Cadenza Musicians Directory
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Name: Constantine A. Lignos
Skills: Composer
Phone: (01) 51 41 073
Fax: (01) 51 48 123
Address: Aimonos 54, Kolonos, Athens 104 42, Greece
Links: E-mail
 
Born in Athens 1948. First involvement with music was in the early '60s when he took guitar lessons, taught himself to play the piano and worked with rock bands. He enrolled in the Hellenic Conservatory and got his first degree in 1971. At the same time he studied privately with the celebrated compo-ser and teacher John A. Papaioannou. He also took piano lessons from Chara Tombra, studied Byzantine and Greek folk music with the musicologist M. F. Dragoumis, worked at the Greek Electronic Music Workshop (ÅÑÃ.Ç.Ì.) and presented some electronic pieces for tape. In 1972 he wrote the music and songs for the first production of "The Civil Servant", a 19th century Greek political satire. More theatre work from this period includes Shakespeare's "King John" and "The Basil Plant", another 19th century Greek play. In 1974 he became a member of the Greek Society for Contemporary Music. In 1975-76, he worked briefly in journalism publishing articles, interviews and reviews. During this time he covered the story of Iannis Xenakis' return to Greece, after his long exile abroad, taking a number of long interviews from the composer. At the end of 1976, he moved to London and enrolled in the Post-Graduate Composition Course of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (Teachers: Patrick Stanford, Buxton Orr & Alfred Newmann). While in the UK, he worked at the Electroacoustic Music Workshop of Morley College, became a member of the Society for the Promotion of New Music and took part in seminars with Witold Lutoslawski and Hans-Werner Henze at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies. In 1990 he moved with his family back to Athens and became a member of the Greek Com-posers Union in 1993. He was music coordinator of the Athens British Graduates Society from 1996 to 1998. Since 1999 he is member of the Greek Composers Forum (K.E.SY.)

He has written music for orchestra, ensembles of various types, piano, guitar and for solo instruments such as the various types of flutes, saxophones and the clarinet. His writing for the voice includes a staged cantata, songs and song-cycles with piano or chamber ensembles, songs for a capella choir and music-theatre. He has produced electro-acoustic music, written and produced theatre and film music, children's theatre and a High-School musical based on an adaptation of Aristophanes' "Lysistrata". Finally, he has transcribed and arranged song of other Greek songwriters and composers. He has received commissions from the British Council of Greece, the Union of Greek Com-posers, the Greek Radio, many Greek festivals (including the Paxos Festival) and various UK and Greek artists. Has collaborated with the "Amphi-theatre" company of S. A. Evangelatos. His music has been presented, recorded and broadcast in Greece, Britain, USA, Istanbul (under the auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew), Australia, Mexico, Italy, Yugoslavia and Cyprus.

Piano: “The First Collection” [1976-81] “Aeolian Harp” [1979] “Wind” [1980] “Three Movements” [1987-88] “Invention” [1988] “London Bridge is Falling Down” [1989] (elementary variations for young beginners) “Chromatic Chasapikos” [1992] “Mi-ni-Mam-bo” [1994] “A Picture and a Dance” [1994] “Nine Variations on a Theme from Bela Bartok” [1995-99] “Three Easy Melodies” (Drei Schlichte Melodien ) [1988-99] “Preludes and Dances” (Preludien und Tanze) [1999-2000] Chamber Music: “Two Greek Songs” [1977] for cor anglais & string quartet “Episode” [1978] for twelve instruments “Ostinato” [1978] for oboe, clarinet, French horn & ‘cello “Trio for Reeds” [1980] for oboe, clarinet & bassoon “Impromptu Mambo I” [1980] for 3 clarinets “Three Postcards from Mani” [1996-97] for clarinet, violin, ‘cello & piano “Impromptu Mambo II” [1996] for clarinet quartet (3 Bb, bass) “Trio for two Violins & Piano” [1997-98] “A Short Rhythmology” [1999] for string quartet “Greek Variations” [1999-2000] for woodwind quintet “Sonata for Violin & Piano” [2001] “Impromptu Mambo III” [2002] for saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) Solo instruments & guitar: “Walkabout” [1978] for guitar “Momentum” [1979] for guitar “Pictures for Solo Flutes” [1996-2000] for bass, piccolo & concert flutes “The Flight of the Seagull” [1996] for clarinet or saxophone “Sonatina” [2002] for flute “Four Saxophone Solos” [2002] for soprano, alto, tenor & baritone saxophones Orchestral: “A Short Rhythmology” [1999] for string orchestra “Eirenes Simandra” [2002] for 2 violins, piano, string orchestra & percussion “ODOS ONEIRON” (Variations on a Theme by M. Hadjidakis ) [2002] for 2 violins, piano, string orchestra & percussion Orchestral with voices: “We Shall Be Here!” (The Millennium Cantata) [2000] a staged cantata for mezzo, baritone, byzantine cantor, two-voiced mixed choir, actors & orchestra Music theatre: “The Red Feather” [1995] a comic scene for soprano, tenor & small ensemble “Islands” [1996] musical narration for soprano, man-woman narrators, 2 flutists (all four flutes), electro-acoustic keyboard, percussion & tape “The Rehearsal” [1997-98] for a woodwind quintet of musicians-actors, simple percussion (played by the group) & tape Song cycles: “A Bakers’ Dozen of Greek Folksongs” [1993] for soprano, mezzo, tenor & mixed quartet Four Songs & a Translation” [1994] for SATB a capella choir “Five songs & a Translation” [1994] for mezzo, tenor 7 piano “Four Songs of the Sea” [2000] for mezzo & piano “Two Greek Folksongs” [2001] for mezzo & piano

Songs: “Love is just a Ploy” [1993] for soprano & piano “Love is just a Ploy” [1994] for soprano & karaoke tape “Lysistrata’s Finale ” [1995] children’s song (piano & vocal line) “The Isles of Greece” [1996] for mezzo & clarinet quartet “The Monsoon” [1997] for mezzo & clarinet quartet “Glucose and A.S.P. ” [1996] children’s song (piano & vocal line) “Pinochio, my Friend ” [1996] children’s song (piano & vocal line) “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways” [1997] for mezzo & clarinet quartet “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways” [1997] for mezzo & piano “The King of Thule” [2001] for mezzo & piano Theatre music: “The Civil Servant” by M. Chourmouzis [1972] “King John” by W. Shakespeare [1973] “The Basil Plant” by P. Matesis [1974] “Memories-Memories” by P. Hope [1993-94] “Faust” by J. W. von Goethe [1999] Children’s theatre: “Lysistrata” (adapt. S. Zarabouka) [1995] “Pinochio” (adapt. George Lignos) [1996] Musical & film music: “Lysistrata” (adapt. C. Goldsmith) [1995] musical for high-school students “2984” [1990] short sci-fi film, title & credits music “Drop in the Ocean” [1991] a documentary Electro-acoustic music: Between 1973 and 1977 number of electronic studies (on tape), were produced in Athens at ER.GI.M (Greek Electronic Music Workshop), Goethe Institute and London (Morley College). “At the Viewing of a nocturnal Sacrifice” [1979] Electro-acoustically processed male voice on tape.

 

 


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