” Opera Studio (EOS) in Genova.

ARTEMIS BOGRI -vocal     17-22 July
Idee Fixe ensemble

She was born in Athens and her first musical studies were piano. She had began classical singing training in the supervision of Marina Krilovici, at the Athenaeum Conservatory, from where she graduated with a unanimous full mark degree, 1^st Award and a golden metal.  She has attended singing seminars by Daphne Evangelatos, Jeanette Pilou and Aris Christofellis, with whom she continues to her studies in singing performance. She has been an active member of the Athens Opera Studio (Greek National Opera) from 2009 to 2011.

She has performed with the Athens Chamber Orchestra, Athens Municipality Orchestra, Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Colours, Greek Contemporary Music Ensemble and Camerata Orchestra of Athens under the baton of the conductor Helmuth Reeling. She often collaborates with composer George Couroupos, performing his works both in Greece and abroad.

She has performed multiple times in productions of the Greek National Opera. Her roles include: Komponist in Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos”, Rosina in Rossini’s  “Il barbiere di Siviglia”, Angelina in Rossini’s “Cenerentola”, Adalgisa in Bellini’s “Norma” and Bubikopf-das Mädchen in V.Ullmann’s “Der Kaiser von Atlantis”. She participated in the first  nationwide production of the opera “The stage of miracles” by Greek composer George Couroupos and at the first worldwide revival of C.W. Gluck’s “Il trionfo di Clelia”, produced by the Royal Opera House in June 2012. She recently collaborated with the Ergon Ensemble and the conductor Kasper de Roo for the tribute to the pioneering British composer Peter Maxwell Davis, performing as Miss Donnithorne in “Miss Donnithorne’s maggot”. She received her B.S. degree in economics from the University of Piraeus.

 CHARIKLEIA GLAVOPOULOU -Vocal     18-22 July
 proffesor at the Municipal Conservatory of Drama(GR)

Soprano Charikleia Glavopoulou was born in Drama, Greece. She studied at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki under Varvara Tsampali and graduated with a First Class Solo Diploma. She has attended masterclasses and lessons with Costas Pashalis, Nikos Zahariou, Eleni Karouso, Gabriella Ravazzi, Gabriele Pisani, Sergio Magli, F.M. Carminatti, Czaba Vegvary, George Hadjinikos, Daphne Evaggelatou, Mirella Freni and Cheryl Studer.

She went on to study at postgraduate level in Genova, Italy, with Gabriella Ravazzi and later in Athens with Varvara Gavakou.

Her Italian debut was in the lead role of Silvia in Mascagni’s Zanetto at the Teatro Mancinelli in Orvieto. In Italy, she gave vocal recitals in many cities and also toured with Gruppo Caronte. She also performed themed recitals with works by Greek composers at Teatro Carlo Felice Auditorium in Genova and at the Fiera Internazionale Di Milano.

In Greece she has collaborated with the Thessaloniki Municipal and State Orchestras, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Opera and other cultural institutions interpreting roles in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Mozart’s Requiem, Menotti’s O Pulchritudo, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto. She has sung under the direction of distinguished maestros such as Loukas Karytinos, Nikos Athinaios, Dimitris Agrafiotis, Viron Fydetzis, Alkis Baltas and Luciano Di Martino.

Mrs Glavopoulou has performed in many music festivals around Greece as well as in solo and chamber music recitals. She performed Respighi’s Il Tramonto with the Aimilios Riadis Quartet at the Dimitria festival; she has also premiered works by Nicolaou with the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet at the Greek Composers Forum as part of the Dimitria festival. She interpreted the lead role of Margarita in the music-theatre show The story of Margarita…by Faust performing works by Schubert, Gounod, Verdi, Boito, Berlioz at the Centre for Drama Research. In 2013 she appeared at the Rhodes and Milos festivals and recently made a guest appearance at an Opera Gala homage to Verdi at the Tellogleio Cultural Centre.

She has been active as a singing teacher since 2000 and has worked at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, Music College, National Conservatory and the Municipal Conservatories of Lamia, Drama and Kavala. Since 2012 she has been teaching at the Summer Academy organized by the Municipal Conservatories Network.

Her students have excelled in competitions and have participated by means of audition in masterclasses organized by the Thessaloniki and Athens Megaron as well as other institutions. They have collaborated as soloists with the Thessaloniki State and Municipal orchestras and have performed at the Thessaloniki Megaron amongst distinguished singers under conductors such as Nikos Athinaios, Carolos Trikolidis, Miltos Logiadis and Andreas Tselikas. They have performed at the Centre for Music, the Municipal Theatres of Mitilini, Corfou, Lefkada, the Vafopoulos Cultural Centre of Thessaloniki and the Veria Megaron. In December 2012 her students performed three lead roles at Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci at Aneton Municipal Theatre of Thessaloniki.Mrs Glavopoulou is also a graduate of the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

GUITAR

KOSTAS MAKRYGIANNAKIS -Guitar      13-17 July
Artistic Director of the Municipal Conservatory of Thessaloniki(GR)

Kostas Makrygiannakis studied music (Thessaloniki-Greece, Synchronon Conservatoire, London-UK, Trinity College of Music) and economics (Thessaloniki,  AUTH). He also attended several masterclasses and workshops with acclaimed musicians such as Leo Brouwer, David Russel, Manuel Barrueco and Carlo Domeniconi among others. He has been distinguished in international competitions as prize-winner or finalist.

Since 1997 he has widely performed in venues and festivals in Greece, UK, Germany, Denmark, Romania, Cyprus and Czech Republic. His broad area of interests includes chamber music, new music for guitar, historically based performance as well as improvisation, pop music, conceptual music and composition. He has premiered a number of new works for solo guitar as well as for chamber ensembles, promoting contemporary music in Greece and abroad. He has broadcasted for Greek State Radio and Television, BBC, EBU and has been engaged in several album recordings. His performances have received great reviews from the international press such as Classical Guitar Magazine (UK), Neue Presse (Germany) and from Greek newspapers and magazines.

 Kostas is the artistic director of Guitar Plus Festival in Thessaloniki, the only greek festival entirely focused on chamber guitar music from Renaissance to the present day. He is also member of the organisation team of Music Village Festival, (www.music-village.gr)  together with Thimios Atzakas and George –Emmanuel Lazaridis, one of the most important cultural societies in Greece, which brings together artists from all over the world in the context of performing, education and cultural cross-breeding.

 GEORGE GOUSSIOS -guitar 12-17 July
Artistic Director Municipal Conservatory of Polihni(GR)

G.Goussios was born in 1972.he lives and acts as an artist in Thessaloniki.He has studied cleassic guitar at Macedonian concervatory of Thessaloniki with the professors P.Mpoutopoulos and F.Mpaxe, whose class he graduated obtaining the guitar certificate in 1993 band guitar diploma in 1995.At the same time he attended seminars masterclasses be international famous solists as H.Kaeppel,D.Russel,Th. Mueller-Pering.He continued with postgraduate studies for three years at the Academy of Music <<F.Liszt>> of Vaimar with the professors G.Reichenbach and Pr.M.Rost.He graduated in 20001 with the title <<Konzerrtdiplom,Richtung-Gitarre>>.During the period 2001-2005 he studied superior theoretical music lessons with the professor E.Kateli.He graduated from the department of musical studies of Ionian university of Korfou in 2010 obtaining the diploma in music with specialty in guitar.

    In 1986 he won the second award in a competition for children up to 15 years old,in the international festival of guitar in Volos.In 1999 he won the special award of contemporary repertory in the international festival of korfou,in which  he was invited as solist in 2001 and 2003.Also he was finalist in the first Greek competition of guitar in Arhanes in Krete ,2000.

    His music career started in 1992 with the cooperation with P.Theodorou with recitals in Vafopoulio and French Institute.Also in the festival of milinas piliou in 1993,1994.H econtinued with many personal recitals in Greece and Germany.His participation in the festival 0f 40^th Dimitrion 2005,was very special with a programme dedicated to Spanish music at Alatza Imaret and his appearance at Megaro Mousikis of Thessaloniki in 2006 dedicated to F.Lorca and M.DE Falla.In January 2012 he, with the soprano E.Chronopoulou performed  <<La Maya de Goya>> along with the exhibition of Goya;s paintings in the Telloglio Institute of Arts.

  He has had also participation in different programmes of TV and radio,recitals of room music,with  the mucisians Th.Natsis,O.Tavlaridou.Since 2013 has been a duet <<The Maya of Two>> with the flute player L.Kokoria.

   G.Goussios has been teaching guitar from 2001 at the elementary concervatory of Polichni and from 2003 as a teacher in different musical schools of central Macedonia.

 

FOTIS KOUTSOTHODOROS-guitar   12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Classical guitarist Fotis Koutsothodoros was born in Lamia and graduated in 1992 from the Municipal Conservatory of the city in the class of Dimitris Kontogiannis. He continued post-diploma studies at the Athens Conservatory with Costas Kotsiolis, graduating in 1995. From 1997 to 2000 he pursued postgraduate studies at the Concervatorio Superior of Madrid and the Concervatorio Superior of Cordoba (Spain), with M. Jimenez and M. Barbera, respectively.

He later took lessons with Joaquin Clerch at the “Robert Schumann” Academy of Düsseldorf (Germany). He holds a “Bakkalaureat” and a “Magister Diplom” from the “Mozarteum” University of Salzburg (Austria), where is teachers were M. Seidel (guitar) and J. Huebsher (old music). There, upon recommendation by the university, he was awarded the “Wurdigungpreis” from the Austrian Ministry of Arts and Sciences, for the best graduate of the year – the first time this distinction was conferred to a guitarist at that institution.

He has also attended courses with S. Fontaneli (Conductor Contemporary Orchestra Mozarteum), L. Brouwer, E. Fisk and M. Barrueco.

Having participated in several national and international competitions from an early age, he has won many distinctions, such as: 1st Prize at the Volos International Guitar Festival (1993), 3rd Prize at the “A. Segovia” International Competition (1997 - Linares, Spain), 2nd Prize at the “Paco Santiago Marin” International Competition (1999 - Granada, Spain), 2nd Prize at the “Alhambra” International Competition (2000 - Alkoy, Spain), 1st Prize at the “Sinaia” International Competition (2001 - Romania), 1st Prize at the “Archanes” Guitar Competition (2001 - Crete), 1st Prize at the “Walkersheim” International Competition (2001 - Germany), Award at the “J. Rodrigo” International Competition “Michelle Pittaluga” (2001 – Allesandria, Italy), 3rd Prize at the “A. Segovia” International Competition (2002 - Herradura, Spain), 1st Prize at the “Forum Gitarre” International Competition and Special Prize for the best interpretation of the works of J. Rodrigo (2002 - Vienna, Austria), 2nd Prize at the “Leo Brouwer” (2004 - La Habana, Cuba)

His achievements and chamber music collaborations have built an intense concert activity, as he has given concerts in Greece and abroad, and has been involved in the first Panhellenic execution of projects “Madrigal” and “Concierto Andaluz” of Joaquin Rodrigo with the Athens State Orchestra. In 2002 he participated in the educational production of Thessaloniki Concert Hall Organisation “The History of the Guitar ” and in 2006 was invited by the university “Bogazizi” at Istanbul in order to give a  concert dedicated to the Greek-Turkish friendship, collaborating with the Duo “Terci-Korad”.

He has taught and given recitals at many festivals, such as: Guitar Festival of Volos, Guitar Festival of Naxos, Guitar Cycle at the Athens Concert Hall, Small Festival of Agios Stefanos, Veria Guitar Festival and the Guitar Festival of Patras. His activity also involves many International Symposiums abroad, such as Iserlohn, Esterghom, Tijuana, Bratislava, Mikulov, Il de Re, Pomferada, Vienna, Laufen, Gran Canaria. He has represented Greece at the 1st Guitar Southeastern Europe, sponsored by Bilkent University.

An important part of his activity involves performing the repertoire on baroque, classical or romantic period instruments, with special emphasis on the works of Early Romanticism.

His educational activity, except for his long-term collaboration with musical institutions in Thessaloniki, Lamia and Kavala, also includes teaching at major events concerning the guitar and chamber music. Lastly, many of his students have been award-winners repeatedly at important competitions.

 PETROS RISTAS-guitar      17-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Veria(GR)

He was born in Veria. He studied elevated theoretic music.Counterpoint,classic guitar,fugue,instrumentation and composition at the Apollonium conservatory,at Sygxrono conservatory,at Piraeus conservatory and at the public conservatory in Neapoli.Tought by-conductors: B.Delios,M.Travlo,S.Raftopoulo,B. Mpoulousi.Guitar teachers: X.Ekmektsoglou, G. Nikolopoulo.
At the same time he studied at the F.Nakas Conservatory taught by the pianist M. Alexiou Jazz Piano and jazz composition.He observed seminars about orchestra conducting given by the well know conductors J. Conta and H.Voudouri,as well as choral conducting given by Tr. Kalokiri and Merry-Emma Meligkopoulou. He composed many songs for classic orchestras as well as songs for small ensambles.The last few years he writes music for music-theatrical plays.Such as “Feggarofwto”,”Simigdalenios”,”Egwisths Gigantas” as well as music for the semi-opera of E.Varlami for Alexander the great.He made the music adjustment on the fairytale of G. Kalogirou To Paramithi pou den to ‘lege kaneis(the fairytale that no one could tell and the four seasons) , using music of An.Vivaldi  “The Four Seasons” for the ΔΗ.ΠΕ.ΘΕ of Veroia. He has conducted many orchestras .He also instrumented many Greek and foreign songs .Furthermore he was conductor and he also made the instrumentation for the oblation to the composer G. Kalogirou, as well as at the orchestra of friends of music in Imathia, which presented gigs-oblation to the moon in the summer of 2009 in cities of Greece.He also instrumented and conducted an oblation to M.Mitsias with the participation of the last one and the orchestra (KOEM) of St. Xarhakos, in the summer of 2011 at the solstice parkland in Veria. He also did the instrumentation and the conducting for the oblation to St. Xarhakos in the music hall of Veria.He teaches classic guitar in the Public conservatory in Veria and he the master teacher for the guitar ensemble A G R. He was also the master teacher of the orchestra ensemble in the 1^st solstice musical academy in Volos in the summer of 2012.Conductor in the orchestra A.G.R. in the concert which were given in the 2^nd musical solstice academy  in Volos. He is art headmaster and he teaches elevated musical theory in the Pieriko Conservatory in Katerini. He has taught theory and choral in music schools in Katerini-Serres-Aminteo-Siatista-Ptolemaida.He is also art headmaster in Aristotelis Conservatory and he is teaching elevated theory of music and classic guitar.In the same time he is conductor in the choral ensemble of the conservatory.He were conductor of the student orchestra in the Public conservatory in Polihni.Last but not least he is founder and conductor of the choral-orchestra ensemble Monogramma and conductor of the student choral ensemble  of ARTMUSIC conservatory in Kozani.

FOTIS MPAXES- Guitar     12-17 July

Municipal Conservatory of Thermi(Gr)

Born at Thessaloniki studied guitar with Athanasios Leondaridis at Macedonian Conservatory and with Jose Luis Rodrigo and Jose Tomas in Spain.

 He has recorded for the Greek Radio  and  he has performed in Spain , Cyprus  and Romania.

He has also recorded two CDs  with PETROS THEODOROU’S music and with Spanish  music.In 2004 ,in cooperation with symphonic orchestra  of Kalamaria , he performed Concierto Aranjuez by  Joaquin Rodrigo.From  2007  to 2010  he gave  recitals all over Greece interpreting pieces by Greek composers.Many students of his have received the highest distinctions in national and international guitar competitions.He teaches at Macedonian Conservatory of Thassaloniki  and at Municipal Conservatory of  Thermi.

EARLY MUSIC

JERASSIMOS CHOIDAN- Harpsichord     12-17 July
Guest of ISMA

Pianist and harpsichordist Jerassimos Coidan (Γεράσιμος Χοϊδάς) studied piano and composition in Athens. He, later on, lived in Belgium where he studied harpsichord and basso continuo with Kris Verhelst, Anne Galowich and Jos van Immerseel and organ with Lieven Strobbe and Joris Lejeune. Alongside he specialized in historically informed performance on historical keyboard instruments and worked on the clavichord, organ and fortepiano. His interest focuses on the repertoire of music of 17th and 18th century for harpsichord, piano repertoire from the 18th and 19th century which acquired a new dimension for Jerassimos Coidan, after the study on historical pianos, and renaissance and baroque vocal music (opera, oratorio, Lied, polyphony). J. Coidan has performed with all top level Greek formations and solo at diverse venues. Since 2013 he directs the early music vocal ensemble Corpus Minor.  He is piano and harpsichord tutor and baroque singing korrepetitor at Kodaly Conservatory and Thessaloniki State Conservatory. 

ANASTASIA MILIORI -baroque violin      12-17 July

Guest of ISMA

Anastasia Miliori studied: violin, advanced music theory and early music (baroque violin & singing) in Greece and Germany.

Professors: Dimitris Semsis & Nikos Panagiotakis (Greece: Bachelor in Violin Performance &  Counterpoint Composition),

Anton Steck & Jan Van Elsacker (State Music University of Trossingen: Master in Early music), Frederique Friess & Angelika Luz (State Music University of Stuttgart: KA classical singing).

She holds a bachelor's degree in Medieval-Modern Greek Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

She collaborates with symphony and baroque orchestras such as: World Youth Orchestra Unesco "Jeunesse Musicale", (under Josep Vicent), B-A-C-H Stuttgart, Cappella Principale, Collegium Musicum Stuttgart, European Union Baroque Orchestra (under Lars Ulrik Mortensen), Bern Consort (under Jörg Ritter ), Patras Orchestra under George Petrou (recordings for MDG, concerts at Megaron-Athens Concert Hall), with Latinitas Nostras and Ex Silentio.

She has performed as a soloist, among others at: the International Festival of Aegina, the Spring Organ Series (St.Paul's Anglican Church), Michalis Kakoyannis Foundation, the Benaki Museum, the Parnassos concert hall. She collaborated musically with the National Theatre (Roula Pateraki).

Currently she teaches violin and chamber music and singing at the National Conservatory,   the Conservatory 'Nikolaos Mantzaros', the Costeas-Geitonas School, as well as in summer workshops in Greece.

 ANTIGONI TSALLA-flute traverso      12-17 july

Guest of ISMA

Antigoni Tsalla was born in Athens in 1976. She studied modern flute, piano and harmony at the Athens Conservatory and Musicology at the Music Department of the Ionian University in Corfu. Immediately after her graduation she started studying renaissance, baroque and classic- romantic traverso at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague under the guidance of Wilbert Hazelzet and also followed lessons by Bartold Kuijken and Kate Clark. She has been awarded a scholarship for her studies in The Netherlands by the A.S.Onassis foundation and in September 2008 she completed her studies by receiving Bachelor and Master Degrees on historical performance practice.

The chamber and orchestral music repertoire that she has focused on covers the period from approximately 1650 up to 1850, namely the whole spectrum of the instrument’s evolution prior to the Boehm system, but also the diverse musical styles that emerged during that era.

She has interpreted works for solo flute and chamber music with various ensembles. Among others she has collaborated with the baroque orchestras Musica poetica, De Swaen, Bach Orchestra of the Netherlands, Il Concerto Barocco, Contrasto Armonico, the Patra String Orchestra, with concerts in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and Greece and has appeared as a soloist at the Megaron Athens Hall and the Onassis Cultural Center.

 Since 2009 she is working with the baroque orchestra Armonia Atenea (Camerata, Orchestra of the Friends of Music) on various projects and has participated in recordings of baroque orchestras under the labels Brilliant Classics and MDG.

Currently she is teaching modern flute at St’ Catherine’s British School.

 

 COMPOSITION -ADVANCED THEORY

Riccardo Vaglini /Composition       12-22 July 
Proffesor at the Conservatorio di Venecia (IT)

Riccardo Vaglini (Pisa, Italy 1965). Italian composer and performer, he studied piano with Luisagrazia Caldi, composition with Gaetano Giani-Luporini, Giuseppe Giuliano and Giacomo Manzoni. From 1988 to 1994 he attended the Darmstadt Ferienkurse getting two scholarships. In 1995 he was composer-in-residence in MM&T in Milan. Since 1993 he teaches composition, actually at the Conservatory of Venice. From 1994 to 2003 he was artistic director of ArsenaleMusica in Pisa. In 1998 he founded, with composers Andrea Nicoli and Riccardo Dapelo, ArsPublica Editions, with which by then publish their work. He has given lectures and seminars for New York University, Toho Gakuen School and founding JML Tokyo , Conservatories of Palermo, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Strasbourg, Agimus, Guggenheim and Ateneo Veneto in Venice , the Italian Cultural Institutes of Thessaloniki, Strasbourg, Athens. In 2012 he was Visiting Professor in Melbourne for many seminars at the Victoria University of Arts and Monash University and for new premieres: Radio Exarcheia, with artist Tom Nicholson, and Inventario, with The Astra Choir. Since 2008 he holds master's degree in composition for Kairos in Camino al Tagliamento (Udine), where he directs, with Francis Zorzini , the festival Camino Contro Corrente. In 2009 he founded, together with his own composition students, Collettivo Rituale, a group for research and diffusion of the Fluxus repertoire,  with which he created the modern premiere of two historical works by Giancarlo Cardini and Giuseppe Chiari at the Venice Biennale Musica 2011.

 HUGH WARD PERKINS- Advanced theory     17-22 July
Director Conervatorio di Verona

Hugh Ward-Perkins was born in Rome, graduated in medieval history and Italian literature at the University of Oxford and obtained diplomas in organ and harpsichord at the Music Conservatories of Bolzano and Ferrara respectively. He has performed (mainly as a harpsichordist in various early music ensembles and orchestras) and done research (in the field of renaissance and baroque music). For many years he has taught History of Music in Italian conservatories. Since 2008 he has been director of the State Music Conservatory in Verona. He is particularly interested in certain themes: the role of musicians in the 21st century, the collaboration between institutions of higher education (universities, conservatories and academies), and the importance of European and international relations. He has been the coordinator of many international projects

 GEORGES PAPOUTSIS-Composition -Advanced Theory 12-22 July 
Artistic Director of the Municipal Conservatory of Poligiros(GR)

Born in Komotini, Greece.

He took piano courses with L.Vasileiadou and Music Theory with A.Baltas. He studied Music Composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts of Graz, Austria with Gerd Kühr and Georg Friedrich Haas as supervisors. In 2002 he studied with Wolfgang Rihm, Sandeep Bhagwati (Composition) and Ulrich Michels (Theory and Music Analysis).

Consequently he studied Composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts of Vienna with Erich Urbanner (graduated with the Magister Artium title and postgraduate studies), as well as Musicology as a part of his doctoral research. He is a doctoral candidate of the Ionian University supervised by Prof. Dim. Maragopoulos.

He actively participated in several piano seminars in Greece and abroad with J.Schröder, M.Lorchel, G. & K.Polyzoidou, I.Eftimov etc. (with scholarships from the state of Upper Austria and the University of Graz) as well as in Composition seminars with  Kalevi Aho, Wolfgang Rihm, Mathias Spahlinger. His compositions for single instruments, chamber orchestras and ensembles have been performed in Austria (Vienna, Graz), in Germany (Karlsruhe, Baden-Baden), in Athens (at the Athens Concert Hall by the Hellenic Group of Contemporary Music, at the Greek Composers Festival of Cholargos Municipality 2006 by the Athens Municipal Symphony Orchestra and at the Benaki Museum by the Athens State Orchestra), in Thessaloniki (by the Municipal Orchestra of Thessaloniki) and has participated in various productions (electronic music/video, multimedia composition etc.) in Austria and Germany. He has composed music for theatre and has collaborated with Austrian Music Publishing “Universal” and “Musikverlag Wolfgang Kiess” as a trustee.

He has lectured on Composition at the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia (2008-09). He has taught children at the primary and secondary levels of education Piano, Music Theory and Composition. He has also given seminars on Theory of Music at several  music conservatories in Athens and Thessaloniki. Georges Papoutsis is the artistic director of the Municipal Conservatory of Poligiros and a member of the Greek Composers Union, as well as the co-founder of “Music is...”

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KOSTANTINOS STOGIANNIDIS-Advanced Theory      12-17 July
Municipal Conservatory of Thermi (GR)

He was born in Thessaloniki , Greece in 1976.He studied Harmony with

J.Danis,Counterpoint with N.Solomonidis ,Fugue with K.Tsougras and Composition with K.Siempis.He studied master classes of composition with T.Antoniou ,Chr.Samaras , T. Simakou . His compositions has been played in Thessaloniki ,other cities of Greece and also in Europe.He teaches theory of music at New Conservatory of Thessaloniki , Conservatory ‘In Art’  and Municipal Conservatory of Thermi. He also took part  at the two last Summer Academies of Municipal Conservatories.He has also a diploma  as a geologist  from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki



 LAZAROS TSAVDARIEDES-Ad.Theory     12-22 July
Artistic Director Municipal Conservatory of Ptolemaida(GR)

Composer and orchestrator. He was born in 1977 in Ptolemaida. He studied at State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and Music College. He received Composition Diploma with special award distinction, class of prof. Alkis Baltas.His compositions for single instruments, chamber orchestras and ensembles have been performed in Greece, Albania, Belgium, Germany and Hungary. He has composed music for theatre and films. He also has been commissioned by Sacred Music of Patmos, Symphony Orchestra Of Patra, Greek Composers’ Union and Athens and Thessaloniki Concert Halls.As orchestrator he worked for Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Greek Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, Kamerata friends of music Orchestra and also Sofia and Vidin (Bulgaria) Symphony Orchestra.Currently, he is the artistic director of Municipal Conservatory of Ptolemaida where he teaches advanced music theory and composition.



MILEN PANAYOTOV-composition      12-22 July
Guest of ISMA

Composer Milen Panayotov was born in 1967 in Varna (Bulgaria). In 1995 he graduated from the National Academy of Music in Sofia, majoring in Composition under Dimitar Tapkov.

He later perfected his skills in composition under the guidance of such outstanding composers as Mark Kopytman (Brandenburgisches Colloquium für Neue Musik, 1995), Peter-Michael Hamel and Alejandro Iglesias-Rossi (Radzejowice, Poland, 1997), György Kurtág and Julio Estrada (Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, 1998). In 2006-07 he specialized in heterophonic composition with Prof. Mark Kopytman at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

Three of his works (Da re diesis al mi bemolle for two pianos, 1996; No Keys! for piano, 2003, and Musica per archi senza percussione e celesta, 2007) have been represented at the International Rostrum of Composers under the aegis of UNESCO. The latter work was commissioned and premiered by the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble, conducted by Plamen Djouroff. Other commissions include Gaishuvir or the orchestra as a bagpipe for the Sofia Philharmonic, Un pezzo assoluto per un trio assolutamente assolutissimo commissioned by and dedicated to Absolut Trio (Basel, CH), as well as BellWAlphornKonzert, commissioned by the alphorn virtuoso Arkady Shilkloper and the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band.

Composition is not the only type of music-making Milen is interested in. His passion for jazz/improvised music resulted in a weekly program entitled Spontaneous Inventions, which he is hosting on "Christo Botev" Arts & Culture Channel of the Bulgarian National Radio. Additionally, he loves to improvise himself. Following his interest in free percussion improvisation, in April 2008 Milen – together with Catalan composer, pianist and improviser, Josep-Maria Balanyà – performed on the stalactites and stalagmites in the "Sâeva Dupka" cave in North-West Bulgaria. Some video excerpts of this performance can be found on www.youtube.com.

Among the grants Milen has received are those of artbellwald.ch (2014, Switzerland), MacDowell Colony (2013, NH, USA), Fundación Valparaíso (2011, Mojácar, Spain), Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik (1998) and Rheinsberg Music Academy (1995, Rheinsberg, Germany).

KOSTAS CHARDAS-Advanced Theroy-     12-22 July
Guest of Papaioannou festival

Kostas Chardas is a lecturer of systematic musicology at the Department of Music Studies of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). He studied piano and advanced theory at the Athinaiko Conservatory and musicology at AUTH. A scholarship by the Athens Academy enabled him to gain his Master’s degree from the University of London and his doctorate from the University of Surrey. His doctoral dissertation was published by a German house under the title The music for solo piano of Yannis A. Papaioannou up to 1960: Αn analytical, biographical and contextual approach.

He has done research and has published in Greece and abroad on the following fields: analysis and theory of music, contemporary Greek music, music of the 19^th and the 20^th centuries. He has collaborated with the Benakis Museum as a curator of the Y. A. Papaioannou exhibition, and he has also taught for two academic years at the Free Workshop for Music of the “Lilian Voudouri” Great Music Library of Greece at the Athens Concert Hall.

                As a pianist, he studied with Yolanda Severi, Domna Evnouhidou and John Bingham, while also attending master classes with Martino Tirimo, Philip Fowke, Roberto Szidon and others. He appeared in recitals and chamber music concerts in Greece and abroad. He is a member of the Piandemonium ensemble (6 pianos - 12 pianists). He oversaw the artistic and musicological edition of the CD with solo piano and chamber music works by Y. A. Papaioannou – released in May 2013 on the NAXOS label – where he also performs as a pianist.

PERCUSSION

CHRISTOPHER BAKA-classic and modern percussion     12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Christopher Baka was born in Poland and graduated as a percussion soloist from the “Stanislaw Moniuszko” Music Academy of Gdansk. He worked as a first percussionist at the Gdynia Musical Theater Orchestra, as well as a performer, composer and orchestrator at the Polish Radio of Gdansk.

From 1988 until 1998 he was active in Greece as a teacher of percussion and drums, in addition to his work as a band leader at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala (M.C.K.) and the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki. During this period he founded a percussion class at the Municipal Conservatories of Drama and Edessa, and in 1997-1998 he was engaged as an orchestral conductor at the Municipal Theater of Kavala.

In the following years until 2007, when he returned to Greece, along with his main activity as Director of International Events at Gdansk’s Baltic Sea Cultural Center, he became involved with stage directing and composing incidental music for theatrical plays. He has travelled around the world as a drummer and leader of musical or musical-theatrical workshops.

Christopher has taught at various conservatories in Northern Greece. He has been Artistic Director at the “Hedymelon” Conservatory of Polygyros and Deputy-Director of the M.C.K., where he continues to teach classical percussion and drums, and to conduct the “Young Power” Symphonic Rock Orchestra, which he founded.

ACCORDEON

PANAGIOTIS ANDREOGLOU-    12-22July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Panagiotis Andreoglou was born in Kavala in 1980. He graduated from the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala (Degree in Accordeon, 1996, and Diploma in Piano, 2003). He studied musicology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Helsinki (Finland), and accordion at the University of Makedonia. He completed his postgraduate studies in accordion with distinction at the Danish Royal Academy of Music.

He has won first prizes in accordion competitions for young musicians in Greece, is the recipient of the Danish scholarship “Ellen og Erik Valdemar Jensen's Musiklegat”, and has also been awarded scholarships by the Danish Royal Academy of Music and the City of Kavala. He has appeared as a soloist or member of chamber music ensembles in many European countries: Sweden, Danmark, Germany, Holland, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. His performances have been broadcast live by the Danish State Radio (DR P2). In Greece he has performed at the Onassis Foundation Stegi of Letters and Arts, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Ceremony Hall with the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra and at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki.

His special interest in contemporary music has led him to collaborations with several young composers. He has premiered solo and chamber music works by Dimitris Maronidis, Gundega Šmite, Benjamin de Murashkin, Anders Monrad, Stefan Klaverdal and Gunnar K. Masson.

Outside of classical music, Panagiotis is interested in improvisational and incidental music for theater and dance. As a member of the “Kunst” theatrical group, he composed and performed music for the show “Nordost”, while with dancer Flora Tsoukala he created the experimental flamenco show “Post it”. In addition, he has collaborated with Matt Elliott/The Third Eye Foundation, the State Theater of Northern Greece and with composer Giorgos Kazantzis, for whom he recorded 3 CDs.

CHORAL 

MARIA EMMA MELIGOPOULOU-choral conducting     17-22 July
Guest of ISMA

Maria Emma Meligopoulou holds a doctorate in Choral Pedagogy from the Ionian University (IU), as well as a postgraduate degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University. She is also a Law School graduate from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). She teaches choral conducting and directs the choral ensembles at the Departments of Music Studies of the IU, the AUTH and the University of Makedonia. Teaching topics in her choral conducting course include choral pedagogy, kinesiology, vocal technique for choristers, choral repertoire, Gregorian chant, history of choral music and rehearsal methodology.

She is invited regularly to teach at choral conducting master classes and workshops throughout Greece (e.g., Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Patra, Serres, Rhodes, Kavala) and abroad (e.g., USA, Israel, Austria), in seminars and workshops involving children, youth and mixed choirs.

Her book, Introduction to the Art of Choral Praxis (2011, 3^rd edition), is a comprehensive guide to choral pedagogy and conducting, and is used as a university textbook at the four Greek University Music Departments and at the Graduate Department of the European University of Cyprus.  Her second book, Choral Works by Greek Composers For Three-Part Voicing (SSA), containing an anthology of 42 choral works by Greek composers, was recently published by Papagrigoriou-Nakas Editions, who also edited her first book.

She has participated in choral congresses in Greece (e.g., Tripoli, Rhodes, Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Patra, Preveza) and abroad (e.g., USA, Japan, Denmark, Austria, Israel, Canada), both as an auditor and a presenter.

As a choral conductor, she has given more than 1000 concerts all over Greece and Europe (e.g., England, Austria, Holland, Finland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain), but also around the world: China, Singapore, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Israel, Canada and USA.She is a member of the National Music Honor Society (USA) and the Ιnternational Federation of Choral Music (IFCM). In addition, she is the official Greek representative of Interkultur/Μusica Mundi. Furthermore, she is a member World Congress of the World Choir Games and is regularly invited as an Adjudicator to international festivals in Europe, Asia and America.

She has collaborated with many organizations: Thessaloniki and Athens Concert Halls, Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra, New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, Synchrono Conservatory of Thessaloniki, Athens Camerata, Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra, State Television 3, West London Festival Orchestra and others.She is founder and director of the Choir of the St. Cyril and Methodius Church, a choral organization that operates in four divisions (preparatory choir, children’s choir, mixed choir and vocal ensemble), including more than 200 choristers.

SUMMER MUSIC KINDER GARDEN

EFI KORRESOGLOY       12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Efi Koresogloy was born in Kavala in 1968. She graduated in 1991 from the Department of Physics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. During her student and university years she studied music at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala and at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, primarily learning to play the piano, but also taking lessons in guitar, flute, percussion and voice.

In 1989 she graduated with the Degree in Harmony from the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki and in 1993 she completed the music education program at the same institution, specializing in the German system of music education applied therein. She worked as an instructor at the Music High School of Thessaloniki and at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, teaching theory and solfege.

In the last few years she is teaching Preschool Music Education at a local private school in Kavala, as well as music therapy to children with various disabilities and autism at the “Praxis” Therapy Unit. Since 2007 she has been an instructor of Preschool Music Education at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

CONSTANTINIA SAMARA      12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala

Constantinia Samara holds the Degrees in Harmony (1997), Counterpoint (1999) and Fugue (2001). In 2005 she took the Degree in Piano and in 2007 she completed her studies with the Diploma in Composition – receiving all titles with the highest marks.

She has take part in seminars on Music Education (2002) and Musicokinetic Education (2005) at the Greek Kodaly Institute and at the Synchrono Conservatory of Thessaloniki, as well as a one-year cycle of Music Education (2006-07) offered by the Primary School Authority of Kavala.

Between 1999 and 2006 she taught theory at a private conservatory in Kavala, and since 2002 she has worked part-time at the primary and secondary school system. She works as a Music Education instructor at a local kindergarten and since 2006 she has been an instructor of Theory and Preschool Music Education at the Municipal Conservatories of Drama and Kavala.

 
GEORGE KARATHANASIS -Electric guitar     12-22 July
Municipal Conservatory of Kavala(GR)

George Karathanassis has been seriously involved with electric guitar since 1984. In 1990 he began taking electric guitar classes at the Synchrono Conservatory of Thessaloniki, and in 1993 he commenced his professional activity with the instrument.

He has since participated in many music bands and has appeared in shows all over Northern Greece. Since 2008 he has been teaching electric and acoustic guitar at the “Euphonon” Conservatory in Xanthi, and a year later he began his collaboration with the “Harmonia” Conservatory in Nea Peramos. He has been an instructor of electric guitar at the Municipal Conservatory of Kavala since 2010.