Alkinous Ioannidis

Alkinous Ioannidis in December 2008

Alkinoos Ioannidis ( Greek Αλκίνοος Ιωαννίδης , * 19th September 1969 in Nicosia ) is a Greek- Cypriot singer , songwriter and composer .

Live and act

He grew up in an artistic family. His father Antis Ioannidis is a painter , his mother Marilena studied theater and worked for the Cypriot radio, his brother Linos is a poet . In addition to attending school, he studied classical guitar at the European Conservatory in Nicosia.

In 1989 he went to Greece , where he studied at the National Theater School of Drama and the Philosophy Faculty of the University of Athens . As an actor, he appeared twice in the main roles of the Festival in the ancient theater of Epidaurus ; 1993 in Samia by Menander and 1997 as Apollon in Alcestis by Euripides , also occasionally in film and television.

As a musician, he has released eleven albums, most of which achieved gold or platinum status in Greece. He recorded his 1993 debut album Stin agora tou kosmou with lyrics and music by Nikos Zoudiaris with the participation of the well-known Greek singer Dimitra Galani , who also directed the production. Another album followed in collaboration with Zoudiaris, entitled Opos mystika ke isycha .

Since the third album O dromos, o chronos ke o ponos , which was released in 1997, texts and music have been written by Alcinous Ioannidis himself. Paintings by his father are used for the characteristic graphic design of his studio albums.

As a guest musician, Alkinoos Ioannidis has appeared on more than 40 albums by other artists, and since 1993 he has also been touring regularly, with a band or solo, and occasionally in collaboration with other artists, such as the singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki . He worked with numerous Greek and international orchestras and Greek musicians. In 2011 he cooperated with Maria Farandouri in a concert program in honor of the 100th birthday of the poet and lyricist Nikos Gatsos .

His main instruments besides his singing are the acoustic and the electric guitar, but he also plays the lute, flute and rhythm instruments. His musical influences include traditional Cypriot music, Greek music from the last few decades, Byzantine music, Middle Eastern music, classical music, and rock and jazz.

Since 2005 he has been studying classical composition at the State Conservatory in St. Petersburg and subsequently also created symphonic works that were performed in St. Petersburg, Berlin , Athens and Limassol . His tours have taken him to the USA, England, Germany, Russia, France, Belgium and the Balkans, among others. In 2002 he performed there on the occasion of the opening of the new Alexandria library .

An album with a selection of his songs was released in January 2012.

The latest album, Mikri valitsa - Small Suitcase , released in 2014 , is dedicated to all those who have to leave their place or will be left by it . It contains echoes of rembetika , guest appearances by Maria Farandouri and Sokratis Malamas and combines classical string instruments with traditional instruments. After this release numerous concerts followed in Greece, Cyprus, the USA and in various European countries.

Albums

• 1993 Stin Agora tou kosmou (Στην Αγορά του κόσμου - On the market of the world) with music and texts by Nikos Zoúdiaris (Νίκος Ζούδιαρης)
• 1995 Opos mystiká ke Ísycha (Όπως μυστικά και ήσυχα - How secretly and quietly) with music and texts by Níkos Zoúdiaris
• 1997 O dromos, o chronos ke o ponos - (Ο δρόμος, Ο χρόνος και ο πόνος - The way, the time and the pain)
• 1999 anemodictis (Ανεμοδείκτης - weathercock)
• 2000 double CD live album: Ektos topou ke chronou (Εκτός τόπου και χρόνου - Outside of space and time)
• 2004 Oi peripeties enos proskyniti (Οι περιπέτειες ενός προσκυνητή - The Adventures of a Pilgrim)
• 2006 Synantisi (Συνάντηση - encounter), a compilation of collaborations with other artists 1994–2006
• 2006 Pou Dysin os Anatolin (΄Πού Δύσην Ώς Άνατολήν - From West to East) - Cypriot folk songs, together with Miltiádis Papastámou (Μιλτιάδης Παπαστάμου)
• 2006 Manos Hadjidakis - 4 theatrical myths (Μάνος Χατζιδάκις - 4 θεατρικοί μύθοι), together with Manolis Lidakis (Μανώλης Λιδάκης)
• 2007 double CD and DVD live album: Lykavitos Live (Λυκαβητός live), together with Haris Alexiou and Sokratis Malamas (Σωκράτης Μάλαμας)
• 2009 Neroponti (Νεροποντή - downpour)
• 2011 double CD live album: Gyalinos Kosmos (Γυάλινος Κόσμος)
• 2011 Synkomidi (Συγκομιδή - harvest), box with eight personal CDs (and eight prints of pictures of his father Antis Ioannidis, which were used for the design of the CDs)
• 2012 Local Stranger (compilation)
• 2014 Mikri valitsa - Small Suitcase (Μικρή βαλίτσα - Small Suitcase)

Web links

• Official website (Greek, English)