Chamber Music Concert

Nicolas Melis (piano) and Peter Gospodinov (cello) will give a concert with music by C. Debussy, A. Piazzolla and S. Rachmaninoff.

Nicolas Melis was born in Larnaca, Cyprus in 1982.

During his childhood he received piano lessons from George Arvanitakis and Eleni Gerani. At the age of 16 he attained the Piano Soloist Diploma summa cum laude from L.E.A Academy of Music (Lykeio Ellinidon Ammohostou) in Larnaca.

He studied Piano Performance in Classical Music with Professor Markus Tomas at the University of Music and Theater 'Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy' in Leipzig, Germany. He also accomplished studies in Contemporary Improvisation with Professors Janosch Wozniak, Tilo Augsten and Peter Jarschow.

He represented Cyprus at the international music festival ‘Steinway for young pianists’ in Hamburg, Germany in 1999. He has won numerous competition awards in a national and international level, including a ‘Grand Prix’, the 1st Prize at the International Piano Competition for young musicians of H.O.N in Athens, Greece and a special prize at the 1st international piano competition of E.P.T.A. in Zagreb, Croatia.

He has also performed as a concert soloist in England, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria and Finland.

Peter Gospodinov was born in Bulgaria.

At the age of 12 he immigrated with his parents to Cyprus, where he continued his studies in cello with Georgita Boyadjieva and Olga Arghiridou at the Ethnikon Odeon.

As the principal cellist of the Cyprus Youth State Orchestra and a tutti cellist in the former Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Ayis Ioannides, he studied with Ferenc Gyimes, among others. After graduating Summa cum Laude from the State Conservatory of Vienna in the classes of Yoncho Bayrov and Lilia Schulz, he specialized in chamber music at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna under the guidance of Artis Quartet and Johannes Meissl. He also had the honor to work with Professors Frans Helmerson and Marko Ylonen in Finland.

Peter is the winner of the Thomastik-Infeld prize and the Zoltan Kodaly prize. He is also Laureate of the Brahms Competition in Austria and winner of the Medal of Honor and Jury prize at the 6th International Chamber Music Competition in Osaka-Japan.

He has had extensive concert activities in almost every European Country, the Far East and North America as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra member. He was an extra member of the prestigious Bruckner Orchestra Linz, among others. Today he is the principal cellist of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.