Sunday 18 October 2020 21:00
A special collaboration between two international jazzmen, on Sunday, October 18, 2020, live streamed from the Lighthouse of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
Watch the concert:
On Sunday, October 18, at 21:00, Petros Klampanis invites George Kontrafouris to join him in a superb jazz collaboration at the Lighthouse of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. With Petros Klampanis’ creations as their meeting point, the two renowned musicians bring their musical idiosyncrasies together in a program created especially for the SNFCC, with unexpected musical histories from the fascinating world of jazz.
Two outstanding composers and musicians who are at the forefront of the contemporary global jazz scene, with international collaborations, constant live appearances, participations in festivals, and a shared penchant for experimentation.
Double bass player and composer Petros Klampanis, driven by his love for music, has created a wonderful journey from Zante to New York, with stopovers in Athens and Amsterdam. He imaginatively fuses his jazz education with Mediterranean sounds and the Greek tradition, to create a broad multi-colored musical palette. He has so far released 4 personal albums, capturing the range of his creative value as a composer and musician. His recent fourth personal record, Irrationalities, was released by the German label Yellowbird, with contributions from the Polish drummer Bodek Janke and the Esthonian pianist Kristjan Randalu. Inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, Petros Klampanis creates seven colorful journeys with references to jazz, pop, and Balkan folk tradition, along with a distinctive adaptation of Hatzidakis’ song “Thalassa Platia”.
Top jazz pianist George Kontrafouris has a special place on the international scene, from the classic piano trio form to his poetic narratives and unusual adaptations. In the course of his long and creative career in music, he has created exceptional personal albums with different bands, while remaining one of the most sought-after jazz organists, with several credits on international releases to his name. Born in Athens, he is a graduate of the National Conservatory and the Finnish Sibelius Academy of music. He has collaborated, as a pianist or organist, with acclaimed musicians from all over the world, while passing his experience on to the next generations as a professor of jazz at the Ionian University. From New York and Helsinki to Athens, he is one of the major co-creators of the contemporary sound of jazz, always open to new ideas. During 2020, he released The Passing with the George Kontrafouris Trio, which includes adaptations of his teacher Markos Alexiou’s composition “Αeliana”, and “Aiora” by Savina Yannatou, and took part in the album entitled Νostalgia as a member of Stefanos Andreadis’ Flying Jazz Trio, as well as in saxophonist Timo Lassy’s album Big Brass, recorded live at the Savoy Theater in Helsinki.
A rare meeting of two creators of contemporary jazz, brimming with emotion, energy and intensity, that we’ll have the opportunity to enjoy live on Sunday, October 18.
Sunday 18/10, 21.00LIGHTHOUSE
You can watch the concert live on this page, on the Facebook page @SNFCC and the SNFCC's YouTube channel.
