CHristos Samaras

Christos Samaras was born in 1956 in Doxato, Drama. He began his music studies at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (1969-76), studying Advanced Theory: Harmony with Ioannis Damianos and Counterpoint with Kostas Nikitas, as well as flute with Emmanouil Aikaterinis. From the autumn of 1976, he continued his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where he studied composition with Friedrich Cerha and Erich Urbanner and flute with Louis Riviere and Robert Wolf, earning a Diploma in Composition in 1981 and a Pedagogical Diploma in Flute in 1982. From 1982 to 1984, he pursued postgraduate studies in Composition at the Berlin University of the Arts with Isang Yun. He attended composition seminars with Luigi Nono, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, Hans-Werner Henze, Witold Lutoslawski, Diether Schnebel, and Klaus Huber. Since 1984, he has lived and worked in Thessaloniki. In 1984, he won the second prize at the composition competition in Hamelin, Germany, with the work "Askitiki" (1982) for a small orchestra, and in 1985, he won the second prize at the Carl Maria von Weber competition in Dresden, Germany, with the "IV String Quartet" (1984). In 1987, he won the first prize at the composition competition of the House of Letters and Arts under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture in Athens with the work "Paradromes" (1986) for eleven instruments. In 1989, he won the first prize at the ALEA III composition competition at Boston University in the USA with the work "Apologia II" (1988) for a small orchestra. In 1990, he won the first prize at the composition competition of the House of Letters and Arts under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture in Athens with the work "Monogramma" (1989) for solo violin. In 1993, he received an Honorable Mention at the composition competition of the Artistic Society of Art in Thessaloniki for the work "Threnos" (1993) for mixed choir. In 1993, he won the third prize at the composition competition of the House of Letters and Arts in Athens with the work "Sonatine" (1993) for flute and piano. In 1995, he won the second prize at the composition competition of the Union of Greek Composers in memory of G. A. Papaioannou with the work "Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra" (1994). Finally, in 1996, he won the first prize from the Macedonian Artistic Society for the work "Macedonian Rhapsody" (1996) for orchestra. His works have been performed in the UK, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, USA, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Finland, and have been broadcast by Greek, French, German, Austrian, and Australian Radio and Television. His work "Elegy" for Clarinet, Percussion, and String Orchestra is available on CD from Legend Classics. Also available on CD from Irida Classical is "Contemporary Greek Music for Flute and Piano," featuring the Sonatina for flute and piano. He is a professor of composition at the Department of Music Studies of the School of Fine Arts at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has taught Advanced Theory and Composition at various music institutions in Thessaloniki and other cities and has taught composition in various seminars. Additionally, he has served as Artistic Director at many of these institutions for several years. His compositional work encompasses nearly the entire spectrum of musical genres and covers all areas: 3 Symphonies, the opera "Gioconda of Thessaloniki," 2 concertos for piano and orchestra, a concerto for flute and orchestra, a concerto for violin and chamber orchestra, a fairy tale drama, 4 string quartets, approximately 20 orchestral works, chamber music for various ensembles, choral music, songs for voice and piano, and music for solo instruments. His works are published by the music publisher "Papagrigoriou-Nakas."