Concerts
Anton Baranov
Goran Krivokapić
As winner of the 2013 Guitar Foundation of America Competition and more than 20 other prestigious contests around the globe, Russian guitarist Anton Baranov has established himself as one of the leading guitarists of today.
His performances in a number of distinguished halls such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Palau de Musica in Valencia, Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. - Petersburg and Centenario Hall in Beijing have been described by musical critics as “pure magic” (Cleveland Classical), and “manages to paint beautiful sound pictures of rich depth and colour with his guitar.”(The Guitar).
Known for Baranov's daring interpretations and innovative programmes, world renown guitarist and composer Roland Dyens called him, “...a real misician, one of those rare guitarists who are able to have their attendees almost forget the instrument they play, managing to have them focus on the expressivity of the music and only this.”
Baranov's recordings include one album for Naxos Classical and a CD for Contrastes Records. Naxos released Latin American Guitar Sonatas in May 2014. His Contrastes Records album consists of Spanish guitar music and it's on the market since August 2014.
Anton Baranov was born in 1984 and started playing guitar at the age of ten. He completed his musical education at the oldest and most famous Russian school of music, the Saint-Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, where he has had a teaching position since his graduation in 2010. Mr. Baranov has been a D' Addario artist since 2013 and plays a Max Cuker guitar.
The Russian artist is visiting again our country after his impressive performance three years ago when he was invited from Patras International Guitar Festival. This time, during his European tour, he is going to play works by composers of Romantic period with an instrument of that time.
Setting new standards with technical virtuosity and his characteristical interpretation of old and new repertoire makes Goran Krivokapić one of the leading guitarists and chamber musicians of the new, international scene.
He won his first international competition at the age of fourteen, and continued to win eighteen more, including two of the most prestigious guitar competitions – “Guitar Foundation of America” (GFA) in Montreal, Canada, and “Dr. Luis Sigall International Competition of Musical Performance” in Viña del Mar, Chile, both in 2004.
Two Golden Guitar awards followed at the annual “International Guitar Convention in Alessandria” in Italy – 2005 as the best young guitarist of the year and 2006 for his debut CD. Since then he has performed all over Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Russia, appearing at such prestigious halls as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Lubkowitz Palace in Vienna, and Auditorio Conde Duque in Madrid. As a performer, lecturer and adjudicator he is a frequent guest at many international festivals and as a soloist he has performed with well-known Symphony Orchestras.
Goran Krivokapić has given masterclasses, lectures and workshops at universities, regular broadcasts and interviews for television and radio and made his own transcriptions from the baroque and classical works.
Born in 1979, Goran Krivokapić started his music education when he was eight with Mićo Poznanović at the Music School of Herceg Novi in Montenegro and furthered his studies at the Faculty of Music Art in Belgrade in the class of Srđan Tošić, graduating in 2000. He continued with Hubert Käppel and Roberto Aussel at the “Hochschule für Musik Köln” in Germany, where he graduated and received the “Konzertexamen” degree. He then pursued his master’s degree at the Conservatorium Maastricht, the Netherlands, under the tutelage of Carlo Marchione and Masters after Masters under the tutelage of Raphaella Smits at LUCA School of Arts Campus Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, Belgium.
Living in Cologne with his wife and son, Goran Krivokapić is nowasays teaching the guitar at the Lemmensinstituut been also a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Germany.
Manolis Vrontinos
Born in Salonica with a Cretan origin, Manolis Vrontinos studied the classical guitar at the National Conservatory of Athens with Evangelos Assimakopoulos receiving first prize “with excellence” upon graduating his diploma.
Later on, he enriched his knowleedges and experience in Seminars and Master Classes with outstandig artists such as Oscar Ghiglia, Leo Brouwer, Manuel Barrueco and Roland Dyens.
He won the First Prize of Arhanes (Crete) guitar competition as well as the Second Prize at Riviera International guitar Festival.
As soloist, Manolis Vrontinos has performed several Concertos for solo guitar including the Concerto by the distinguist composer Theodore Antoniou and also performed recitals and concerts in collaboration with the Union of Greek Composers as well as the ALEA III group of Boston orchestra.
Recently he apears as a duo with the recognized guitarist Virginia Amariotaki, resulting the Concertos by Theodor Antoniou and Vassilis Tenides, two compositions for guitar duo and orchestra, written and dedicated to the Greek guitarists.
Besides his activities as a performer in Greece and abroad, Manolis Vrontinos is nowadays teaching at the Musical School of Heraklion, the 'Synchrono Odeon of Crete' and the 'Haris Sarris Conservatory'.
Christos Tsarouhis
Born in Patras, Christos Tsarouhis studied the guitar at an early age with Panayiotis Kydoniatis, and received his Degree in 2008 “With Excellence”.
He continued and completed his studies at the Athenaeum Conservatory with Liza Zoe, obtaining his Diploma in 2011 “With Excellence” as well.
During his studies, Christos Tsarouchis participated in several Seminars and Master Classes of well-known guitarists (L. Zoe, E. Assimakopoulos, R. Dyens, M. Dylla, J. Mills, S. Vlaskalic, etc.) and shortly thereafter, he began making appearances in various cities in Greece with recitals for solo guitar or Chamber Music concerts.
In 2012, he created along with the guitarist AndronikosKaramberis a guitar duet, making successful appearances in Concerts and Festivals, while to his track record is added the collaboration with the Athenian Mandolinata Nikolaos Lavdas orchestra, in a concert for three guitars and orchestra, as well as the recording of musical poems with the soprano Marianna Messala.
Christos Tsarouchis has graduated from the Department of Economics of the University of Patras, and since 2008, he has been teaching guitar at the Philharmonic Society-Conservatory of Patras.
Giorgos Kafentzis
The First Prize winner of last year's Festival Giorgos Kafentzis was born in Pyrgos Ilias in September 1988.
He studied the classical guitar with Yannis Kakolyris at the National Conservatory of Pyrgos , where he took his Diploma in 2015.
He has attended three seminars with Lisa Zoi and Evangelos Asimakopoulos at the Guitar Festival in Patras.
Last year Giorgos Kafentzis took part in the Guitar Competition of the 27th International Guitar Festival of Patras, where he won the 1st Prize.
Since 2015 he has been teaching the classical guitar at the ‘Amalias Municipal Conservatory’ as well as the ‘Olympios Conservatory of Pyrgos’.
George Kafentzis is a graduate (2013) of the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaly, a department of medical laboratories, and it is worth mentioning that he is a self-taught soloist of the six-string bouzouki having participated in various artistic groups throughout Greece.
Maria Koursari
Maria Koursari studied guitar at Athenaeum Conservatory with Liza Zoe. She graduated in 2000 receiving 1st prize and honors for outstanding performance.
The same year she was distinguished at the Guitar Competition & Music Festival of Archanes in Crete.
She has advanced her technique by attending seminars with renowned musicians and soloists (R. Dyens, O. Ghiglia, D. Russell, M. Dylla, G. Hadjinikos).
She was a founding member of Athenaeum Guitar Quartet which performed for television broadcasts, in many distinguished concert halls in Athens and other Greek cities and participated in the celebration event to honor the Greek Olympic Champions of Sydney at the Peace and Friendship stadium.
In 2018 Maria Koursari was awarded the 2nd prize at the 27th International Guitar Festival of Patras and In 2019 she collaborated with the Athens Symphony Orchestra as a soloist.