Yiorgos Kaloudis

Yiorgos Kaloudis (born in 1973) is a Greek cellist and Cretan lyra player.

Yiorgos Kaloudis
Background information
Born1973 (age 47–48)
Athens, Greece
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Cellist
  • Cretan lyra player
  • Composer
Years active1993–present
LabelsDna Label
Associated acts
Websiteyiorgoskaloudismusic.com, classicalcretanlyra.com

Biography

Born in Athens, he had the privilege of growing up in families of music origin (Crete & Corfu). He lived and experienced music from the families of his parents, which included many musicians from various genres and styles of music. So, most symphonic instruments of the orchestra were available at an early age, as well as traditional musical instruments. He started playing the piano and drums with his parents, but his love focused on the stringed musical instruments. First with the Cretan Lyra, the mandolin and the guitar from his grandparents, continuing the family tradition as the fourth generation of lyra player, and then the cello, as the third generation in the violin family.

Athletic career

From 1988 to December 1997 he was member of the Track and Field National Greek Team, competing in the 5 km, 10 km and 20 km of racewalking. In 1990, at the International Race Walking Meeting in Czechoslovakia he established the national record in a 20 km walk (Juniors category), which was beaten only after 22 years (2012).[1] In 1991 at the European Championships (Junior) held in Thessaloniki, with the name Yeóryios Papagiannakis, he got the 12th position in the 10 km indoor walk.[2] In spite of that he is still today one of the top 20 performers in the history of Greek race walking.[3]

Musical career

Yiorgos Kaloudis studied cello at the Athenaeum Conservatory with Claire Demeulenere and, thanks to the Fulbright Program, in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Ted Greene. He also studied cello for a year with Renato Ripo in Athens, and with Vitaliy Maltese in Rethymnon.

Before publishing as a solo artist he was member of Greek jazz-fusion group Occasional Dream (Περιστασιακό Όνειρο).

His personal discography consists of five records: Truth (2005), On the Wind (2009), J.S.BACH: Cello Suites on the Cretan lyra (2016-2017), Aptera (2018) and Driopi (2020), .

He performed the Cello suites of Bach with the Cretan lyra,[4] maintaining the original tonalities of the original work. This was the very first time that a Greek traditional instrument interpreted classical music. The lyra he used to play the suites, it is a special four-string instrument (a low C string has been added) that was designed and built just for this purpose.[5]

The concerts of Yiorgos Kaloudis feature an extensive use of live loop recording and a combination of elements from classical, ambient, jazz and world music.[6]

In July 2017 he re-opened the ancient theatre of Aptera,[7] in Crete, that after almost 1700 years was hosting its first event.[8]

Beyond being a solo artist he also collaborates to the projects of the songwriter Alkinoos Ioannidis.[9] Since 2011 they both give concerts together in many venues, churches and concert halls around the world. As a soloist he collaborated with the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra[10] and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He performed in New York International Fringe Festival, Rome Biennale for Young Artists, in Manchester Jazz Festival and in Celtic Connections among the others.

He played along with Steve Tavaglione, Sylvan Richardson, Karine Polwart, Markus Stockhausen, saxophonist David Lynch, the pianists Stavros Lantsias, Takis Farazis, and the groups Lemoncello, Faros, Furtuna and The Chosen.

Discography

Solo Albums

with Occasional Dream
  • 2001 - Peristasiako Oneiro (Περιστασιακό Όνειρο) (Lyra, Mikros Iros)

with Furtuna
  • 2007 - Furtuna (KAF Müzik)

References
  1. "Στίβος: Πανελλήνιο ρεκόρ από τον Κώστα Ντεντόπουλο στο βάδην".
  2. "Competitions - European Athletics Under 20 Championships - History - European Athletics". european-athletics.
  3. "20 ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΟΙ/ΕΣ ΟΛΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΕΠΟΧΩΝ - Hellenic Athletics Federation Official Website". www.segas.gr.
  4. IScreta Interview (in Greek)/
  5. Dissertation from School of Arts, Histories and Cultures in Faculty of Humanities of University of Manchester: Ways Of Understanding - Ethnomusicology and Cretan Lyra
  6. "Performances are vehicles to explore emotions - Cyprus Mail". 28 October 2017.
  7. ""Με τα φτερά της Μουσικής" στον Αρχαιολογικό Χώρο Απτέρας - Cretalive".
  8. ""Ζωντάνεψε" το Θέατρο της Αρχαίας Απτέρας (φωτ.)". 7 August 2017.
  9. Administrator. "BAND". www.alkinoos.gr.
  10. "Title". www.philharmonia.spb.ru.
  11. Yiorgos Kaloudis on BBC Μusic https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/c5f66a34-c12c-44c8-9492-e213014f2dda
  12. Yiorgos Kaloudis on BBC Μusic https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/c5f66a34-c12c-44c8-9492-e213014f2dda
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