Nicolas Economou
Nicolas Economou ( Greek Νικόλας Οικονόμου , born August 11, 1953 in Nicosia ; † December 29, 1993 near Nicosia) was a Cypriot pianist , composer and conductor .
Life and work
Economou won first prize at the Panhellenic Piano Competition "Keti Papaioannou" of the Athens Conservatory in December 1964 and studied piano and composition at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory from 1965 , the latter with Wladislaw Solotarjow in 1971/72 . In 1969, at the age of 16, he took part in the renowned Tchaikovsky Competition , but was unable to win a prize. In 1972 he moved to Düsseldorf , where he continued his composition studies with Wilhelm Killmayer . He later settled in Munich .
In the following years he gave concerts as a soloist and with an orchestra in numerous European countries as well as in the USA , Canada , Japan and Israel , as well as in a duo with fellow pianists such as Martha Argerich , Rodion Schtschedrin , Swjatoslaw Richter , Michel Béroff and Chick Corea .
As a composer, he stood out primarily with film music, including two films by Margarethe von Trotta : Rosa Luxemburg and Die Bleierne Zeit . The Children Studies and the Sonata for Chick , which is dedicated to Chick Corea, also became known. He also arranged Peter Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite for two pianos for Martha Argerich and himself and dedicated the arrangement to his daughter Semele and Martha Argerich's daughter Stephanie. The two pianists also recorded the brilliant arrangement, which was widely praised in the press, for Deutsche Grammophon . He arranged Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons for four pianos.
In 1979 he received the State Capital of Munich's advancement award for interpretive art, and in 1981 he was one of the founders of the Munich Piano Summer .
In 1991 Cyprus honored him with the Tefkros Anthias and Theo Pierides Award. In 1992 he was admitted to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts .
Economou was friends with many musicians, but also with other important personalities in cultural life, including Friedrich Dürrenmatt , Arthur Miller , Maja Plissezkaja , Maximilian and Maria Schell , Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta as well as with the two Greek composers Solon Michaelides and Manos Hadjidakis .
He died in a nightly car accident at the age of 40 while trying to return to his parents' home in Limassol from a music studio in Nicosia . He had worked there with his composer colleague Savvas Savva on his rock opera The Tower , which remained unfinished.
family
Economou was married to the Greek-American artist Maritsa Tsirigos from 1976 to 1990. The actress and singer Semeli Economou was born in 1976 .
Discography (selection)
- On Two Pianos , with Chick Corea - Deutsche Grammophon , 1982
- Peter Tschaikowsky, Nutcracker Suite and Sergej Rachmaninow , Symphonic Dances op.45, with Martha Argerich - Deutsche Grammophon, 1990
- L'Art de de Nicolas Economou , 7 CDs - Suoni E Colori, 2003
Filmography
- Friedrich Gulda & Friends , concert recording from the Munich Piano Summer 1982 with Herbie Hancock , Nicolas Economou, Friedrich Gulda and Chick Corea - Arthaus, 2013 (2 DVDs)
- Klaus Voswinckel , Kreisleriana , portrait of Nicolas Economou, who shows all facets of his work, 60 min. - Bayerischer Rundfunk , 1983
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Economou, Nicolas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Cypriot pianist, composer and conductor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 11, 1953 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Nicosia |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 29, 1993 |
| Place of death | at Nicosia |