Nevart-Veron Galileas
Greek-Armenian flutist Nevart-Veron Galileas is an artist enjoying an international career as soloist, chamber musician, recitalist and pedagogue. Having performed in countries such as Austria, Armenia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Rumania, Japan, and the USA reviews have emphasized on her «musicality, lyricism and tone quality».
Dr. Galileas has performed and given master classes at international music festivals and institutions such as : «Renaissance» International Festival (Gyumri-Armenia 2014), West Texas A & M University (Canyon-Texas 2013), International Chamber Music Festival of the T.C.H. Organisation (Greece, 2013), Odysseia Symposium (Atlanta-Georgia 2010, 2011, 2012), 13th International Festival of Kavala «Y.A. Papaioannou» (Greece 2012), Georgia State University (Atlanta 2010, 2011, 2012), Etchings Festival of Contemporary Music (France 2011), Rutgers University (New Jersey 2010), Kutztown University (Pennsylvania 2010), Dimitria Festival (Greece 1999, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2014), Nafplion Festival (Greece 2009), Rhodes Festival (Greece 2009) and the Summer Music Academy in Athitos (Greece 2007, 2008).She has appeared as soloist with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic (Czech Republic), the Brasov Symphony Orchestra (Rumania), the Ploesti Philharmonic Orchestra (Rumania), the Orchestra Citta di Grosetto (Italy), the Symphony of the Americas (Florida, USA), the Amarillo Virtuosi Chamber Players (Amarillo, Texas), the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki and the City Orchestra of Thessaloniki (Greece). She has also appeared as guest artist with the Cadence Ensemble (Armenia), the neoPhonia New Music Ensemble (Atlanta, USA) and the ECCE (East Coast Contemporary Ensemble, USA). Throughout her career Nevart-Veron has collaborated with distinguished artists such as: Thomas Robertello, Michael Palmer, Christos Galileas, Timothy Hester, Ilarion Ionescu Galati, James Brooks-Bruzzese, Maria Asteriadou, Brandt Fredriksen, Byron Fidetzis and Yiannis Tsitselikis. She has recorded for EBU (European Broadcast Union), Euroradio and her performances have been broadcasted on BBC and PBS. She has also recorded with the neoPhonia New Music Ensemble on Albany Records a CD featuring the works of Theodore Antoniou, Nickitas Demos, George Tsontakis and Christos Samaras. In 2013 and 2014 Dr. Galileas served as a member of the woodwind jury committee of the «Renaissance» International Festival in Gyumri (Armenia) and in the 2014-2015 season she was a juror for the apexart art organization of New York. She is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory where she studied with the renowned flutist Michel Debost and Kathleen Chastain receiving the Bachelor of Music degree in 2001. She continued at Indiana University-Bloomington where she studied with Kathryn Lukas receiving the Master of Music degree in 2004 and was appointed the teaching assistant of flute position. In 2006 she received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook where she studied with Carol Wincenc. Nevart-Veron plays on a 14-carat gold flute built for her by David Straubinger.
Christos Galileas
Hailed by many critics as a «genuine virtuoso», «an incredible mixture of dazzling virtuosity and immaculate musicianship», «an artist of rare originality and utmost integrity», Christos Galileas has enjoyed an international career as a concert violinist, chamber musician, and teacher. Christos Galileas was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. He took his first violin lessons at the age of four with his father Kosmas Galileas, the distinguished Greek violinist and conductor, and continued studying with Professor Stelios Kafantaris. He was awarded first prize and the gold metal for his outstanding musical abilities upon graduating from the Conservatory of Athens in 1994. While still a student he began an active career with international solo appearances and individual recitals. His first public appearance at age sixteen was with the Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki with an impressive performance of the Paganini violin concerto no 1. From 1994 to 1995, he studied with Zachar Bron in Lubeck Germany. He continued his studies with the renowned professors Roland and Almita Vamos at the Oberlin Conservatory where he received the «Dean’ s Talent Award» and got his B.M. degree. In 1995 he won the first prize at the «National Competition for Scholarships» of Greece, and two years later he was awarded the «Alexandra Triandi» scholarship of the «Megaron» of Athens. Since then he has appeared as soloist with many orchestras including the Berlin Symphony, the Bohuslav Martinu Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Athens, the National Radio Orchestra of Greece, the Prague Symphony, the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia, the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of Toronto, the Symphony of the Americas (Fort Lauderdale Florida), the Ploesti and Baccau Symphony Orchestras (Romania), the «Prague Virtuosi», the Orchestra Citta di Grosseto (Italy), the Symphony Orchestra of Sofia (Bulgaria), the Lisbon Chamber Orchestra (Portugal), the Latvian National Orchestra, the «Camerata Stuttgart» (Germany), and the Gustav Mahler Orchestra (Prague). He has made appearances at the International Festivals of «Nafplio» (1993, 2001), «Dimitria» (1994, 1998, 2003, 2004), the Music Festival of Armenia (1994), the Festival «Kypria» of Cyprus (1995), «The Festival of Patra» (1998), «Heraklion Summer Art Festival» (1999), the Festival of Classical Music of Larnaca», Cyprus (2001), the festival of Catania in Sicily (2001), and the «Festival Lago di Como», Italy. He has also appeared as soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Music Academy of Vienna, as well as the «Camerata» Orchestra of «Megaron» of Athens for the opening of the International Festival in Patra. In 1997, Christos Galileas won the first prize at the Greek National Competition for violin, held by the Cultural Association «TECHNI», in collaboration with the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki and the Cultural Capital of Europe «Thessaloniki 1997». Of special significance was his collaboration with acclaimed pianist Dimitri Sgouros with whom he has played extensively since 2000. In May 2001 he received the Master’ s Degree at the Juilliard School where he studied with the distinguished Professors of violin Dorothy Delay and Naoko Tanaka. In March 2001 he had the honor of receiving the first prize in the «Kate Neal Kinley Memorial fellowship» competition of the University of Illinois.In 2002, he founded the «Hellenic Camerata», a chamber orchestra with 22 members, and had an extensive tour in North, Central and South America in many countries such as: USA, El-Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Uruguay and gave more than 35 concerts in 7 weeks. In December 2005 he received his Doctorate Degree in Violin Performance (Doctor of Musical Arts) from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Dr. Galileas has been invited to teach violin and chamber music extensively in renowned institutions such as:: The Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Illinois, Northwestern University, University of North Carolina, New York University, Penn State University, University of Houston, The State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, The Athens Conservatory among others. Dr. Galileas has held important administrative positions which include: Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Series at the «Dimitria» International Festival of Thessaloniki (2003-2010), Board of Directors of the State Conservatory of Greece and State Orchestra of Thessaloniki (2014-present). Highlighted appearances included the performance of the Brahms Double Concerto with Mischa Maisky, and the collaboration with the Borodin Quartet and the George Enescu Philharmonic of Bucharest (Romania). He has appeared as a soloist at some of the world’ s most prestigious concert venues such as the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), Musikverein (Vienna), Gasteig (Munich), Smetana Hall (Prague), Athenaeum (Bucharest). In 2007 Christos Galileas joined the faculty at Georgia State University in Atlanta (USA). Dr. Galileas plays on a 1705 Joseph Guarneri violin.
Yannis Tsitselikis
Yannis Tsitselikis was born in Thessaloniki and graduated from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki in 1990. His first important cello teacher was Manolis Kazabakas. He completed his studies (with scholarships from the British Council, the Onassis Foundation, and the Foundation of State Scholarships) at the Royal College of Music in London with William Pleeth, at the Eastman School of Music in the United States with Steven Doan, and at Indiana University with Janos Starker, where he earned his master of music degree in 1998. Tsitselikis gave signs of talent early in life. His career started at the age of 14, with solo recitals in Athens, Thessaloniki, and other Greek cities, as well as with recordings for the Third Program of the Greek Radio and Television. At the age of 16, he was honoured with first prize at the competition of the Graduate Association of Thessaloniki Conservatories and gave recitals organized by the Athens and Thessaloniki state orchestras. In 1989, he represented Greece in Venice in a concert organized and televised by Italian Radio Television.Tsitselikis has performed recitals in Athens, Belgrade, London, Oxford, and Houston, among other cities. He has appeared as a soloist with important orchestras in Greece as well as abroad, such as: Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Vladimir Spivakov; Haydn Philharmonic Orchestra of Vienna, under the direction of Philippe Entremont; Youth Orchestra Rhineland-Palatinate, with which he toured many cities in Germany; and the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Hobart Earle.Tsitselikis is a member of the World Orchestra for Peace as one of its principal cellists and took part in the orchestra’s tours in Europe (2003), Russia (2005), and China (2007), under the direction of Valery Gergiev. In October 2004, he toured to Budapest, Singapore, and India as concertino cellist of the Maggio Musicale of Florence, under the direction of Zubin Mehta.Since November 2000, Tsitselikis has been solo cellist at the State Orchestra of Athens.In 2015 he was the assistant of Chris Rex at Georgia State University and was invited twice by J.T.Dodson to give solo performances with the Adrian symphony orchestra in Adrian and the BBSO in Detroit.He plays a 1900 Leon Bernadel cello and uses a Voirin bow bequeathed to him by the English cellist Amaryllis Fleming.
George Konstantinidis
The pianist Georgios Konstantinidis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. After graduating with honors from the Thessaloniki State Conservatory, he entered the National Conservatory in Paris in the class of Bernard Ringeissen and Jacques Rouvier (Prix d’ Excellence, Prix de Perfectionement). He also attended master classes with Paul Badura Skoda and Bruno Leonardo Gelber. In 1993 he won the first prize in the National Chamber music competition and in 1998 he won the second prize in the National Piano Competition. He has made many appearances as soloist as well as chamber music player in USA, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Romania and Egypt playing among others with the famous pianist Cyprien Katsaris and the Enesco Quartet, and with such orchestras as the Philharmonia of Greensboro, the Westchester Univerisity Orchestra, the Symphonia Bucharest Orchestra and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. He has given master classes at the Univerisity of Catania in Italy. Konstantinidis appeared in several International Festivals where his performance was highly praised by the press. Recently he found great interest in the repertory for the left hand. In April 2006, April 2008 and April 2010, he organized in collaboration with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians’ Medicine in Hanover, the First and Second and third International Musicians’ Medicine Congresses in Greece. Up until 2010, he was director of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, the only one in Greece. He is currently President of the Thessaloniki Conservatories Board of Alumni, Vice President of the Friends of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra and Vice President of the Hellenic Association for the Medicine and Sciences of Dance and the Performing Arts. He holds a degree and a master’s diploma in law.
Yiorgos Vassilandonakis
Yiorgos Vassilandonakis’ portfolio spans across a wide range of influences and styles, venturing into chamber, vocal, orchestral, opera, film, electronic & multimedia genres. Transcending stylistic boundaries, his works are emotionally engaging and cerebral, driven by a strong dramatic and formal sense, revealing a mastery of timbre, sonority and temporal space, and a deep interest in sound itself as a physical entity. Hailed by reviewers as “…a fascinating collection of sounds, inventive performance techniques, some of which first-time events…” (San Francisco Chronicle), “…an intimate, soft poetry that consumed the audience…” (Repeat Performances), “…lingering sonorities and delicacies…” (San Francisco Classical Voice), his music is frequently presented on both sides of the Atlantic, and has been commissioned and performed among others by Southern Exposure, the New York New Music Ensemble, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, the Juilliard Percussion Ensemble, ALEA III, the Del Sol String Quartet, Ensemble Cairn, Meridian Arts Ensemble, Ensemble In Extensio, Empyrean Ensemble, the Athens Camerata, and the Hellenic Contemporary Ensemble, and featured in the Aspen, Ernest Bloch, Domaine Forget, Wellesley and Patras International Festivals. Awards include the 2011 Aaron Copland Prize, 1st Prize at the Mediterranean Music Center 3rd International Composition Competition, the George Ladd Prix de Paris, the Henry Mancini Award, the Eisner Prize in Music, and the Nicola di Lorenzo Prize, as well as grants and additional support from Meet-the-Composer, the American Music Center and the Ministry of Culture of France. His one-act opera Chorevoume (Dance with Me), was commissioned and staged by the Experimental Stage of the National Opera of Greece in 2008. A progressive work combining non-linear narrative and film montage techniques with virtuosic vocal writing and intricate instrumental textures, Chorevoume was enthusiastically received by both audience and critics.Yiorgos holds advanced degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, where his principal composition teachers were Edmund Campion, Richard Felciano, John Thow, Jorge Liderman and Cindy Cox. As the recipient of the George Ladd Prix de Paris, he spent two years in Paris, studying advanced composition, orchestration and electronic music with Philippe Leroux, at the École Nationale de Musique et de Danse, Erik Satie. He also studied composition with Paul Reale and Ian Krouse, as well as Film Music with the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, Paul Chihara & Don Ray. His conducting teachers were David Milnes and Jeffrey Schindler. A dedicated educator, Dr. Vassilandonakis has taught Composition and Music Theory at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Virginia, as well as electronic music at the Centre de Création Musicale, Iannis Xenakis, in Paris, before joining the faculty at the College of Charleston in 2010, where he is now Associate Professor of Composition & Music Theory and Director of contemporary music activities, named Outstanding Faculty of the Year in 2013. He has penned essays and interviews published in the Computer Music Journal (MIT Press), and the College Reference Dictionary Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century (Salem Press), and has held composing residencies at Yaddo and at Cité Internationale Des Arts. He is featured in the prestigious New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (Oxford University Press), and was named among the 50 most progressive people in Charleston in 2011. Also active as a conductor and proponent of contemporary music, Yiorgos is currently the curator and co-music director for the contemporary music series Magnetic South with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and Composer-In-Residence with the Worn Chamber Ensemble in San Francisco.
Lina Tonia
Lina Tonia, is a young award winning composer born in Greece, in 1985. Her work list include more than 100 compositions for orchestra, ensembles, operas and music for theatre that performed in Paris, Vienna, London, New York, Boston, Moscow, Weimar, Berlin, Edinburgh, Zagreb, Sofia, Plovdiv, Tirana, Athens and Thessaloniki. She has been awarded prizes in several national and international composition competitions for her works. Among others, she received the first prize at Jungerson International Composition Competition in Moscow (2007), the Baerenreiter Award at the 12th International Via Nova Composition Competition in Weimar (2010), the title of “New Young Artist of the Year” from the Union of Greek Critics for Music and Theatre in Athens (2010). She awarded from the Greek National Opera in Athens, for her chamber opera “The Expelled” (2012) and also at the same year from the Vienna University and Institute Kunsthaus of Muerz, for her work “Kivos” for 12 violoncellos (2012). Her solo work “Neuma” for viola awarded with the Sempre Piu Edition’s Prize in Paris (2014). Her chamber opera “Fear &(s) the Love” performed and awarded in Music Biennale of Zagreb (2015). Her 5th string quartet “ENNEA” took a premiered by the Arditti Quartet at the Konzerthaus in Mozart Saal in Wien Modern (2015) in Vienna. She has been invited as guest composer and jury member at Piano Campus International Competition and commissioned to write her piano concerto “Les Mondes Flottants” to be performed as a compulsory piece at the final round of piano competition in Cergy Pontoise (2016). Her orchestral piece “Squall” performed in Music Biennale of Zagreb by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dian Tchobanov, and performed by pianist: Srebrenka Poljak (2017). Her orchestral piece “Butterfly Effect” recorded by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Pierre Andre Valade in Paris (2017). She studied composition at the Department of Music in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2003 – 2008), with Professor Christos Samaras. She completed a PhD in Composition in Edinburgh University with distinction (2008 – 2012) under the supervision of the professor Nigel Osborne and Michael Edwards, where she was studying with a Greek National Scholarship from Union of Greek Composers (2008 – 2009) and IKY Foundation (2009 – 2011). She studied composition with Michael Jarrell at the Vienna University (2012 – 2013). She worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Music Theory & Composition with a fellowship of the Research Committee of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2013 - 2014). She participated in many international composition workshops in USA, UK, Germany, France. She selected to participate at Manifeste Academy for young composers at IRCAM with Toshio Hosokawa, in Paris (2017). She has been invited as guest composer and lecturer to Takefu International Music Festival in Japan (2018). She commissioned by the Appleton Boychoir to compose her piece “Morning Sea” for the 40th anniversary of the Appleton Boychoir which took place in Appleton (Wisconsin) under of direction of Kevin Meidl. Some of her works are published by Sconfinarte Editions, Sempre Piu, Aelfior Editions and Donemus Publishing House. She is founding member and artistic director of Meet the Art, artistic series of concerts and performances around Modern Art in Thessaloniki (2015 - 2016). She is teaching Composition at the University of Macedonia, Department of Music Art and Science, in Thessaloniki from September of 2016. She gives lectures and seminars around composition and contemporary music. She is a jury member at ENKOR International Music Competition from 2014.
Euripides Bekos
Euripides Bekos (b. 1991) is a composer, researcher and educator. Described as "the holder of impeccable compositional craftsmanship and orchestration" (George Leotsakos, Critic's Point), having "exhibited a well-balanced economy of expressive dimensions, beautiful, radiant orchestration, as well as a cultivated sensibility for eclectic references" (Giannis Svolos, EfSyn) and presenting a “clear sense of sonic nuances” (Philippe Forget, conductor) his work reflects a commitment to both technical refinement and artistic expression.
His work has been recognized with multiple national and international awards, including the Nikos Skalkottas International Prize (NEOTTIAN for orchestra, 2019) and the Best Greek Composer Under 35 Award from the Greek Composers’ Union and the Athens State Orchestra. Other distinctions include First Prize in the 1st Chamber Music Composition Competition in Memory of Theodore Antoniou (ELYSIAN, for chamber ensemble, 2020), Second Prize in the Greek National Opera’s Composition Competition for Art Song (L’ ENFANT for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, 2021), Young Conductors/Young Composers II (FIDEM for orchestra, 2019) organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Thessaloniki Municipal Orchestra, and Third Prize in the Dimitris Dragatakis Composition Competition (METEIKASMA for string quartet, 2018). In 2024, he received the Diploma for Pedagogical Excellence at the XI International Competition (Smederevo) as a composition teacher and served as a jury member for the 1st National Composition Competition "Anamochlefsis", organized by The Friends of Music Society of the Athens Concert Hall (2024).
He has received commissions by leading ensembles and institutions, and his works have been performed by the Athens State Orchestra (Palingenesis (2020) – symphonic work dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, L’Avenir de l’oiseau en cage (2021) – chamber music work for the project Ad Libitum), the Greek National Opera (NAMA for solo piano, premiered at the Piano Festival of the Alternative Stage of the GNO), the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (Contemporary Music Workshops in 2012 & 2018), Phasma Music (Works for Solo Flute in memory of Theodore Antoniou, distributed by NAXOS), Takis Foundation (new electroacoustic works to be premiered in fall 2025) and others. His compositions have been presented in Greece, Austria, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
He studied Music Theory (Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue, Orchestration) and Piano at the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa and earned a degree in Composition from the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia (prof. E. Kikou and G. Kyriakakis). He also studied in the composition class of prof. Christos Samaras. He has completed his PhD research in composition at Leeds School of Arts (Leeds Beckett University, UK), focusing on composition for symphonic orchestra and electronics with immersive audio, under the supervision of Nikos Stavropoulos (PhD award pending, expected by mid-2025). He has participated in numerous seminars, workshops, and individual lessons with internationally renowned composers and professors, including Samuel Andreyev, Christos Chatzis, George Tsontakis, Elainie Lillios and others. He is also a member of the Greek Composers’ Union.
In addition to his work as a classical composer, he has collaborated as a composer and producer with leading Greek artists, including Vasilis Papakonstantinou, Giannis Zouganelis, Dimitris Zervoudakis among others. His discography includes four personal albums released by MINOS-EMI, Universal Music Greece, AVLOS Records, and other major labels.
Over the past decade, he has taught composition and music theory, preparing students for the degrees of Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue, and Concert Band Orchestration, as well as for entrance examinations to renowned music universities in Europe. Some of his students have already received distinctions in national and international competitions.
His research focuses on immediacy in musical expression through a postmodern lens, integrating diverse musical elements to reflect the multifaceted nature of human perception and aesthetic experience. His compositional approach moves beyond rigid stylistic affiliations, fostering a dialogue between multiple influences to create an expressive space that balances instinct with intellectual depth. Additionally, his research interests encompass electroacoustic music and immersive audio utilizing the spatial dimension of sound as a dramaturgical and expressive medium, exploring how spatialized sonic environments expand the musical experience at the intersection of technology and artistic expression. (www.euripidesbekos.gr)
Dimitris Economou
Dimitris Economou’s work is concerned with notions of time and perception. His music deals with the audio aspects that occur from disruption, interference, looping and distortion of sequential transformations and various textural developments, suggesting a textural approach with minimum, often gestural, material in his works. His music illustrates the paradox that exists with the simulation of a post-digital aesthetic in the composition of acoustic music, embracing and interrupting causality at the same time. He has received national and international awards such as the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize 2009 (UK), the Charities Philharmonia Young Composers Award 2009 (UK), Honorary Mention Award in the 34 Concurs Joves Compositors Premi International F. Mompou 2013 (ES) and was also the Winner of the Sounds New / Coups de Vents project: International Composer Pyramid 2009-12 (UK). He has also received the: 8th Composition Competition Y. A. Papaioannou 2007 - 2nd Prize (GR), Contemporary Music Workshop in Thessaloniki Concert Hall 2006 - 1st Prize (GR), 3rd International Competition for Composers 2006 by the Mediterranean Music Centre - 2nd Prize (GR), Composition Competition for the 20 Years of Foundation - School Of Fine Arts - A.U.Th 2006 - Prize (3 equal, GR), Contemporary Music Workshop in Athens Concert Hall 2005 - Prize (3 equal, GR), 1st National Chamber Music Festival 2003 - Prize (3 equal, GR) among others. He studied Composition at the Department of Music Studies - School of Fine Arts, A.U.Th. (BA/MA, PhD with Prof. Christos Samaras) and at the University of York (MA, with Prof. William Brooks). He teaches Composition and Advanced Music Theory at the Music College of Thessaloniki Conservatory and the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. He is also a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Music Studies, School of Fine Arts, A.U.Th., where he has taught for many years. Economou’s works have been published by Edition Peters and have been commissioned by orchestras such as the Athens State Orchestra (GR), Thessaloniki State Orchestra (GR), Philharmonia Orchestra (UK), Charities Philharmonia (UK), the Greek National Opera, and ensembles such as the Berlin PianoPercussion (DE), Trio IAMA (GR), dissonArt Ensemble (GR), Piandaemonium Ensemble (GR), Contra Tempo (GR), Lontano Ensemble (UK) Chimera Ensemble (UK), Ossian Ensemble (UK), Hellenic Ensemble for Contemporary Music (GR). His works have been presented with numerous performances worldwide and released in collections by Dissonance Records, Irida Classical and Phasma Music.