Christos Anastassiou - Composer, Conductor
Christos Sp. Anastassiou MA Composer – Conductor, Professor of Composition
He was born, lives and works in Athens. Initially, he studied Advanced Theory of Music (with Al. Laskaridis, Ath. Papanikolaou and K. Kydoniatis,) and graduated from the Apollonio and Hellenic Conservatories in Athens, receiving degrees in Harmony, Counterpoint, and Fugue with an unanimous grade of Excellent.
At the same time he studied kinesiology and orchestra conducting with Lefteris Xalkiadakis, and also double bass, electric bass and piano.
He continued his studies in Composition and Orchestra Conducting with Theodore Antoniou (National Conservatory of Athens) and graduated with a Diploma in Composition with unanimously excellency, and a Diploma in Orchestra Conducting.
He completed his studies in Composition, Analysis, Conducting, and Electronic Music at the University of Belgrade (Srdjan Hofman, Zoran Eric), from where he graduated with a Master of Arts (MA 1997) (Composition and Orchestra Conducting).
In addition, studies and seminars in electroacoustic music, programming & music using computers, Algorithmic Composition, Acoustic Music, Spectral Music, Set Theory, Pitch Class Sets, live and interactive electronic music and analysis of sound composition techniques in various seminars and academies in Europe (Vassilia, Zurich).
He attended (1992-93) the series of Music Informatics seminars at the Center for Contemporary Music Research (K.SY.M.E.), in collaboration with the Columbia University Music Research Center on the topic "Music through programming" and various composition and music notation seminars.
He has conducted various orchestral and vocal ensembles in concerts in Greece and abroad and also in recordings in various studios.
He has been honored with important distinctions for his work. ALEA III International Composition Competition, OLYMPIA International Composition Competition of the A' Program of the Greek Radio&Television, 3rd Belgrade Contemporary Music Festival, Taukay International Contemporary Music Competition in Italy, OUAEMF International Electroacoustic Music Festival in Osaka, Japan, etc.
A prolific composer whose compositional work covers a wide range of contemporary music and includes -so far- 144 works such as string quartets, concerts for various instruments and orchestra, works for chamber orchestra and symphonic music, works for voice and solo instruments, choral music, music for theater, electro-acoustic music projects and mixed media compositions with acoustic instruments and computer (mixed media composition), as well as sound processing with samplers and other digital sound applications (Logic, Ableton, Max, Super Collider, etc.) for stereo and multi-channel systems.
The multidimensional sound organization, the search and application of new methods and new timbres through continuous review, investigation of the physical qualities of sound and its different ways of production, lead him to revisions of his musical language and aesthetic approaches which is what he requests in each of his new works.
The in-depth exploration of music and the learning of some programming environments and tools, help him to constantly expand his horizon, to perceive and understand the world of sounds.
An important direction of his creative journey is also electroacoustic music and in general electronic processes shaped and determined by the use of computers, the exploration of sound, rhythm, resonance, microtonality and multi-media works.
His research fields are Psychoacoustics & Computer Music and Music of the Environment, Philosophy, mathematics and physics (whose common element is inspiration) always occupy him in the creative process, open up new horizons and push him to create his own musical world.
Member of many international and Greek committees of contemporary and electroacoustic music composition competitions (Greek Composers Union, Greek National Opera, Greek ISCM, etc.).
His works have been performed by renowned soloists, chamber ensembles and orchestras in Greece and other countries of Europe and the USA, in festivals, concerts and concerts of instrumental and choral music and in live broadcasts of the Third Program of the Hellenic Radio. Many of these are commissions and orders from music organizations and other organizations in Greece and abroad. He has also composed, arranged, orchestrated and conducted works of Jazz music, which have been recorded and performed in concert venues.
In 2016, he began his collaboration with the international record company "Phasma Music". In collaboration with Sarton Records Warsaw Poland, two CDs of contemporary music works, Aleph and Beth, were released in which he participates with two of his works, “Stochasmos” and “Makron” for solo flute.
In 2017, two more CDs with contemporary music works were recorded in Poland, Two minutes and Daleth with his works, Satsang (2017) for flute and alto flute and Echomorphes (2017) for flute and vibraphone, by Phasma Music (Naxos) which were released in early 2018.
In 2022, the CD "Tuba Varie" for tuba was released, where there is his work for solo tuba "Anavasis" (2022).
There are also other works which have been recorded and will be released by Phasma Music, including ''String Quartet No 2'' (2009), ''Breath and Sound'' for solo flute (2018), ''Antinomies'' for flute and piano (2019), ''Inner Spirit'' for flute, violin, viola and cello (2019), ''Monologue'' for solo clarinet (1994) and ''Elampsi'' for solo violin (2022). New recordings and concerts have started with the same company (''Phasma Music'') while at the same time a personal CD is being prepared which will be released in 2024.
He has repeatedly given lectures and taught composition seminars on contemporary music creation, where he has presented works by Greek and foreign composers.
He was the artistic director and professor of composition at conservatories in Athens and other cities (Doric Conservatory, New Art Conservatory, Municipal Conservatory of Ioannina, Standard Conservatory of Eastern Attica, Symphonic Conservatory, Municipal Conservatory of Peristeri, Classical Conservatory, Protoporia Conservatory, Athenaeum Conservatory, etc.). Several of his students have received great distinctions and others continued their studies in music, in universities abroad. He teaches at the Athenaeum, Protoporia and Classic Conservatories.
In the years 2010 to 2018, he was a member of the Committee of the Ministry of Culture & Sports, for the examination of requests to hold events at the Herodes Atticus Conservatory and other important venues.
Since 1994 he has been a regular member of the Greek Composers Union and since 2018 he is a member (superintendet) of the Board of Directors.
His works are published by Universal Edition Vienna, Austria.
Since September 2022, the composer is represented worldwide by MUSICENTRY.
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/christos-sp-anastassiou
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aplapedion/videos?view_as=subscriber
Blog: https://christosanastassiou.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristosAnastassiou
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christos-anastassiou-12221622/?originalSubdomain=gr
A few words about Christos Anastassiou work
Initially he studied the music of important contemporary composers with the aim of creating his own musical corridors, ignoring every convention and every limitation, illuminating other points and other angles of the musical "universe", trying to create a personal stylistic language.
In the process of synthesis he uses an algorithmic logic. An evolutionary structure in time that produces values based on specific rules for determining the musical parameters of a compositional process.
His synthetic approach to the organization and development of his musical material is the complex numerical relationships, the use of algorithmic procedures for the development of the harmonic and rhythmic musical material as well as the structural characteristics of a work, the evolution of the elements into individual trends, the tonal development, horizontal and vertical polymetries and polyrhythms, layered rhythmic patterns and harmonic combinations.
The particular tonal development, the constant transformation with constant rearrangements, the creation of new smaller sets of the original musical material, the ever-increasing complexity, the microtonality, the structure of the dynamics, the musical gestures (articulation), the timbre structure, the investigation of sound and the way it will be produced by each instrument, the use of randomness models with some controlled parameters (in some of his works), the interterminate notation and the continuous configuration of the musical material, are characteristic elements of his work.
Each of his works has its own form and its architectural design differs from all others. It starts from a small element which constantly evolves with unlimited development possibilities. What is important to him is the constant movement and the uninterrupted flow of the structure. Its linear progression coexists with its harmonic tactics. At the same time there is dissimilarity, contrast, color and complexity.
An important direction of his creative path is also electro-acoustic music and electronic processes in general which are shaped and determined by the use of computers, the exploration of sound, rhythm, resonance, microtonality, and multimedia works (multi-media ).
The in-depth exploration of music and the learning of some programming environments and tools, help him to constantly expand his horizon, to perceive and understand the world of sounds.
His research fields are Psychoacoustics & Computer Music and Music of the Environment.
Philosophy, mathematics and physics (whose common element is inspiration) always occupy him in the creative process, open up new horizons and push him to create his own musical world.
Stochasmos, for solo Flute (1991)
Echomorphes, for Flute and Vibraphone (2017)
Makron, for solo Flute (2012)
Satsang, for Flute and Alto flute (2017)
Breath and Sound, for solo Flute (2018)
Lament for Theodore, for solo Flute (2020)
Anavasis, for solo Tuba, Op. 124 (2022)
String Quartet No 2
Inner Spirit, for Flute, Violin, Viola and Violoncello (2019)
Palintropon, Op. 129, for Flute, Alto Sax, Trombone, Marimba, Vibraphone and Contrabass (2022)
Monologue, for solo Clarinet (1994)
Methexis, for Large Chamber Orchestra (1994)
Events, for saxophone Quartet (2000)
Nemesis, for Bass Clarinet- Violin - Mezzo-Soprano and Piano (2018)
Nomos, for String Quartet (1991)
Ta eidola gymna (Agalmatopoia) for Mixed Choir, poetry Menelaos Lountemis (2017)
Epigrams, for Flute, Bb Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello and Piano (2004)
Diastasis, for Chamber Orchestra 2006)
Concerto for Piano No 1 Op. 121 (2020)
Variations, for flute, clarinet, violin and violoncello (1991)
Associations, for oboe, percussion, piano violin, viola and violoncello (1993)
Electroacoustic / Electronic Music
Anima Munti, for Electroacoustic Music, video, narrator and dance - theatrical team (2006)
In Aeternum, for Electroacoustic Mixed Music, Piano, Mezzo - Soprano, Video, Actress and Narrator (2016)
The other Side, Electronic Music (2017)
Ad infinitum, Electronic Music (2018)
Visions, Electronic Music (2018)
Invocation, Electronic Music (2022)
Duo
Satsang Op. 118, for Flute and Alto flute (2017)
Ensemble, Woodwind Quintet
A Memorable Fancy Op.144 for W.W. Quintet (2023)
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/christos-sp-anastassiou
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aplapedion/videos?view_as=subscriber
Blog: https://christosanastassiou.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristosAnastassiou
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christos-anastassiou-12221622/?originalSubdomain=gr
Program Notes:
String Quartet No. 2 Op. 92 (2009), Ex Quartet, recorded Poland 2018
Work based on the Fibonacci sequence. Use of proportions in the structure, rhythmic, metrical and phthonic organization of the work.
The post-series orientation, the material drawn from pitch class sets based on the Fibonacci sequence, the free use of intervals mainly of the semitone, the constant change of use of bows, pizzicatti, tremolos , and the extensive use of harmonics, aim to create a constantly changing development and tonal change.
The successive transformations, the default circular spatial permutation, (rotation), the constant rearrangements of the motivic tonal classes, the use of mirror parts, the rules and the derivation of new subsets, constantly create new geometric displacements and symmetries.
The complexity, the compositional relationships of the sound intensities, the complex rhythmic variations, and the continuous metrical transformations, create changes of the rhythmic and tonic-melodic shapes and a condensation of the harmonic and counterpoint sound material, are the structural elements of the work and create another dimension in the structure and aesthetics of the work.
String Quartet No. 2 is a work of exceptional difficulty, and demands particularly high skils by the performers.
"Birth, culmination, depletion of energy and decomposition of elements (classic case of entropy)...freezing in time..."
Echomorphes for flute and vibraphone Op. 117 (2017) Phasma Music CD Daleth, Flute Iwona Glinka -Vibraphone Leszek Lorent
The musical material of the work is cells of three and four chords which are expanded with continuous rearrangements, combined with modal elements.
The organization of the rhythmic parameter, the tonal development, the elements of (expanded) repetition and the constantly increasing complexity, describe the interaction of the sound parameters, which shape the form of the work.
A work with a strong rhythmic character, complex rhythmic treatment, development and metric changes, it seeks a specific result while also demonstrating the increased skill requirements of the score.
Elampsi Op. 126 for solo violin (2021)
Shine. Psychic radiance and illumination by God power. As the light of knowledge, the radiance belongs to the tradition of Western light imagery, where the knowledge of truth is associated with a shining clear light. The epistemology of St. Augustine identifies the understanding of divine truth with radiance, the influx of light.
The organization of the sound material is done by groups (group composition) and sets of tonal classes (pitch class sets) in a combinatory way and with the possibility of mutation in any order, the ways of processing the voices of each group, the rearrangement of the tonal material, the circular isometrics transformations, the tonal displacement of the original sets of tonal classes, complementarity and combinability, result in the formulation of relationships and properties, which determine the rhythmic and temporal organization of the work.
The constant changes of the way the bow is used, the extensive use of harmonics, the frequent change of dynamics and the use of specific types of spatial content, create interactive processes, which dynamically affect the sound material and the form of the work.
''Anavasis'' for solo Tuba (2021) /Dedicated to George- Theodoros Rarakos
Rhythmic models, polymetry and metric transformations that create a horizontal polymetric and polyrhythmic form.
Algorithmic procedure using sets of step classes. Symmetry is achieved by continuous rearrangements, tonal shifts (transpositions), conjunctiveness and complementarity (complement), changing the orientation of melodic ensembles, circular shifts (rotation) and variations.
One type of space content is mainly used, the minor 2nd and its inversions.
The repetition of melodic intervals and the continuous use of the semitone create a condensation of the dissonant sound material and are rendered with a special character taking into account the limitations of the instrument, with the aim of sound enrichment and together with the other techniques create a plan of continuous melodic-rhythmic variation.
Works by Christos Anastassiou in CD (Phasma Music, Sarton Records)
- Stochasmos for Flute, (1992), CD BETH
- Makron for Flute (2012), CD ALEPH
- Breath and Sound (2018), CD TWO MINUTES Solo Flute
- Satsang for flute and alto flute (2017), CD TWO MINUTES - 2 Flutes
- Echomorphes for Flute and Vibraphone (2017), CD DALETH
- String Quartet No 2 (2009)
- Lament for Theodore, for solo Flute (2020), CD LAMENT FOR THEODORE ANTONIOU
- Anavasis for solo Tuba Op. 127 (2021)