Nevart-Veron Galilaias

Greek-Armenian flutist Nevart-Veron Galilaias 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 Galilaias, 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 Galilaias

 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. Galilaias 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.

Brandt Fredrisken

Pianist Brandt Fredriksen has performed at major venues and universities throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. His debut recitals were held in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Gasteig Cultural Center in Munich, Germany, and Vafopoulio Hall in Thessaloniki, Greece. In 2003 he was selected by the U.S. and China Foundation to perform recitals and concertos throughout China, a tour that included Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Shenyang. An active chamber musician, Dr. Fredriksen is a founding and performing member of “Ensemble Respiro” in New York City. He has collaborated with members of the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, New Hellenic String Quartet and the American String Quartet. Brandt Fredriksen is the founder and Artistic Director of Silver Bay Summer Music Festival. In recent years, the festival had expanded its international footprint to include Germany and Italy. He is also a member of the performing faculty of Three Bridges International Chamber Music Festival, Summit Music Festival, Aria International Summer Academy, and International Academy of Music in Garfagnana, Italy. Fredriksen has been heard frequently on radio and TV in the United States, Greece, and China, including live appearances on NPR, WQXR-FM with Robert Sherman, Greek national TV and Radio, and Beijing TV. CD recordings include the complete violin and piano sonatas of Johannes Brahms with violinist, Anton Miller. Odysseia: New Music from Greek and Greek-American composers including Antoniou, Demos, Tsontakis and Samaras. Vocal collaborations include The Repertoire of Paul Robeson and Jazz Hymns with operatic Bass, Kevin Maynor, and Lieder by Mozart, Schubert and Strauss with mezzo soprano Lara Nie. Additional recordings include solo piano music of Scriabin, Glinka, Ravel, Satie, Chopin, and Prokofiev for the soundtrack of the award winning film documentary “Sonia”, produced by Lucy Kostelanetz. He has also recorded chamber music composed by Nickitas Demos for the soundtrack of “A Free Bird” directed by Gregg Russell. As educator, Dr. Fredriksen has held professorships at Lawrence University, Kent State University, and Georgia State University. He has also served as piano ensemble coach for the New York International Piano Competition sponsored by The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, which has been featured on PBS. Brandt Fredriksen holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, and a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University. He has also studied in Freiburg, Germany and the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. His numerous awards included the Munz Award (The Juilliard School), Irene Tintner International Competition (MI), Artists International (NY), and Lima Concerto Competition (OH). His major teachers were Mischa Kottler, Flavio Varani, Nadia Reisenberg, James Tocco, Gyorgy Sebok, Martin Canin and Ferenc Rados.

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. 

Laurie San Martin

Laurie San Martin writes music that creates a compelling narrative by exploring the intersection between texture and line. Critics have described her music as exuberant, colorful, forthright, high octane, tumultuous, intricate, intense and rumbly. She writes concert music for chamber ensembles and orchestra but has also written for theater, dance and video. Her music has been performed across the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. Laurie has worked with numerous ensembles including the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Berlin PianoPercussion, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, eighth blackbird, SF Chamber Orchestra, the Lydian Quartet, Magnetic South Ensemble, Washington Square Contemporary Chamber Players, and others. She has received awards from the Barlow General Commission (2023), Academy of Arts and Letters (a 2018 Andrew Imbrie prize) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2016). Other past recognitions include a fellowship from the Fromm Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, League of Composers-ISCM, the International Alliance for Women in Music, and the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer’s Awards. As a composition fellow, she has attended the MacDowell Colony, the Montalvo Artist Residency, Yaddo, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Norfolk Contemporary Chamber Music Festival and the Composers Conference. Recently, she has enjoyed working as a faculty mentor with the ArtZenter Composer’s Grant Program (affiliated with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players), the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, the Cortona Sessions, and the Brasília Orchestral Summit. Laurie holds a PhD from Brandeis University in Theory and Composition. She has taught at Clark University and is currently Professor of Music at the University of California, Davis. Her music can be found on several compilation CDs with performances by Amy Briggs, Rhonda Rider, the Lydian String Quartet, and the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. 

Martin Gendelman

The creative work of Martín Gendelman (b.1976) touches on both the acoustic and electronic domains and includes compositions for solo performer, chamber groups, and orchestra, as well as cross-disciplinary works and installations (primarily with dance, video, and theater). Over the past twenty years, his music has been performed across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. He has collaborated with acclaimed ensembles such as the Da Capo Chamber Players (USA), Meitar Ensemble (Israel), Galan Trio (Greece), Tambor Fantasma Percussion Ensemble (Argentina), and solo performers such as Jorge Variego (Argentina/USA), Lee Hinkle (USA), Adrianne Munden-Dixon (USA/Canada), and Valentín Garvie (Argentina/Germany), among many others. Currently, he is Professor of Music and Head of the Composition and Music Theory area at the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music at Georgia Southern University. His music has been released by Neuma Records, CMMAS, and the University of Idaho, and his scores are distributed by the French-based BabelScores.

Euripides Bekos