Vassilis Tsabropoulos

Vassilis Tsabropoulos (born 1967 in Athens) is a Greek concert pianist, conductor, and composer. Since 2000 he has recorded with ECM Records.
When he was ten, Tsabropoulos became famous with the first place he received in UNICEF's contest (1977). He studied at Paris Conservatory, Salzburg Academy, and Juilliard School.

Tsabropoulos started playing the piano at the age of seven. He was an early achiever, winning the UNICEF completion when he was ten. He attended the National Conservatory of Athens, where he studied with Krinio Kalomiri, daughter of the Greek composer Manolis Kalomiris, and Myrto Mavrikou. In 1982, at the age of fifteen, he graduated with honours and received a scholarship from Alexandro's Onassis Foundation. He continued to study in some of the most prestigious music academies, such as the Salzburg Academy and the Juilliard School in the U.s. He later studied with great pianists such as Rudolf Serkin, Tatyana Nikolayeva, and Nikita Magaloff. His greatest influence was Vladimir Ashkenazy a pianist whom Tsabropoulos greatly admires and respects as his mentor. He later composed and dedicated a set of six preludes for piano for Ashkenazy.

With his extensive repertoire of recitals and concertos, Tsabropoulos has taken the stage with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Stockholme Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic, Budapest Chamber Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic and Italy Radio Orchestra.

His repertoire varies from Bach to Beethoven, Chopin to Prokoviev and Rachmaninoff. He has participated in festivals throughout Europe and has performed every season in the musical centers, presenting a wide repertoire in concerts, recitals and chamber music performance. He made his first U.S. tour in October 2004 with critical and popular success. Pick of his career is his performances with London Philharmonia and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy in piano concertos of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff.

Conducting has formed a large part of his activities for the past five years. He took up the conductor's baton in 2006. In addition to his compositions and stage performances as a pianist and conductor, he has released twelve solo albums. His first album, Akroasis, appeared on ECM Records. In The Independent, Andrew Clarke said, "The effects are hypnotic and mysterious, shimmering like ancient mosaics".

Tsabropoulos has also been involved in several television projects, such as the Akroasis series (2012) filmed in Athens for ERT1.

Tsabropoulos's debut album in 2000 received critical praise. He has recorded with Arild Andersen, John Marshall, and German cellist Anja Lechner. With Lechner he recored the album Chant, Hymns and Dances, with music of Greek Armenian philosopher Gurdjieff, influenced by folk and ritual traditions, and Tsabropoulos' own piece based upon Byzantine hymns, A sequel, Melos, followed with drummer U.T Gandhi. Chants topped international classical charts.

• Skyscape (1990)
• Images (1992)
• Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (1997)
• Achirana with Arild Andersen and John Marshall (ECM, 2000)
• Chopin: August Symphony (2001)
• The Face of Love (2002)
• Live in Cremona (2002)
• Akroasis (ECM, 2003)
• Chants, Hymns and Dances with Anja Lechner (ECM, 2004)
• The Triangle with Arild Andersen and John Marshall (ECM, 2004)
• Melos with Anja Lechner and U.T. Gandhi (ECM, 2008)
• The Promise (ECM, 2009)
• You (Utopia, 2013)

• Six preludes for piano (dedicated to Vladimir Ashkenazy)
• "Greek Suite", in three parts for piano
• Byzantine Hymns for piano
• "Evening Suite", in four parts for piano
• "Trois morceuax après des Hymnes Byzantine", for cello and piano
• "Chant", for cello and piano
• "Dance", for cello and piano
• "Notturno", for piano
• "In Memory", for cello and piano
• "David", Cycle of Songs based on Psalms of King-Prophet David for female voice and piano
• "Night Flower", for piano and Orchestra
• "Masques", for Orchestra
• "The Fiesta A Dance", in five steps for Orchestra
• "Reflected mirror Suite", in three parts for Orchestra
• "The legend of Saint Barbara", Symphonic Poem for Orchestra