Nicolas Economou(1953-1993)
- Composer
Nicolas Economou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1953. At the age of
five, he started taking piano lessons and very soon he revealed his
extraordinary talent by improvising on the piano and composing short
pieces of music. In 1964, after an audition, he was accepted at the
Special School of Music of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, a
preparatory school for youngsters to enter the Conservatory. In
December of that year, in Athens, he won the "Keti Papaioannou"
Panhellenic Competition for young musicians up to the age of seventeen.
The following year at the age of twelve, he begun his musical studies
in Moscow. At the age of sixteen, he participated in the Tchaikovsky
competition, gaining favourable reviews from the Press, Radio and
Television. A year later, he was admitted to the Tchaikovsky
Conservatory itself. After Moscow he moved to Dusseldorf and then to
Munich, Germany. From his new base there he established himself
throughout Europe as a concert pianist, composer (he studied
composition with the Russian Vladislav Zolotorev), arranger, conductor
and organiser of music festivals.
As a performer he appeared in Europe, the USA and Canada as well as the USSR, Japan, Iceland, and Israel. He performed solo, with orchestras and other famous performers and composers like Martha Argerich, Rodion Shchedrin, Siatoslav Richter, Michel Beroff, Chick Corea and others. Apart from performing in concert with Martha Argerich and Chick Corea, he also recorded with them. The record with Chick Corea, entitled " On Two Pianos", was the result of a series of concerts in Germany in 1981/82 during which the two musicians would interact with each other by improvising in their own style.
In addition to the records mentioned above, he also released two other solo albums.
As a composer he wrote music for piano, for small ensembles, symphonic music and film music. Many of his compositions have themes and rhythms from Cyprus and the Mediterranean. Some of his compositions are: "Children Studies", "Sonata for Chick" (dedicated to Chick Corea) for piano, "Cyprus Pictures" and "Cyprus Dances" for an eight piece musical ensemble (octet), the soundtracks for twelve films including "Rosa Luxemburg" and "Die bleierne Zeit", both by Margarethe von Trotta.
In 1978, with the collaboration of the City of Munich, Nicolas organised a "Cyprus Week" in Munich, with artists from Cyprus including actors, musicians, painters, sculptors and the late shadow performer, Paphios. He was also the founder of the "Solisten Ensemble" in Munich with which he performed some of his compositions and those of other composers. He was the co-founder of the well - established "Munich Summer Piano Festival". In February 1992 he organised in Venice the first of a series of piano festivals he intended to establish in Europe with the title "Pianisti non Solo".
As a conductor he directed the distinguished Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra, Germany's Youth Orchestra and the La Fenice Opera Orchestra of Venice.
As an acknowledgement of his services and contribution to Culture and the Arts in general, Nicolas was honoured on various occasions by several bodies. The city of Munich honoured him in 1979 for his contribution to the Arts, as a composer and interpreter of classical and modern music, with the award for "Best Interpreter of the Year". In 1983, the Bavarian TV produced a television portrait of Nicolas, more than an hour in duration, in which he is shown in all facets of his creative life. The film, called "Kreisleriana", was directed by Klaus Voswinkel. Since 1988, a seat bearing his name has stood in the Prinzregententheatr of the City of Munich, next to seats of other prominent artists. Because of his outstanding contribution to music, he was accepted in 1992 into one of Europe's prominent societies, the Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea (The European Academy of Sciences and Arts) members of which are Nobel Prize winners, politicians, artists, church dignitaries and others. In Cyprus he was honoured with the "Tevkros Anthias and Theodosis Pierides" Award.
As a performer he appeared in Europe, the USA and Canada as well as the USSR, Japan, Iceland, and Israel. He performed solo, with orchestras and other famous performers and composers like Martha Argerich, Rodion Shchedrin, Siatoslav Richter, Michel Beroff, Chick Corea and others. Apart from performing in concert with Martha Argerich and Chick Corea, he also recorded with them. The record with Chick Corea, entitled " On Two Pianos", was the result of a series of concerts in Germany in 1981/82 during which the two musicians would interact with each other by improvising in their own style.
In addition to the records mentioned above, he also released two other solo albums.
As a composer he wrote music for piano, for small ensembles, symphonic music and film music. Many of his compositions have themes and rhythms from Cyprus and the Mediterranean. Some of his compositions are: "Children Studies", "Sonata for Chick" (dedicated to Chick Corea) for piano, "Cyprus Pictures" and "Cyprus Dances" for an eight piece musical ensemble (octet), the soundtracks for twelve films including "Rosa Luxemburg" and "Die bleierne Zeit", both by Margarethe von Trotta.
In 1978, with the collaboration of the City of Munich, Nicolas organised a "Cyprus Week" in Munich, with artists from Cyprus including actors, musicians, painters, sculptors and the late shadow performer, Paphios. He was also the founder of the "Solisten Ensemble" in Munich with which he performed some of his compositions and those of other composers. He was the co-founder of the well - established "Munich Summer Piano Festival". In February 1992 he organised in Venice the first of a series of piano festivals he intended to establish in Europe with the title "Pianisti non Solo".
As a conductor he directed the distinguished Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra, Germany's Youth Orchestra and the La Fenice Opera Orchestra of Venice.
As an acknowledgement of his services and contribution to Culture and the Arts in general, Nicolas was honoured on various occasions by several bodies. The city of Munich honoured him in 1979 for his contribution to the Arts, as a composer and interpreter of classical and modern music, with the award for "Best Interpreter of the Year". In 1983, the Bavarian TV produced a television portrait of Nicolas, more than an hour in duration, in which he is shown in all facets of his creative life. The film, called "Kreisleriana", was directed by Klaus Voswinkel. Since 1988, a seat bearing his name has stood in the Prinzregententheatr of the City of Munich, next to seats of other prominent artists. Because of his outstanding contribution to music, he was accepted in 1992 into one of Europe's prominent societies, the Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea (The European Academy of Sciences and Arts) members of which are Nobel Prize winners, politicians, artists, church dignitaries and others. In Cyprus he was honoured with the "Tevkros Anthias and Theodosis Pierides" Award.
