CV
George Kotsinis was born in Athens in 1969. He comes from Stratinista Pogoniou Ioannina, where he was initiated in Greek folk music. He started playing the flute and then, at the age of 11 he passed to clarinet with Andreas Harmalias and Fotis Mastoras. Then apprenticed next to practical folk musicians as Vassilis Batzis, Tassos Halkias, Petro-loukas Halkias, Nikos Philippides, Aristides Vassilaris etc.
He holds a Diploma in Byzantine Music (Skalkottas Conservatory, class of Lycurgus Angelopoulos), and studied also Eastern Music and kanonaki with Agnes Agopian (at the same Conservatory), harmony with Tony Giorgatos (Panarmonio Conservatory). Along with the popular clarinet he studied other wind folk instruments: kaval, ney and flute.
From 1992 to 1996 he taught clarinet at the Music High School of Pallini. With rich educational activity in seminars of traditional music and dances, he has worked in this area with the University of Athens, Democritus University of Thrace, the Sibelius Academy in Finland and many cultural organizations in Greece, Germany and France.
He has participated in concerts and recordings of traditional music in Greece and abroad (North America, Cuba, Australia, Asia, and in almost all European countries), in collaboration with key organizations and singers (Domna Samiou, Chronis Aidonidis, Kariofyllis Doitsidis, Alekos Kitsakis, Stelios Bellos, Savvas Siatras, Tasia Vera, Basil Serbezis etc.).
He has collaborated in performances and recordings with renowned folk singers (Haris Alexiou, George Dalaras, Maria Farantouri, Dimitra Galani, Lakis Halkias, Petros Gaitanos etc.) and has appeared as soloist with major orchestras such as Orchestra of Modern Music of ERT, with conductor George Despotidis.
He also cooperated with the Greek national TV as artistic manager in an emission for traditional music. He is the Artistic Director of Traditional Music Dpt at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory and author of a Greek folk clarinet method and of a book named 'Melismata'.
George Kotsinis
COURSE
Traditional Clarinet | Theory of Traditional Music