Concerts

It is a given that the value of an artist is essentially determined by the impact it has on the audience it addresses.

The fact of Marcin Dylla being recalled to our country once again confirms this rule, since indeed the Polish virtuoso is considered nowadays as one of the leading figures in the guitar world.

Born in Horszów, Poland in 1976, Marcin Dylla took his first music lessons at the Conservatory of his hometown and went on to the Katowice Music Academy with Adi Wanda Palacz to later complete his studies in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands with Oscar Ghiglia, Sonja Prunnbauer and Carlo Marchione respectively.

Described by the Washington Post as "the most talented guitarist on the planet", Marcin Dylla has taken part in numerous international competitions winning 19 First Prizes culminating in the GFA in Los Angeles in 2007, an award that gave him the opportunity to next year to perform in more than 50 recitals in the USA, Mexico and Canada, record CDs and DVDs with well-known labels and sign contracts for extensive tours around the world.

Nowadays Marcin Dylla, in addition to his continuous appearances in every corner of the world, takes part in international Festivals, plays with symphony orchestras while also teaching in numerous Master Classes around the world.

The Patras Festival once again welcomes with great appreciation the renowned artist who for another year offered to play recitals, teach in Master Classes and participate in competitions, within the framework of the 31st edition of the institution.

“The sound is the mirror of the soul” 

Important figure of contemporary classical guitarists, Johan Fostier’s sound and interpretative art never goes unremarked! He performs throughout the world as a soloist and chamber musician (Take Four Guitar Quartet, Almaviva Duo, Estrellitas Duo) and in the most famous concertos for guitar; his tours took him throughout Russia, the United States, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Romania, Moldavia, Morocco, Estonia, Albania, Afghanistan... 

His playing stands out thanks to a powerful and generous musical discourse, served firstly by a body-instrument relationship always seeking for increasing harmony and freedom and secondly by a committed, lyrical and infinitely colourful approach in which a deep love for singing prevails. Besides, he enjoys accompanying sopranos and other mezzos, whereas his singing education makes him join the Wappa Tonic vocal quintet. 

His sovereign technique, deeply connected to music, enabled him to win several prestigious international competitions (among which the Guitar Foundation of America in 2001, Mottola, De Bonis, Tromp Muziek, …). 

A university- educated linguist, interested in words, he has also collaborated with several comedians, singers and directors, which diversified and enriched his perception of the stage. 

Carried and transfigured by his studies in Brussels (conductor Guy van Waas), Paris (Maestro Alberto Ponce, Ecole Normale) and in Switzerland (Joaquim Freire, Susane Mebes, his stars in guitar!), he perfected his art in the masterclasses of Nigel North and Eduardo Isaac. 

He teaches in Bachelor and Master programs in Tilburg (Fontys Hogeschool voor Kunsten AMPA) and is invited throughout the world to give masterclasses. 

JF sums up his artistic approach in 3 points: 

1. To be 

2. To give 

3. There's no third… 

Yiannis Yiakoumakis was born and raised in the medieval city of Rhodes. He began his studies along his father Anastasis Giakoumakis who introduced him to the magical world of music. At the age of 14 he gave his first recital. 

He continued and finished his studies at the National Conservatory of Athens with Evangelos Assimakopoulos and in his diploma exams; he received the honorary distinction "Outstanding Performance Excellence Award".

Yiannis Yiakoumakis gave recitals in many European countries (Hungary, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark) and made recordings for many radio and television networks.

He has composed music for 15 theater performances and has created the musical group "Nostos".

Yiannis lives and teaches in his hometown, Rhodes, where he has created a school with young guitarists, many of whom are starring in the Greek music scene.

Manolis Vrontinos was born in Thessaloniki but his origin is from Crete. He studied guitar with Evangelos Asimakopoulos at the National Conservatory of Athens, receiving his diploma with Honorable Mention & First Prize, also receiving the Conservatory's honorary distinction, the "Excellence of Outstanding Achievement". Later he enriched his experiences in seminars and Master classes with well-known artists (Oscar Ghiglia, Leo Brouwer, Manuel Barrueco, Roland Dyens, etc.).

He won the First Prize at the Panhellenic Guitar Competition in Archanes, Crete, as well as the Second Prize at the Riviera Guitar Festival International Competition in Italy.

Manolis Vrontinos has collaborated as a soloist with Camerata, the Orchestra of Colors, ASONieta and the Symphony Orchestra of Heraklion Prefecture, in works by Greek and foreign composers.

In the context of his collaboration with the Union of Greek Musicians, he has repeatedly appeared in concerts, recitals and performances of the Experimental Stage of the ELLS, as well as with the ALEA III Ensemble of the Boston Orchestra.

It is also worth underlining his collaboration with the guitarist Virginia Amariotakis in consecutive appearances as a duet which culminated in Theodoros Antoniou and Vassilis Tenidis writing 2 concertos for two guitars and orchestra dedicated to them.

Manolis Vrontinos has recorded for the greek classical radio program, while alongside his solo activities with recitals in Greece and abroad, he currently teaches guitar at the ‘Contemporary Conservatory of Crete’, the ‘Pankritio Conservatory’, the ‘Haris Sarris Conservatory’ and the ‘Heraklion Music School’ of Crete’.

Konstantina Malapani was born in 2002 in Kalamata. She started her classical guitar studies in 2009 and in 2020 she graduated from the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata (guitar class Antonis Koufoudakis). During her studies, she was awarded a full scholarship for the years 2015-2020. From 2020 until now she has been studying at the University of Macedonia specializing in classical guitar (Elena Papandreou's class). She has participated in masterclasses with excellent musicians such as: Leo Brouwer, Odair Assad, Zoran Dukic, Giampaolo Bandini, Susana Prieto, Alexandros Mouzourakis, Thanos Mitsalas, Michalis Kontaxakis, Konstantinos Tosidis, Dimitris Kotronakis, Sokratis Mastrodemos and Giorgos Noussis.

Konstantina Malapani has distinguished herself in Greek Guitar Competitions such as the Kalamata Guitar Festival, winning the 2017 First Prize in the Teen Category.

In 2023 she was awarded First Prize at the 30th Patras Guitar Festival as well as First Prize at the annual "Ilias Kouskouvelis" Chamber Music Competition 2023 of the Department of Music Science & Art (flute-guitar duet with Theodora Apostolidou).

Finally she has appeared in many important concerts spaces either playing solo guitar or chamber music, such as Megaro of Music in Thessaloniki, Spiritual Center of Kalamata, University of Peloponnese, Kalamata Dance Hall, Kalamata Labor Center etc.

Dinos Papadimitriou was born in 2000 and raised in Vayia, a village near Thebes, Greece. At the age of 10, he started taking classical guitar lessons with Prof. Dimitris Derdenes at Conservatory of Thebes, where, in June 2023, he completed his studies, taking his classical guitar soloist diploma with Honors and unanimous Award.

He has taken part and excelled in numerous Guitar Festivals and Competitions, such as: 2nd prize in 2nd International Guitar Festival of Rhodes, 2nd prize in 30th International Guitar Festival of Patras, 2nd prize in 11th Palaio Faliro Guitar Festival, 3rd prize in 29th International Guitar Festival of Patras, 3rd prize in “Guitar Feasts 2023”.

He took part as a scholar in the XVII edition of Volterra Project (14-23 July 2023), a summer guitar institute in Volterra, Italy, organised by Antigoni Goni. 

Meanwhile, he has attended masterclasses with leading artists and guitarists, such as O. Ghiglia, E. Assimakopoulos, L. Zoe, A. Goni, M. Dylla, T. Hoppstock, L. Snowden, G. Krivokapic, D. Cerovic, R. Mamedkuliev, A. Baranov, V. Kocic, S. Vlaskalic, etc. 

Since 2018, he has been living in Athens, where, apart from his music studies, he is studying Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens.