Evangelos Sarafianos
The Greek pianist was praised by the international critic with enthusiastic reviews in leading news papers and magazines from the beginning of his career. At the inauguration of the new opera in Cairo in 1989 his interpretation of Liszt’s Sonata was described as “superior light” by critics. The Friends of Music, one of Japans most important music magazines concludes a review article about him with the words: “His music is still lingering. A pianist different of the others … not showy, but a pianist of a talent rarely found “. Top-Art Magazine of Tokyo features him on its August 2004 cover and its main article starts with the words ”A pianist whose music travels overseas and above civilizations!”
Evangelos Sarafianos studied piano at the Athens Conservatory under Professor G. Arvanitakis (1976-1982) and later V. Daraklis. He graduated in 1982 with his Soloist Degree and was awarded the Conservatory’s First Award the same year. In parallel he studied medicine and later graduaded from the Medical School of the University of Patras (2009).
In 1982 he won the Gina Bachauer Competition in Greece, which allowed him to continue his piano studies in Switzerland at the Musical Academy of Basel where he was awarded in 1987 the “Solisten-Diplom”. In 1986 he won the Swiss National Competition, PIANO 80, in Winterthur and subsequently he was awarded the most esteemed scholarship in Greece by thE Alexander S. Onassis Foundation. Between 1987-1991 he concentrated on historical instruments including the hammerklavier, cembalo and clavichord. He studied with Jean Goverts at the Institute of Study and Research, “Schola Cantorum Basiliensis” and Christine Sartoretti at the Conservatoire de Lausanne where he earned a diploma in Cembalo.
His diverse artistic activities throughout the world include concerts with orchestras, recitals as a soloist or with music chamber ensembles, as well as recording performances on CD and performances for television and radio. He has collaborated with world renowned soloists such as Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Ivan Monighetti, Rafael Oleg and Gordan Nikolic.
In 1997 he was invited to participate in the “Yiosinda Sanso” festival in Kyoto, Japan. The performance site was at the former residence of the emperor and currently an independent cultural center, where he was awarded the honorary title of the “Master of Music”.
In 1999 he was invited back in Japan for an extended tour of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe to play works by Chopin on the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death. In 2000 he performed at the Kumin Hall in Tokyo under the auspices of the municipality of Tokyo, Shinjuku district, and later at the Izumi Hall in Osaka and at the Matsukata Hall in Kobe. He has performed more than 30 times in Japan, partialy with the MIN-ON Agency, one of the leading Agencies of Japan.
He has given master classes in Japan (Showa University), as well as in Greece and Canada.
His repertoire extends from the Baroque to the present. It includes works of the most challenging technical difficulty, such as the third piano concerto in D minor by Rachmaninoff, as well as strictest stylistic pieces, such as Bach’s Concertos and “ Das Wohltemperierte Klavier”.
He currently holds posts at the Conservatory and Musicschool of Zurich (MKZ) and at the Music School of the Music Academy of Basel, Switzerland.