Life & Times of Dionysios Lauragkas

BIOGRAPHY

Byron Fidetzis

Byron Fidetzis was born in Thessaloniki. He studied violoncello and advanced theory at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. Upon a scholarship granted by the Hellenic Foundation for State Bursaries, he moved to Vienna where he continued with his cello studies at the Hochschule für Musik under the expert guidance of Vladimir Orloff, A. Navarra and S. Benes, receiving his diploma in 1975. Alongside his cello studies, he attended the class of Hans Swarowski in orchestra conduction from 1973 to 1977, in which year he gained his diploma at chef d’orchestre. He has also attended seminars held by conductors Miltiades Caridis (Vienna) and Otmar Suitner (Weimar).

Byron Fidetzis has co-operated as a soloist and conductor with all the Greek and many foreign orchestras in various concerts throughout Greece (festivals of Athens, Corfu, Herakleion, the Demetria Festival of Thessaloniki, the Manolis Kalomiris Festival of Samos) as well as abroad (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Austria, Albania, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan, S. Korea and others).

For many years he has been co-operating with the Greek National Opera House, and from 1985 to 1992 he was permanent conductor of the House’s Orchestra. From September 1990 to 1992 he was the chief conductor of the Aikaterinenburg State Philharmonic Orchestra of the former Soviet Union, and since 1992 he has been Guest Conductor of Cappella Russia Orchestra in Moscow (the official orchestra of the Ministry of Culture in the former Soviet Union). He was also Honorary Guest Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Pasardjik in Bulgaria up until 1999; during the period 1999-2001 he also served as artistic director at the same orchestra. During the period 2000-2005 he was chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Since 1987 he has been permanent conductor to the Athens State Orchestra and from 2004 to 2011 he also was its Artistic Director.

He has recorded Spiro Samara’s operas Rhea, la Martire, La Biondinetta (or, Historie d’Amour), Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle; Paolo Carrer’s operas Frossini, Despo; D. Mitropoulos opera Soeur Beatrice; Manolis Kalomiris’s operas Anatoli (Sunrise), Konstantinos Paleologos. As for symphonic works he has conducted the world premiere recording of Skalkottas’ 36 Greek Dances. Also he has recorded The Sea by Skalkottas, Manolis Kalomiris’ two first Symphonies, namely The Levendia Symphony (of Manliness) and Of Simple and Good People; the complete orchestral works of Y. Constantinidis; and N. Mantzaros’s Ode to Freedom in its original, conclusive form. He has also recorded works by such notable composers as Sicilianos, Dragatakis, Evangelatos, Lialios, Lavrangas, Varvoglis, Petridis, Riades, Antoniou, Theodorakis, Xanthoudakis, Koukos, Zanas and many others. The recording companies he works with are LYRA in Greece, BIS and Naxos internationally.

He has taught Musical Form and History of Greek Music at the Musical Studies Faculties of the Athens University and of the Ionian University in Corfu. Also he has lectured History and Aesthetics of the Greek Opera at post-graduate students of the Athens University (School of Philosophy, Faculty for Theatrical Studies).

He has orchestrated, played and recorded the works Rapsody for a piano Nr.2 (Nightsong) by Manolis Kalomiris, Three Greek Songs by Antonin Dvorzak, Hymn to Bacchus and the opera Tigraby Spiro Samara.

In 1975, the Athens Academy presented him with the Spyros Motsenigos Music Award; he has also received awards by the National Greek Opera Friends Association and several other constitutions. The Greek Composers Association has duly acknowledged his contribution to Greek music, unanimously electing him Honorary Member in 1986. Byron Fidetzis has also received distinctions by the Union of Drama and Music Greek Critics for his recording output. In 2010 he was nominated a honorary Doctorate at the School of Philosophy, Department for Musical Studies of the Athens University.