Vassilis Tsabropoulos | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 7 February 1966 Athens, Greece |
| Genres | Classic, Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | pianist, composer, conductor |
| Instrument(s) | piano |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | ECM |
Vassilis Tsabropoulos is a Greek pianist, conductor, and composer.
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As a concert pianist, he has taken the stage with many orchestras including, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Stockholm Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic, the Royal Concert Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest Chamber Orchestrate, Sofia Philharmonic, and the Italy Radio Orchestra. [1] [2] [3] A career highlight were his performances with the London Philharmonia and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy in piano concertos of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff. [4] In October 2019, continuing his long devotion to the classical canon, he performed Beethoven's Emperor piano concerto and Mozart's concerto No. 20, appearing both as a soloist and as conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London. [5] [6]
He has made his first US tour in October 2004 with significant critical and popular success [7]
His initial training was in classical music [8] and as a prodigy was winning the UNISEF Competition. [9] [10] Vladimir Ashkenazy quotes: «Vassilis Tsabropoulos possesses rare talent». [11] He studied at National Conservatory of Athens [12] and at the age of fifteen, he graduated with honours and received a scholarship from Alexandro's Onassis Foundation. He continued to study at the Paris Conservatory, the International Music Academy of Salzburg and the Juilliard School. [1] He studied under the tutelage of Rudolf Serkin and Tatiana Nikolayeva.
His first piano solo ECM album Akroasis, attracted the praise of The Independent writer Andrew Clarke: "The effects are hypnotic and mysterious, shimmering like ancient mosaic [13] ". A reviewer of his album Melos commented that "Tsabropoulos' compositions have a static beauty and drama [... that draw] their inspiration from Greek folk music and Byzantine hymns" [8] . JazzTimes magazine called the album The Triangle a combination of jazz, tango, and classical music. [14] Norwegian bassist and leader on The Triangle Arild Adersen also commented: "What struck me straight away was the fact that his exceptional classical technique never got in the way of his jazz feeling". [15]
The Times reviewer Mike Bradley, commented that: "Athenian pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos is one of those rare musicians who is equally at home in both the classical and jazz worlds. His album Achirana demonstrates that, while noted principally for his prowess as a classical pianist, conductor and composer, he also has much to say in a jazz idiom. Accompanied by Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and British veteran drummer John Marshall, he has assembled an exquisite record filled with fluid, fluent improvisations, which transport and delight. Sample the fearlessly slow gems "Diamond Cut Diamond" and "Valley" and be amazed". [16]
He collaborated also with the German cellist Anja Lechner, performing classic repertoire and his compositions. [17] Tsabropoulos and Anja Lechner have achieved significant commercial success following the release of their two albums, Chants Hymns and Dances (2004) and Melos (2008), which have become bestsellers. [18] Also, he has formed a piano duet with the pianist Vovka Ashkenazy playing concerts in France, Iceland and Greece. [19]
Since 2013, he has formed a duet with the acclaimed performer of Byzantine sacred music Nektaria Karantzi, in an artistic combination inspired by Byzantine hymns and traditional Greek music. [20] Their music unites in a harmonious way the West and East tradition and has travelled in Europe several times. [21]
Tsabropoulos is Honorary President of the Sergei Rachmaninov Greek Society and the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Athens. [22]
