PROGRAM

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Konzertstück No. 2 (Op. 114)

James Scott Balentine – Strange Loops

Bill Douglas – Trio No. 2

Wu Na – Praise

Paquito de Rivera – Danzón No. 2

A chamber music program with a distinctive sonic palette, where piano, clarinet, and bassoon come together in works that span from the Romantic era to contemporary creative approaches. Mendelssohn’s characteristic lyricism is paired with the subtle introspection of Bill Douglas and the atmospheric writing of Wu Na, creating a dialogue between different musical worlds. The program balances virtuosity with poetic expression, highlighting the transparency of the ensemble and the interplay between the three instruments. From Mendelssohn’s lyrical Concert Piece to the contemporary minimalist shades of “Praise,” each work unfolds as a unique sonic landscape. The performance emphasizes the intimacy of musical conversation, with the piano acting as a grounding axis and the winds serving as carriers of color and narrative expression. A concert that invites the audience on a journey across eras, styles, and soundscapes, united by the sensitivity and immediacy of chamber music.

 

Biographical notes

Andreas Spyropoulos was born in Elefsina in 1989. He begun his musical studies with the Fagotto at the Philharmonic of the Municipality of Mandra in 2002, at the class of Odysseas Batsios.

He has been a member of the ERT’s Youth Orchestra, the Pescara Youth Orchestra (Italy 2007), the Corfu Youth Orchestra (2008) the Palestine Youth Orchestra (2010). From 1998 up to the present he has been a recurring member of the Municipality of Mandra Philharmonic Orchestra. He has attended seminars by accomplished professors in Italy and Slovenia, such as Patric de Ritis, Wenzel Fuchs, Zoran Mitev, Bence Boganyi, Zakro Pericic.

In January 2011 he performed as fagotto concertmaster at the debut performance of the Palestinian Symphonic Orchestra. He has been a member of the Corfu Philharmonic Society from 2009 to 2011. He has numerous appearances at the International Porto Heli festival in various ensembles while he has also collaborated with the Athens National Orchestra, The ERT Symphonic Orchestra and the Athens Symphony Orchestra.

In 2006 he was admitted at the Musical Studies Department of the Ionion University in Music Performance under professor Basilis Priovolos, where he graduated in 2011.

In July 2012 he received a full scholarship from the Royal Northern College of Music, του Manchester and in 2013 he completed his studies in Postgraduate Diploma in solo Bassoon Performance – under professor Simon Durnford and internationally acclaimed soloist Stefano Canuti.

At the same time he attended Seminars with Hansjorg Schellenberger, Frank Forst, Carlo Colombo, Andrea Zucco, Peter Whelan, Sergio Azzolini.

November 2015 to November 2016 he has performed as concertmaster/solo fagotto with the Shen Yun performing Arts -New York USA.

From 2016 to 2023 he has been a permanent member of the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor Vyron Fidetzis, a second/contra fagotto, as well as associate of the Municipality of Athens Symphony Orchestra, a 1st fagotto (2017-2018), and a member of the ERT Contemporary Orchestra (2018-2023).

From November 2024, he is a permanent member of the Greek National Opera as a 2nd fagotto and contra fagotto.

 

Alexandros Vlahos was born in Corfu. He began his musical journey at the Sinárades Philharmonic and then continued at the Corfu Conservatory in the class of Dimitris Papikinou. Later, he studied in the class of Spyros Tzekos at the ‘Akropolis’ Conservatory, from which he graduated with the highest distinction, receiving an “Excellent” grade and First Prize. He then pursued postgraduate studies and graduated with distinction from the Royal Conservatory of Mons in the class of Ronald Van Spaendonck.

He has attended masterclasses with internationally renowned clarinetists such as Martin Fröst, Romain Guyot, Nicolas Baldeyrou, Spyros Mourikis, among others.

In 2021, he won 2nd Prize at the 5th International Music Competition in Moscow.
In 2023, he was accepted into the orchestral academies of both the Belgian National Orchestra and Belgium’s National Opera House.
That same year, he received the “Winner of Honorable Mention” award at the 2023 Silverstein Clarinet Contest (USA).

He has performed as a member of the following orchestras: Belgian National Orchestra, Belgium’s National Opera House, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, and Nuove Musiche Orchestra.
He is currently a member of the Greek National Opera Orchestra, serving as the second clarinetist.

 

Grigorios Zamparas has received rave reviews for his performances in recitals, chamber music concerts and orchestral concerts in Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Russia, Latin America, South Korea and the United States. He frequently appears in various festivals around the world, such as the famous Newport Music Festival (Rhode Island, USA), Mainly Mozart Festival (Miami, USA), Artist Series of Sarasota (USA), Salon of the Arts (Sofia, Bulgaria), the International Portoheli Festival e.t.c. Furthermore, he has appeared as a soloist in more than twenty different piano concertos, with orchestras such as the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra (Brazil), the Indiana University Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Neo-Politan Chamber Orchestra, the Togliati Philharmonic (Russia), the Sofia Soloists (Bulgaria) and the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic). He is piano professor and head of the piano department at the University of Tampa in the United States, as well as member of the Quartet de Minaret, a piano quartet based at the same university. In the academic year 2010-2011 he received the Outstanding Scholarship or Creative Work Award. Grigorios Zamparas started studying piano at the age of seven, while he received his piano diploma from the Lamia Conservatory in 1995 with the distinguished Greek teacher Yorgos Manessis. He holds a DMA from the University of Miami where he studied with Ivan Davis, a student of Vladimir Horowitz. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Indiana (MM), the University of Indianapolis (BM) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 1993 he has appeared continuously at the International Portoheli Festival where he has performed more than 300 works. Recently, the American label Centaur Records released G. Zambara’s recordings of the five Piano Concertos of the Russian composer Anton Rubinstein.