1 minute read
CYPRUS YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MEET YIORGOS KOUNTOURIS
Artistic Director & Conductor Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra
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YIORGOS KOUNTOURIS is the Artistic Director & Conductor of the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra. He graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in 2006, where he studied Symphonic and Operatic Conducting with Prof. Alexander Alexeev and Violin with Prof. Antonina Kazarena. In the same year, he was appointed at the University of California, Los Angeles as the Assistant Conductor of the UCLA Philharmonia and UCLA Symphony Orchestras.
He has conducted numerous orchestras in Europe, the U.S.A. and Russia. Some collaborations of the Maestro include the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Hermitage State Chamber Orchestra, the Athens Camerata as well as the Lege Artis and Wiener Singakademie choirs. He holds a PhD in Musicology and an Aspirantura Graduate Degree in Symphonic and Operatic Conducting. As Yiorgos explains, “The best part of my job is working with
young talent. Their dedication, collaboration and passion to their music is the most creative part. I have to admit that having the chance to see the world through the innocent, fullof-creativity eyes of children makes me full of joy and gives me hope”.
One of the Orchestra’s plans for the future is to perform at the Musikverein in Vienna with the whole Orchestra for the first time next year. “It is a great honour as we will represent Cyprus in one of the most important music halls in the world. Of course, we won’t stop there. We have dreams and expectations, and I feel very confident in having such a strong team consisting of these talented children, a selection of the best music teachers and a very supportive board of directors. All these combined, together with the love and support of the friends of the Orchestra, gives us the motivation to achieve
the impossible.” Yiorgos states.
Yiorgos is also involved in the innovative educational programme of CYSO called “ΣymphoΠedia” or in English, “SymphoPedia”. It is an integrated cycle of performance practice, consisting of three different ensembles that children aged 7-12 years of age can participate in.
