BOSTON – Dr. Panagiotis Liaropoulos, an associate professor in the Composition Department at Berklee College of Music, is also the founder and music director of the Greek Music Ensemble. He organized a music event in Boston on October 28 in collaboration with the Greek Cypriot composer, songwriter, and performer Alkinoos Ioannidis in collaboration with the Greek Music Ensemble, the group which he directs.

In an interview with The National Herald Liaropoulos said Ioannidis was chosen for the event because, “Alkinoos Ioannidis is a unique artist that fuses the old tradition of the troubadours with contemporary music. He has been touring the world for almost three decades, and, with his music, he has shared the feelings, thoughts, dreams, and realities that all humans experience.”

He added that, “Alkinoos has an extremely broad musical oeuvre and extensive discography. His amalgamation of Middle Eastern influences along with Byzantine, classical, and rock music elements, and his unique vocal delivery, have made him popular not only among the Greek community, but also to a broad and diverse multicultural audience around the world.”

Liaropoulos also said that, “Alkinoos will travel to America with his guitar, and members of the Greek Music Ensemble will support him, participating in the 15-member orchestra. In addition, I have also undertaken all the arrangements/orchestrations of the songs that will be played at the concert as well as the artistic direction of the music ensemble.”

The concert will take place at the Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Ave, Boston on October 28, at 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $75.

Regarding the Greek Music Ensemble, he said was, “created in 2004. It is a Boston-based group committed to the critical interpretation and inspired performance of Greek Art Music, Rembetiko, and Greek traditional music. The group promotes these genres by reimagining and reinterpreting the unique stylistic and technical aspects of the music, achieving highly skilled, elaborate, and inspired performances that showcase the ensemble’s unwavering commitment to Greek music and culture. Its members are distinguished, dedicated musicians and the ensemble aspires to promote Greek Art Music as part of ‘World Music.’

Liaropoulos added that, “the period of the pandemic was difficult for us, as well as for most artists – especially musicians. We have recently reunited though, and we are making plans for the future. The concert on October 28th will bring us back together with our dear friends and dedicated audience – which is why we are looking forward to it with great joy.”

Asked what music means to him, he replied, “music has been my companion for nearly as long as I can remember myself. It has been an integral part of my life and my daily activity since childhood, and I have studied it and served it faithfully through my entire life. The world would be repulsive without music. Such a moment has never existed in the history of mankind. Music, and Art in general in some manifestation, have always been a reference point and a means of expression of human creativity.”

He emphasized, however, that, “despite my many years of involvement with music, I understand that there exist elements in it still unknown to me and I feel that I am in a constant struggle to conquer them. Each new small conquest, which is usually achieved with great effort, generates new questions and I fear that this is a process that will never end.”

Liaropoulos spoke about his plans for the near future. “On February 16, 2023, the Greek Music Ensemble will perform a concert at Berklee Performance Center dedicated to the life and work of Mikis Theodorakis. We are also preparing our second CD with music and songs that draw their thematic and musical content from the Asia Minor catastrophe.”

Liaropoulos is a Greek composer and pianist. He was born in Athens, Greece and since 1997 he resides in Boston. He holds a Doctoral Degree in Composition from Boston University where he studied with Theodore Antoniou and Lukas Foss. His compositions include music for solo instruments, various ensembles, chorus, and orchestra, and his works have been performed and awarded in Europe and the United States. Liaropoulos is the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award (2018).