The Artistic Committee
The competition is administered by the Artistic Committee of the International Music Prizes™, a team of composers, performers, theorists and musicologists. Appointment is normally for a one year term and the appointment is ratified by the Academy’s Board of Directors. The appointment of a new member of the Artistic Committee normally begins with a ‘self-nomination’, followed by a staged educational process. Serving the Academy as a member of the Artistic Committee is an honorary and voluntary position. The following is a complete list of current members of the Artistic Committee:
Vasilis Boulousis
DIRECTOR
He graduated with Degrees in harmony, counterpoint, fugue, school music teaching and band instrumentation from the Macedonian Conservatory and with a post-degree Diploma with distinction in composition from Philippos Nakas Conservatory. He also holds graduate and postgraduate qualifications in orchestral conducting, military bandmastership, musicology and euphonium performance from the Royal College of Music, London, Thames Valley University and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. He also studied orchestral conducting and ethnomusicology at the 'Accademia Musicale Chigiana' in Italy and music for the theatre at 'Intercultura-AFS' in Portugal with a scholarship from the European Communities. He holds the position of the principal of the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis and bandmaster of the Municipal Band of Neapolis. He also serves as a local representative of Trinity College London and corporate director of the National Academy of Music, USA. He gave performances in Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the UK. He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London.
Vasiliki Papageorgiou
HEAD OF SECRETARIAT
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) Degree in Music Education with upper second class Honours and a Master of Arts (MA) Degree with Distinction in Ethnomusicology from Middlesex University, London, and Diplomas of Associateship and Licentiateship in music theory from Trinity College London and Victoria College of Music, London. Her qualifications include also a Degree in Guitar Performance from the Municipal Conservatory of Thessaloniki, under distinguished professor Evangelos Assimakopoulos, Degrees in harmony, counterpoint, fugue and band instrumentation, and a post-degree Diploma in composition from the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis. She also studied saxophone at the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis and participates at the Municipal Band of Neapolis. She attended numerous master classes held by world-famous guitarists such as Roland Dyens, Leo Brouwer, Aniello Desiderio, Thomas Müller-Pering, Hubert Käppel et al. She also attended seminars held by the renowned saxophone players and professors George Porte and Daniel Gauthier. She holds the position of professor at the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Dan Cavanagh
Dan Cavanagh is the Assistant Director of Jazz Studies and an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is an Honorary Fellow of the National Academy of Music, and was named a Prize Winner in the 2009 International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition. He has garnered numerous awards for his jazz compositions, including a 2006 First Music Commission from the New York Youth Symphony Jazz Band Classic program, Featured Performance at the 2006 International Jazz Composers’ Symposium, Honorable Mention in the 2007 Gil Evans/IAJE Commission Competition, Finalist in the 2002, 2005, and 2007 ASCAP Young Jazz Composers competitions, and ASCAPLUS awards each year since 2003. His music continues to be performed across the country and internationally, and he has received commissions from a wide range of groups across North America. Cavanagh has been commissioned by Documentary Arts, Inc. to compose music for its upcoming documentary film, The Beat Hotel. His music for big band is published by Walrus Music and UNC Jazz Press. In November 2008, the Jazz Emporium Big Band, led by Cavanagh, released an album entitled Pulse, consisting of eight of Cavanagh’s original charts. Several other groups around the country have recorded his music, including John Adler (Confronting Inertia, Origin Classical, 2009); the University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band One, directed by Chris Merz (Strange Wonderful, 2009); the Nova Jazz Orchestra (A Time of Reckoning, 2009, In a Lucid Moment, 2007, Hard Room, 2005, NJO Records), and the University of Texas at Arlington Jazz Orchestra (Caravan of Cool, 2009, Legacy, 2006). Cavanagh has performed with (as pianist) and composes for the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra, led by drummer Adonis Rose. He leads a piano trio, complemented by bassist Brian Mulholland and drummer Jaime Reyes, and a sextet called “Outburst”. In June 2008, he was one of three pianist/composers nationwide invited to participate in the Steans Institute for Young Artists Jazz Program, a component of the Ravinia Music Festival held outside Chicago. He has performed with leading jazz figures Terrell Stafford, Jon Irabagon, Jeff Coffin, Jason Marsalis, the Adonis Rose Quintet, Remy Le Boeuf, Linda Oh, the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra, John Riley, Grammy-winners Joe McCarthy and Irma Thomas, among others. He received a Master's of Music Degree in Jazz Studies/Composition from the University of Oregon, and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student in Jazz Studies award upon graduation. While there, he studied jazz composition with Steve Owen and jazz piano with Randy Porter and Toby Koenigsberg. Prior to graduate school, he worked for MakeMusic!, Inc, makers of Finale notation software. He received his undergraduate Degree in Theory/Composition from St. Olaf College, where he studied jazz with Dave Hagedorn and theory/composition with Timothy Mahr, Mary Ellen Childs, Peter Hamlin, and Charles Forsberg.
Athanasios Delios
His qualifications include Degrees in harmony, counterpoint, fugue, school music teaching and band instrumentation, a post-degree Diploma in Trombone Performance, a post-degree Diploma in Classical Singing and a post-degree Diploma in Byzantine Music from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and from the Municipal Conservatories of Neapolis and Ampelokipi. He also holds Diplomas of Associateship and Licentiateship in music theory from the Victoria College of Music, London. He also studied at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Theology. He is currently completing his second Bachelor's Degree with a major in Musicology at the same University and his post-degree Diploma in Composition at the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis. He holds the position of professor at the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis and cantor at St. Mary's Nativity Church in Thessaloniki. He participates in various professional ensembles as a trombonist.
Graeme Wright Denniss
Graeme Wright Denniss has had a long and varied career as composer, performer, music educator and conductor. After 20 years orchestral experience, including 14 years as Principal Third Horn in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Graeme completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Composition at the University of Queensland. Graeme’s professional standard compositions have been performed and recorded by the Melbourne Symphony, Melbourne Philharmonic, Queensland Philharmonic and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. In 1987 he won the ‘Dorian le Gallienne’ award for his song cycle: ‘Songs of the Priestess of the Moon’, and in 2001 received an Australia Council grant for ‘Wrestling Kali’, performed by Brisbane group Topology. Recent Music Education Commissions include a major work written for the Anglican Church Grammar School Orchestra’s tour to England, which was performed in Westminster Abbey as part of the Centenary of Federation celebrations in 2000. His works, ‘Bach Paintings’ and ‘Four Characteristic Pieces’ for horn, and ‘Cantaloupe Soup’ for bass clarinet, are included on examination syllabuses for the Australian Music Examinations Board. Over half of his 3 part series of piano duets, ‘Duetica’ are included on the Australian and New Zealand Cultural Arts ANZCA syllabus. Recent premieres include ‘The Melting Point’ for cor anglais and strings, and ‘Songs of the Ming Dynasty’ for soprano and strings, both performed at the 4MBS Festival of Classics, Brisbane in 2008 and 2009, with the Corda Spiritus Chamber Orchestra. At the International Horn Symposium, Brisbane 2010, Graeme presented three decades of his original works for French horn. He is an Honorary Fellow of the National Academy of Music, and was named a Prize Winner in the 2010 International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition.
Panagiotis Diamantis
Panagiotis Diamantis was born in Thessaloniki. He studied piano, advanced theory and composition at the Contemporary Conservatory of Thessaloniki. Subsequently, attracted by the magic of baton, he began to study conducting under the competent guidance of Maestro Iosif Conta, obtaining his Master’s Degree in conducting at the 'Universitatea Naţională de Muzică Bucureşti' (National University of Music Bucharest) in the class of Nicolae Brînduș and he is currently working on his Doctorate Degree. From 1995 to 1998 he has been cooperating as a conductor with the Youth Orchestra of Northern Greece Conservatory. Since 1997, he has been an Honorary Guest Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Bacau (Romania) and Principal Conductor of the Balkan Symphony Orchestra. He participated at the ‘Atelier Internazionale di Musica & Arte’ and ‘Catania Summer Festival’ in Sicily and at the ‘Festival Lago di Como’ (Italy). The same period he has also been a Guest Conductor of the National Philharmonic of the Republic of Moldova and the Symphony Orchestras of Pazardjik and Vidin (Bulgaria). Panagiotis Diamantis has cooperated with all major Romanian orchestras and opera houses (including the ‘George Enescu’ Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the National Opera of Bucharest) and other European and Greek Orchestras (including the Athens & Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestras). His activities include concerts throughout Greece (Thessaloniki, Athens, Veria, Katerini, Lefkada) as well as abroad (Romania, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria) with great soloists like N.Licaret, St.Ruha, V.Georgiu, M.Fornaciari, D.Evnouhidou, N.Astrinidis, Chr.Galileas, etc. Since 1999, he has been a Permanent Guest Conductor of the City of Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra, Permanent Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Katerini and the Hellenic Camerata in Greece. He is also a member of juries of International Competitions of piano, composition and chamber music in Greece, Italy and Spain. Since 1996, he is the artistic director in several Conservatories in Thessaloniki. On April 2010, he started collaboration with the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague and on February 2011 conducted the ‘Bohuslav Martinů’ Philharmonic Orchestra in ‘Musikverein Goldener Saal’ in Vienna and in Konzerthaus in Klagenfurt.
Christopher Gainey
Christopher Gainey (b. 1981) did his undergraduate and Master’s level work at the Peabody Conservatory earning Degrees in composition, guitar performance and music theory pedagogy before receiving a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree in composition from the University of Iowa. His music has been performed throughout the United States and abroad by groups such as the University of Iowa Center for New Music, The Ligetisplit Ensemble, The Affinity Chamber Players, Duo Transatlantique, and The San Francisco Guitar Quartet. His music is published by Vogt&Fritz and the SCI Journal of Music Scores, and his music is included on recordings from SCI, ERM Media, and the San Francisco Guitar Quartet. He is currently a lecturer in composition at Grinnell College and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the University of Iowa. For more information please visit www.christophergainey.com.
George Kambas
He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, were he received his classical education in piano performance at the 'Musikhochschule Trossingen' (Trossingen University of Music). He continued his studies at the Macedonian Conservatory in Greece. His qualifications include a Degree and a post-degree Diploma in Piano Performance and Degrees in harmony, counterpoint and fugue. He holds the position of professor of piano at the Municipal Conservatories of Neapolis and Sykies. He participates in various professional ensembles as a piano accompanist.
Zarif Kerimova
Zarif Kerimova was born in Azerbaijan (Baku) into a family of musicians. Her father was a musicologist and her mother is a pianist. From childhood she grew up in an atmosphere of love to music and art. When she was 6 years old she started to learn piano and composition at the Children's Music School. Her first performance with the Azerbaijan National Symphony Orchestra was when she was 8 years old. After graduated from the Children's Music School, Zarif entered the Secondary Special Musical Studio-School of Baku Musical Academy, where she studied piano, music theory and harmony. In 2000 she entered the Baku Music Academy where she studied piano with the famous pianist Rafik Kuliyev and composition with the world famous composer Arif Melikov and graduated with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in piano and composition. She is currently working at the Baku Music Academy and give concerts with her own compositions and works of Baroque, Classical and 20th century music. She has been elected an Honorary Associate of the National Academy of Music, and was named Winner in the 2010 International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition and Finalist in the 2010 International Music Prize for Excellence in Performance. In 2010, she was honored with the special diploma of ‘the best performer of national music’ in the scientifically-performing competition of pianists named after G.Garayev in Azerbaijan.
Elena Krakopolskaya
Elena began her education at the age of six at the Moscow Gnessin School for Gifted Children, the school which occupies the first place in rating of all music schools in Russia. There are more than 300 laureates of national and international competitions among the graduates, including the world famous musicians: Nikolai Demidenko, Boris Berezovsky, Eugeny Kissin and many others. Elena made her broadcasting debut at the age of 7 on the Moscow radio. While at school, she performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls and was a winner of several competitions. After twelve years of training with specialization in piano and musical theory she was accepted to the Gnessin Academy of Music. After additional five years of rigorous instruction under renowned pianist and prize winner of international competitions, professor Vladimir Tropp, she earned her Master’s Degree as a Concert Performer, Soloist of Chamber Ensemble, Accompanist and Teacher. After graduating with high distinction for musical excellence, Elena toured extensively in Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania and Poland with collaboration of the Moscow Philharmonic and ‘RossKonzert’. At the same time, she became the Musical Director of the legendary Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow, a position she held for 15 years. Since 1990, Elena lives in Toronto, Canada, where she has garnered an impressive record of an outstanding teacher and performer. She is currently a nominee for a ‘Best Teacher Award’ from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Despite her busy teaching schedule, Elena frequently performs as a soloist, with chamber ensembles and as an accompanist. Her solo recitals include such prestigious places like Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts and the Music Festival of the Nations in Rome, Italy, where she is a regular guest. Elena is an Honorary Associate of National Academy of Music, and was named a Finalist in the 2010 International Music Prize for Excellence in Performance. She was honored with a Diploma of ‘Expert in Performance’.
Carlo Alessandro Landini
Carlo Alessandro Landini (b. 1954) graduated in Composition and Piano, with full marks, from Milan Conservatory and then with Premier Prix from the 'Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique' in Paris. Mr. Landini attended Master Classes in Siena (Accademia Musicale Chigiana) with Franco Donatoni, in Aix-en-Provence with György Ligeti and Iannis Xenakis, in Grožnjan with Witold Lutosławski. In 1981 he was granted the prestigious ‘Fulbright Award’ from the US Department of Education. In 1983 he graduated from the University of California, San Diego. A winner of numerous national and international competitions including the ‘Valentino Bucchi’ Competition in Rome (1986) and the ‘Ernest Bloch’ Competition in Lugano (1994), Mr. Landini is the only composer ever to win two consecutive editions of the ‘K. Serocki’ Competition (Warsaw, 2002 and 2004). He is a regular guest of the ‘Ferienkurse für Neue Musik’ in Darmstadt and publishes for the Milan-based houses Sonzogno and Rugginenti, the Rome-based Edi-Pan, and the French Alphonse Leduc (Paris). In Spring of 2003 Mr. Landini was appointed Fellow of the Italian Academy in New York and Research Scientist at the Music Department of Columbia University in New York. He has taught seminars at the University of California, at the Department of Graduate Studies of Columbia, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, at the State University of New York in Buffalo, at the 'Musikhochschule Trossingen' (Germany). In 2008 Mr. Landini won the First Prize in the International ‘W. Lutosławski’ Competition in Warsaw with his work ‘Le retour d’Astrée’ for violin and piano. Mr. Landini currently teaches Composition, as Full Professor, at the ‘G. Nicolini’ State Conservatory in Piacenza (Italy).
Adam Luker
Adam Luker is currently a Doctoral of Musical Arts candidate and Teaching Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was the recipient of a campus-wide Doctoral Fellowship. He holds an Artist Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, and a Master of Music Degree in Trombone Performance & Pedagogy from the Florida State University where he was an applied Teaching Assistant. His teachers include Håkan Björkman of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Sven-Erik Eriksson of the Stockholm Royal Opera Orchestra, and Mark Hetzler of the Empire Brass Quintet. Performing in New York’s Carnegie Hall at age 16, Adam has received distinguished scores in various solo competitions, was the recipient of the University of Massachusetts’ All New England “Outstanding Brass Performer” award, and has performed for Royal Courts including the King & Queen of Sweden. Additionally, Adam has worked with hundreds of clients as an avid personal trainer, yoga instructor and performance enhancement specialist. Areas of research include optimizing musical performance through kinetic chain bio-feedback.
Dimitris Makridis
He graduated from the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis with a Degree in harmony and with qualifications in piano performance and music theory from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Continuing his studies in the UK since 2002, his qualifications include a Bachelor of Music (BMus) Degree from Goldsmiths College, University of London, specializing in Composition (2005), a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Audio Production from the University of Westminster, London (2006) and a Master of Music (MMus) Degree in Composing for Film and Television from Kingston University, London (2008). He also holds graduate qualifications in creative audio applications including sequencing and digital technology, studio recording techniques, sound sculpture and sampling from the music and performing arts department of Goldsmiths College. He has worked extensively in the post production departments of broadcast media such as Discovery Channel Networks Europe (2006) and Time Warner, Turner Broadcasting, Inc. (2008) where he is currently based, and continues to compose and produce music for commercials, documentaries, films, and other media.
Maria Mitrizaki
Her qualifications include a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance from the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, a post-degree Diploma with Distinction in Violin Performance from the Contemporary Conservatory of Thessaloniki, and a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance from the 'Folkwang Universität der Künste' (Folkwang University of the Arts) Essen in Germany. She held the position of violinist at the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. She currently holds teaching positions at public schools and conservatories.
Athanasios Skordas
His qualifications include a Degree in Bassoon Performance from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Thessaloniki Institute of Technology and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Ioannina, Greece. He also studied bassoon with prof. Lyndon Watts at the 'Hochschule für Musik und Theater München' (University of Music and Performing Arts Munich) in Germany and participated at the 'Akademisches Sinfonieorchester München' as a bassonist. He currently participates in various professional ensembles as a bassoonist.
Vasilis Themelis
His qualifications include a post-degree Diploma with Distinction and 1st Prize in Tuba Performance from the Athens Conservatory and Degrees in harmony, counterpoint and fugue from the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Serres Institute of Technology, Greece. He served as a military musician in the Hellenic Armed Forces Band. He holds the position of professor of tuba at the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis and Aristoxenus Conservatory, Greece. He currently participates at the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra and the Municipal Band of Thessaloniki as a tuba player.
John Bargiotas
ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR
He was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. From 1999 until 2009 he studied trumpet at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, firstly next to G. Netska and later on next to A. Giamouridis, and graduated with a Degree in Trumpet Performance. He is truly grateful to both. He was a permanent member of the Symphony Orchestra of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2002-2009) and he has taken part in concerts in Greece, Luxembourg, playing for the European Court of Justice, Tynisia and Germany. In 2007, he took part as Principal to the European Youth Orchestra that had been formed from the youth orchestras at the International Festival of Youth Orchestras in Murcia, Spain. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the School of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece (2008) and a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Acoustic Engineering, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), University of Southampton, UK (2010). He works as a trumpet tutor at the Municipal Conservatory of Neapolis, he is member of the Brass quintet “Λαmαrine” and of the Folk orchestra “ΣαBach”.
