THEODORE KERKEZOS    Saxophonist

THEODORE KERKEZOS

The saxophone soloist and professor Theodore Kerkezos was twice nominated for the 50th Grammy Annual Awards 2007 in New York in the categories #102: "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra" and #98: Best Classical Album”.

He has performed and recorded the complete repertoire for saxophone with orchestras including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia (of London), St. Petersburg Philharmonic,“Tchaikovsky” Symphony. of Moscow Radio, Moscow Soloists, Moscow New Opera Orch., Zurich Symphony, Berliner Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony, Sudwestfalische Philharmonie, Thuringen Philharmonie Gotha, Janacek Philharmonic, Bilbao Symphony, Athens and Thessaloniki State Symphonies Orchestras, Bucharest Philharmonic, Bucharest Radio Symphony, Sofia Radio, Slovak Radio, Slovak Philharmonic, Armenian Philharmonic.

He has worked with Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Yuri Simonov.

Theodore Kerkezos graduated from Babis Farantatos' class at the Athens Conservatoire and continued in Bordeaux with Jean-Marie Londeix and in Paris with Daniel Deffayet.

He has given concerts at the: Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall -London, Carnegie Hall-New York, “Shostakovich Hall”-St. Petersburg, “Tchaikovsky Hall” Moscow State Conservatory, Tonhalle (Zurich), Opera of Rome, Athens Megaron Concert Hall, the ancient Theatre of Herod Atticus (under the Athens Parthenon), and at the Beijing Concert Hall.

Works have been dedicated to him by Iannis Xenakis and Mikis Theodorakis. He is a professor at the Athens Conservatoire and has given master classes at Conservatories in Moscow, Boston, New England, at Princeton and Boston Universities (USA), the Agricultural Univ. (Beijing); also at the Chopin (Warsaw), Gnesin (Moscow) and Kiev Academies.

He is Artistic Director of the Saxophone Orchestra of the Piraeus Prefecture.

His advanced students around the world have received many Awards and distinctions. From 1999 he has collaborated with the “Alphonse Leduc Editions Musicales-Paris1840” creating and issuing new works for saxophone. He is playing with a unique instrument by “H.Selmer Paris” specially made for him under his direction.

He has received the following distinctions: “Papaioannou Chamber Music Award” (1992 and 1993) “CD of the month” ("The sound" 10/2002), “Best classical saxophone album” (“Fono Forum” 2/2005), “Artist of the Week” (11/2006 Naxos label), No1 “Best Seller” (Top 20-UK 12/2006), “Bargain of the Month” (Musicweb-International 12/2006), two “Pizzicato: Supersonic Award” (Luxemburg 02/2007 and 1/2011), “Album Choice”: Hi-Fi Critic (11/2010 London), “Maestro” (El Correo-Spain 1/2011), “Editor’s Choice” Gramophone (12/2010, first time that this award is given to a saxophonist).

Biography | Reviews | Discography | concerts | Photos | Contact