Evagoras Karageorgis
Encyclopedia
Evagoras Karageorgis born 20 December 1957, Paphos, Cyprus
is a music teacher, famous composer, lute
player, singer, and lyricist.
He grew up in Tsada
, outside of the city of Paphos
- Cyprus
in 1957. His first influence was his father Γεώργιος Δ. Καράγιωρκης - Georgios D. Karayiorkis from Λάπηθος - Lapithos
, a great traditional lutist of his times. Also his elder brothers Sotiris and Stelios gave him many lessons on Greek music during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1982 he went to the USA where he studied music at the Aaron Copland School of Music
(City University of New York) with Allen Brings and Leo Kraft
(1981–1988). He graduated with the degrees of B.A. in Music and M.A. in Music Composition
. For one year (1988–89) he continued postgraduate studies at the N.Y.U., studying composition with the Israeli composer Menahem Zur and Philosophy of the Arts with David Echer. At the same period he also took postgraduate courses in Ethnomusicology and Electronic Music.
Since 1989 he is being teaching music in the Public Schools of Cyprus (Paralimni Gymnasium 1989-90, Dali Gymnasium 1991-94, University of Cyprus
1994-95, Acropolis Lyceum 1995-2005, Ayios Georgios Lakatameias Lyceum 2005-). In 1990 he began composing music for all the major theater companies of Cyprus (THOC, ETHAL, Satiricon, THEPAC) writing music for a variety of theatrical productions (Στου κύκλου τα γυρίσματα-Around the Circle, Στης Κύπρου το βασίλειο-At the Kingdom of Cyprus
, Βάτραχοι-The Frogs
, Κύκλωπας-Cyclope, Mary Stewart, Η τρελλή του Σαγιώ-The Mad Woman of Sayio, Κλέψε λιγότερο-Steel less , Χρονικό Λεόντιου Μαχαιρά-Chronicle of Leontios Makhairas
, Macbeth, Λυσιστράτη- Lysistrata
, Η Ρωμιοσύνη εν φυλή-Hellenic is a Race, Τρωάδες- The Trojan Women
, Το άσμα του γιοφυριού- The Ballad of the Bridge, Επιθεωρητής-Inspector, Η αγάπη της Μαρικκούς-Marikkou's love, Οι αγροίκοι, Για ποιον να βρέξει-For Whom to Rain). In the theater he worked with many directors (Ch. Zanos, A. Pantzis, N. Siafkallis, D. Mbembedeli, I. Iordanides, N. Charalambous, M. Pieris, G. Mouaimis, E. Poullaides.
At the same period he works also for TV writing music for various series and documentaries (Το παναΰριν-The festival, Ο αθθός της Πιτσιλιάς-Pitsilias flower, Το σόιν του Αριστείδη-Aristidis family, Πολιτισμός στην κύπρο-Culture in Cyprus, Stelios Votsis, Jack Iacovides, H kerameiki sthn Kypro-The story of ceramics in Cyprus) collaborating with directors such as A. Constantinides, S. Mouaimi, M. Demetriou.
In 1992, he wins the A’ Pancyprian Song Competition with his song Τ’ όνειρον-The dream. After his first success he publishes his first cycle of songs, Το παλιό λαούτο-The old lute (1994), based oν poetry by D. Lipertis, M. Pasiardis, traditional verses as well his own.
For the last fifteen years has given many performances with his own works in Cyprus, Greece, Germany, France and England. In 1994 he published The old Lute, a cycle of songs based on Cypriot dialectic poetry, a combination between electronic sound environment and a traditional instrument. In 1997 he published the song cycle
, Τόποι σε χρώμα λουλακί-Places in the color of lulaki. A third work, in collaboration with the famous Cretan lyre player Psarantonis
, features his songs written for the Χρονικό του λεοντίου μαχαιρά - Chronicle of Leontios Machairas, a dramatized version by Michalis Pieris. In 2006 he published the work Με δίχως τα’ ανοικτάριν - Without the old key, a duo collaboration with the double bass player Irenaeos Koullouras. Among his many musical interests is the research and exploration of the traditional Cypriot music (the modes, rhythms, melodies and harmony).
On that aspect and in collaboration with the Cyprus Research Center they publish two volumes of traditional songs (Κυπριακή Δημοτική μουσική: Ακριτικά – Παραλογές και Θρησκευτικά – Ο θρήνος της Παναγίας). This interest has three aspects: Composition, performance as well as theoretical analysis. As a result, a lot of his compositions combine elements from the contemporary musical world and the local Cypriot idiom. This research and exploration has been more creative with the collaboration of other professional musicians from Cyprus.
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
is a music teacher, famous composer, lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
player, singer, and lyricist.
He grew up in Tsada
Tsada
Tsada is a relatively big village 8 km North of Paphos city center. Although the proximity between them, the 600m elevation difference gives to the Tsada area a totally different identity...
, outside of the city of Paphos
Paphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
- Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1957. His first influence was his father Γεώργιος Δ. Καράγιωρκης - Georgios D. Karayiorkis from Λάπηθος - Lapithos
Lapithos
Lapithos or Lapethos is a town of Kyrenia District on the northern coast of Cyprus. According to Strabo, the settlement was founded by Spartans. In Assyrian inscriptions, Lapithos is mentioned as one of the eleven Cypriot kingdoms. During the Persian rule, Lapithos was settled by Phoenicians...
, a great traditional lutist of his times. Also his elder brothers Sotiris and Stelios gave him many lessons on Greek music during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1982 he went to the USA where he studied music at the Aaron Copland School of Music
Aaron Copland School of Music
The Aaron Copland School of Music is one of the oldest and most distinguished departments at Queens College, founded when the College opened in 1937....
(City University of New York) with Allen Brings and Leo Kraft
Leo Kraft
Leo Kraft is an American composer, author, and educator.He holds degrees from Queens College and Princeton University. He studied composition with Karol Rathaus, Randall Thompson, and Nadia Boulanger...
(1981–1988). He graduated with the degrees of B.A. in Music and M.A. in Music Composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
. For one year (1988–89) he continued postgraduate studies at the N.Y.U., studying composition with the Israeli composer Menahem Zur and Philosophy of the Arts with David Echer. At the same period he also took postgraduate courses in Ethnomusicology and Electronic Music.
Since 1989 he is being teaching music in the Public Schools of Cyprus (Paralimni Gymnasium 1989-90, Dali Gymnasium 1991-94, University of Cyprus
University of Cyprus
The University of Cyprus is a public coeducational university established by the Republic of Cyprus in 1989. It admitted its first students in 1992 and has currently approximately 6000 students .-History:...
1994-95, Acropolis Lyceum 1995-2005, Ayios Georgios Lakatameias Lyceum 2005-). In 1990 he began composing music for all the major theater companies of Cyprus (THOC, ETHAL, Satiricon, THEPAC) writing music for a variety of theatrical productions (Στου κύκλου τα γυρίσματα-Around the Circle, Στης Κύπρου το βασίλειο-At the Kingdom of Cyprus
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus in the high and late Middle Ages, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.-History:...
, Βάτραχοι-The Frogs
The Frogs
The Frogs is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus, in 405 BC, and received first place.-Plot:...
, Κύκλωπας-Cyclope, Mary Stewart, Η τρελλή του Σαγιώ-The Mad Woman of Sayio, Κλέψε λιγότερο-Steel less , Χρονικό Λεόντιου Μαχαιρά-Chronicle of Leontios Makhairas
Leontios Makhairas
Leontios Machairas or Makhairas was a medieval Cypriot historian.The main source of information on him is his chronicle, written in the medieval Cypriot dialect. The chronicle documents events from the visit of Saint Helena to Cyprus until the times of the Kingdom of Cyprus...
, Macbeth, Λυσιστράτη- Lysistrata
Lysistrata
Lysistrata is one of eleven surviving plays written by Aristophanes. Originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, it is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end The Peloponnesian War...
, Η Ρωμιοσύνη εν φυλή-Hellenic is a Race, Τρωάδες- The Trojan Women
The Trojan Women
The Trojan Women is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. Produced during the Peloponnesian War, it is often considered a commentary on the capture of the Aegean island of Melos and the subsequent slaughter and subjugation of its populace by the Athenians earlier in 415 BC , the same year...
, Το άσμα του γιοφυριού- The Ballad of the Bridge, Επιθεωρητής-Inspector, Η αγάπη της Μαρικκούς-Marikkou's love, Οι αγροίκοι, Για ποιον να βρέξει-For Whom to Rain). In the theater he worked with many directors (Ch. Zanos, A. Pantzis, N. Siafkallis, D. Mbembedeli, I. Iordanides, N. Charalambous, M. Pieris, G. Mouaimis, E. Poullaides.
At the same period he works also for TV writing music for various series and documentaries (Το παναΰριν-The festival, Ο αθθός της Πιτσιλιάς-Pitsilias flower, Το σόιν του Αριστείδη-Aristidis family, Πολιτισμός στην κύπρο-Culture in Cyprus, Stelios Votsis, Jack Iacovides, H kerameiki sthn Kypro-The story of ceramics in Cyprus) collaborating with directors such as A. Constantinides, S. Mouaimi, M. Demetriou.
In 1992, he wins the A’ Pancyprian Song Competition with his song Τ’ όνειρον-The dream. After his first success he publishes his first cycle of songs, Το παλιό λαούτο-The old lute (1994), based oν poetry by D. Lipertis, M. Pasiardis, traditional verses as well his own.
For the last fifteen years has given many performances with his own works in Cyprus, Greece, Germany, France and England. In 1994 he published The old Lute, a cycle of songs based on Cypriot dialectic poetry, a combination between electronic sound environment and a traditional instrument. In 1997 he published the song cycle
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
, Τόποι σε χρώμα λουλακί-Places in the color of lulaki. A third work, in collaboration with the famous Cretan lyre player Psarantonis
Psarantonis
Antonis Xylouris , nicknamed Psarantonis is a Greek composer, singer and performer of lyra, the bowed string instrument of Crete and most popular surviving form of the medieval Byzantine lyra...
, features his songs written for the Χρονικό του λεοντίου μαχαιρά - Chronicle of Leontios Machairas, a dramatized version by Michalis Pieris. In 2006 he published the work Με δίχως τα’ ανοικτάριν - Without the old key, a duo collaboration with the double bass player Irenaeos Koullouras. Among his many musical interests is the research and exploration of the traditional Cypriot music (the modes, rhythms, melodies and harmony).
On that aspect and in collaboration with the Cyprus Research Center they publish two volumes of traditional songs (Κυπριακή Δημοτική μουσική: Ακριτικά – Παραλογές και Θρησκευτικά – Ο θρήνος της Παναγίας). This interest has three aspects: Composition, performance as well as theoretical analysis. As a result, a lot of his compositions combine elements from the contemporary musical world and the local Cypriot idiom. This research and exploration has been more creative with the collaboration of other professional musicians from Cyprus.