Biography
Christos Samaras, Greek composer and professor for composition, was born in 1956 in Doxato, Drama. He began his music studies at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (1969-1976) studying Music Theory - Harmony with Ioannis Damianos and Counterpoint with Kostas Nikitas, Flute with Emmanuel Ekaterinis and piano with Mary Papadopoulou. Since autumn 1976, he continued his studies at the University of Music and Fine Arts in Vienna, studying Composition with Friedrich Cerha and Erich Urbanner, and Flute with Louis Riviere and Robert Wolf. In 1981, he graduated with the Diploma of Composition and in 1982 with the Pedagogical Degree of Flute. From 1982 to 1984 he pursued post-graduate studies in Composition at the University of Fine Arts of Berlin with Isang Yun. He also attended Composition Classes presented by Klaus Huber, Luigi Nono, Hans-Werner Henze, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, Witold Lutoslawski and Diether Schnebel. Since 1984, he lives and works in Thessaloniki.
In 1984, he was granted the Second Prize in the Competition of Composition in Hammeln of Germany with the work "Askitiki" (1982) for small orchestra, and in 1985 the Second Prize for composition in the competition Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden, Germany with the work "Fourth String Quartet" (1984). In 1987, he took the First Prize in the Competition of Composition of the Foundation for Literature and Arts under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture in Athens, Greece with the work "Paradromes" (1986) for eleven instruments. In 1989, he took the First Prize in the Competition of Composition ALEA III of the University of Boston, USA with the work "Apologia II" (1988) for small orchestra. In 1990, he received the First Prize in the Competition of Composition of the Foundation for Literature and Arts under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture in Athens with the work "Monogramma" (1989) for solo violin. In 1993, he received Distinction in the Competition of Composition of the Arts Foundation "Techni" in Thessaloniki, Greece for his work "Threnos" (1993) for mixed choir. In 1993, he obtained the Third Prize in the Competition of Composition of the Foundation for Literature and Arts in Athens with the work "Sonatine" (1993) for flute and piano. In 1995, he won the Second Prize in the competition of composition of the Union of Greek Composers in the memory of Y.A. Papaioannou with the work "Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra" (1994). Finally, in 1996 he received the First Prize from the Macedonian Arts Company for his work "Macedonian Rhapsody" (1996) for orchestra.
At present, he is Professor of Composition at the Department of Music Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has taught Music Theory and Composition at various conservatories of Thessaloniki and other Greek cities. For many years he has been appointed Artistic Director in many of these conservatories. He has also taught composition at various seminars and workshops. Finally he has been awarded by various institutions and foundations for his educational and artistic contribution.
In 2010, as a visiting professor, he taught Composition Masterclasses at Georgia States University in Atlanta, USA, while his music was performed at several cities in America.
He also participates with his work: 1) LAPSES (PARADROMES) (1986), for 11 instruments, at the CD Greek Music Avant-Garde of the 20th Century Association (CD distributed from ETEBA, 1997), 2) STRING QUARTET Nr.4 (1984) published at the CD Agora AG, 1999 with the New Greek Quartet, 3) SONATINA (1993) for flute and piano at the CD of Nikolos Dimopoulos and Dimitris Dimopoulos published by IRIDA Company, 4) KALIM - ARIA (2003) for alto flute at the CD of Ria Georgiadou "Flute dimensions" published by IRIDA, 5) ELEGY (1989) for clarinet, percussion and strings at the Legend Classics Company CD with the Bulgarian Radio Orchestra, 6) EGOMION V (2008) for saxophone quartet, baritone and percussion at a cd based entirely on poetry by Kostas Varnalis 7) ULTIMUM III (2008) for alto saxophone and piano at the American Company Albanyrecords CD. 8) PEACE IS WHEN - CHORAL WORKS for Equal female voices, at the Phasma music.
His compositional work is varied in nature, covering all sectors: four symphonies, the opera "I Gioconda tou Olokaftomatos" [Holocaust], 2 concertos for piano and orchestra, 2 concertos for flute and orchestra, concert for violin and chamber orchestra, concert for violin and orchestra, concert for violoncello and orchestra, coratorio "Byzantine Passions" with narrator two choirs and orchestra, a music-theatre, five string quartets, more than 25 orchestral works, chamber music for various ensembles, choral music, songs for voice and piano, music for solo instruments.
In 2018, he was honored with the "Karolos Koun" Award of the Union of Greek Theater and Music Critics "for his longstanding significant synthesis, research, music and pedagogical contribution to Greek art/classical music".
His works have been performed in England, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, China, USA, Spain, India, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey and Finland. They have also been broadcasted by the Greek, French, German, Austrian and Australian Radio-Television.
His work is published by the Music Publishing House "Papagregoriou-Nakas" (www.panasmusic.gr) and he is a member of the Greek Composers Union (www.gcu.org.gr).
