Andys Skordis

Louvana Diskoi presents Andys Skordis' composition: ‘The deeper you go...the deeper you go...the deeper you go... deeper you go...you go...you?’

This composition by the award-winning composer of contemporary classical music was presented for the first time in Amsterdam during the Composer's Festival, receiving great reviews. It was written in 2011 and it is a modern innovative piece whose performance will certainly raise the bar as far as classical music in Cyprus is concerned. It will be presented in four concerts at Kastelliotissa by a 24-member orchestra made out of five trombones, five cellos, five clarinets, five singers, two timpani, a piano and a harpsichord. The composition is nominated for the Matthijs Vermeulen Prijs and the Buma Toonzetters Prijs, the two biggest composition awards in Holland.

Description:

The composition is divided in two parts. The first part lasts about twenty minutes and it is quiet, slow and static. The lack of movement in the music creates a mysterious atmosphere and the audience is emerged in complete darkness for its duration.

The second twenty-minute part, clashes with the first in that it is very powerful, fast-paced and energetic.

The voices sing and recite a poem written in greek during the entire performance. Every instrumental group pretty much performs the same music with simple and subtle changes in each part, giving a very confusing impression of what their role is in the piece. In other words, every instrument group acts like a mirror, every mirror depicting the same image with minor changes.

Composer's Bio:

Andys Skordis was born in Nicosia in 1983. He's been involved with music from a very young age, playing electric guitar and composing music in the style of rock for his bands "Offtone Thieves" and "SpiritS".

During his military service, he was a member of the military band playing euphonium and guitar. After his service ended he followed jazz guitar lessons at the University of Bridgeport, where he earned a scholarship. In 2004 he began his studies at Berklee College of Music. He graduated in 2007 with a Magna Cum Laude in Composition, and Music for Film.

In 2008 he moved to Amsterdam, where he enrolled at the Amsterdam Conservatorium for post-graduate studies in composition with Richard Ayers and studies in Carnatic music (South-Indian music) with Rafael Reina. In November 2011 he got his Masters in composition with Richard Ayres and Wim Hendrickx, and in June 2012 he will be completing his 4-year studies in Carnatic Music.

His music has been performed in Europe and the United States by various orchestral ensembles like Nieuw Ensemble, Orkest de Ereprijs, Mousique Nouvelles, Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, Triple Helix, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and others.

Andys is sponsored by WWIK (Dutch Government), the Leventis Foundation and the Nicholas Economou Foundation. His compositions have earned various awards, for instance the second place in the composition competition for the 50th Birthday of the Cypriot Republic, the selected composition at the "Young Composers Meeting 2011 - Apeldoorn", Best Music Film - CIFF 2007 and others.

Besides composing, Andys plays percussion with the band "PAYAZEN!" that regularly tours Europe and Asia, and is a member of the Javanese Gamelan Ensemble "Jumat Siang".