Kornilios Selamsis - Composer
He was born in Athens in 1981. From 2004 to 2010 he lived in the Netherlands and studied music composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.
His works have been commissioned and performed by ASKO Ensemble, Nieuw Ensemble, Enseble de Ereprijs, Łódz Philharmonic Orchestra, Artéfacts Ensemble, Athens State Orchestra, Artéfacts Ensemble, Ventus Ensemble, Lesbos International Pencil Festival, Onassis Foundation Roof, National Opera, MusicAeterna etc.
In the summer of 2016, the opera of Leontios and Lena was presented at the Athens Festival and in the summer of 2018 the installation for forty sound sources Agathofron.
Since January 2023, his opera The Beautiful Helen of Offenbach will be presented on tour throughout Greece by the Greek National Opera.
His music works for theater are performed in many productions in Greece and abroad.
Alongside his compositional work, he has worked as Artistic Director in educational programs.
From May 2014 till March 2017 he was the Artistic Director of the concert series “Parallel Thirds” that took place in Porta theater in Athens
At the invitation of the National Theatre, he created the Music Composition workshop in November 2015, at the Theater where he worked until June 2020.
Since January 2023 the composer is represented worldwide by MUSICENTRY.
Commissioned work
2022 Greek National Opera
Belle Hélène of Offenbach. Opera in three acts for 8 singers and ensemble
[2 S, 2 Ms, 2 T, Bar, BBar – fl/pic/Bfl, cl/Bcl, SATBsax, trb, prc, pno, vln, vla, vlc, cb] ca. 80’
2021 Onassis Foundation/Stegi
Garden. Music theatre for 7 instruments and voice
[cl/Bcl, trb, prc, hrp, vln, cb] ca. 44’
2019 Athens Conservatory/El Greco Trio
Poissons Tristes. For Piano quintet [pno, vln, vla, vlc, cb]. ca.13’
2018 Benaki Museum/Athens Festival/Municipality of Athens/UNESCO
Collector’s Atlas. Electronic composition for 40 individual loudspeakers. 60’
2018 Molyvos International Music Festival, Lesvos
Uomini. Uccelli, for 8 instruments and narrator
[fl, cl, hrn, 2 pno, vx, vln, vlc, cb] ca. 15’
2018 Greek National Opera, Athens
Lettres Music Theatre for three performers, piano, glockenspiel, radio, typewriter and microphones ca. 55’
2017 Onassis Cultural Foundation, Athens
Aleph for solo contrabass ca. 18’
2013-2016 Athens Festival, Athens
Leonce and Lena Opera in 3 acts for ensemble, 4 soloists and choir
Libretto Yannis Asteris [fl, ob, cl, bsn, hrn, trp, trb, tb, 2 prc, hrp, 2 vln, vla, vlc, cb] ca. 115’
2016-2017 Ventus wind ensemble, Athens
Breath for 11 winds and soprano, on six recomposed English renaissance madrigals
[fl, ob, 2 cl, bsn, 2 hrn, 2 trp, trb, cb, vx] ca 58’
2015 Artéfacts Ensemble
[supported by the National Technical University of Athens and Fondation Le Corbusier] Greece/France
Ingénieur for 8 instruments [composed to be performed alongside with the Le Corbusier film L’Architecture]
[ob, cl, trp, pno, vln, vla, vlc, cb] 11’
2013 La laiterie Strassbourg/Artéfacts ensemble, Strasbourg, France
Young man lying on his side. Stillness. clarinet, percussion, violin and viola 17’
2011 Athens State Orchestra, Athens
For this city that, someday, will become a forest for large orchestra 16’
2011 Athens Festival, Athens
Medusa Staged Oratorio for voices and piano
2011 Technopolis/Alexis Karaiskakis, Athens
A day’s work for solo cello
2011 Thessaloniki State Orchestra/Ventus Ensemble, Thessaloniki
Sing! woodwind quintet
2010 Generale Oost/Ereprijs Ensemble/Arnhem, Netherlands
Foliages for ensemble
2009 ASKO Ensemble/Royal Conservatory, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Animateur 2 clarinets, horn, 2 percussions, violin, viola, violoncello, contrabass
2008 Nieuw Ensemble/ Royal Conservatory, Amsterdam
Observateur for flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, harp, guitar, mandolin, violin, violoncello, contrabass
2008 Royal Conservatory/Inbal Hever, The Hague
Lady of silences for violin and mezzo-soprano
2008 Artéfacts ensemble, Athens
Le petit aviateur for flute, clarinet, 2 pianists, 2 percussionists and cello
2008 Orchestra of colours/Benaki Museum, Athens
Song for counter-tenor and six instruments for counter-tenor, 2 trumpets, horn, viola, two cellos
2007 Royal Conservatory/Ensemble Royal
Aviateur for ensemble
2006 Greek Composers Union
Music for 6 instruments and voice [fragments by Sappho] for bass clarinet, horn, trombone, percussion, cello, contrabass
2005 Orchestra of colours
Frost in midnight for flute, english horn, percussion, contrabass
2004 Orchestra of colours
The traveler for guitar, french horn and piano
2004 Benaki museum
Music for [two] flute[s]
Studio Recordings
2011 Three Pitches, viola (independent release)
2013 Sigkatikisi - Artéfacts Ensemble, Puzzlemusic Records
2017 Breath [pending]
2017 The daughter of Rapaccini – Poreia theatre company
2018 Aleph – Onassis Cultural Foundation
2022 Ink – 2 Productions - MusicAeterna [cond. Teodor Currentzis]
National Broadcasts
2012 Third programme of the Greek National Radio, live performance
Observateur Orchestra of Colours
2015 Greek National Television
Tommorow documentary series, episode dedicated on Kornilios Selamtzis’ music
2016 Greek National Television
The secrets of music documentary, Foliages performed by Ereprijs Ensemble
2017 Greek National Radio
A Portrait radio broadcast
SELECTED WORK FOR THEATRE AND CINEMA
*Film
**As a composer and performer
***As a composer and musical director/conductor
2022 Two Productions/Athens Megaron
INK for Large orchestra [cond. Teodor Currentzis]
[dir. Dimitris Papaioannou]
2022 Small Theatre of Kerameikos
Mythistorima by Yorgos Cheimonas for flute, piano and violoncello
[dir. Panayotis Exarcheas]
2022*** National Theatre of Greece/Epidaurus Festival
Ajax by Sophocles for 10 singing actors and four brass instruments
[dir. Argyris Xafis]
2022 Plyfa Industrial Space
Moderato Cantabile by Marguerite Duras for prepared piano and electronics
[dir. Efrosyni Mastrokalou]
2022 Athens Festival/Radio Plays
Haunter of the dark by H. P. Lovecraft for 5 actors and 4 instruments [cl, perc, vln, cb]
[dir. Akilas Karazisis]
2021* Independent Film
Kafka’s secret collection of porn for 3 Fender Rhodes pianos
[dir. Aristotelis Maragos]
2021 BIOS Theatre
Obituary by Heiner Müller for electronics
[dir. Efrosyni Mastrokalou]
2021** Schloss Corvey
Odyssey for actors piano and found objects
[dir. Akillas Karazisis]
2021*** Theseum Ensemble
Antigone by Sophocles for 10 speaking actors
[dir. Haris Fragoulis]
2021 UBUNTU Theatre group
Enron for electronics
[dir. Aris Laskos]
2020*** Landestheater Tübingen
Transit by Anna Seghers for voices, found objects and prerecorded modular synth
[dir. Akillas Karazisis]
2020*** National Theatre of Greece
La dame de chez Maxime by Georges Feydeau for voices and ensemble [fl, ob, cl, bsn, hrn, trp, trb, tba, hrp, pno, vlc, perc].
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2020 UBUNTU Theatre Company
Laramie Project for Electronics
[dir. Aris Laskos]
2019** Technis Theatre
Othello by William Shakespeare piano and voice
[dir. Haris Frangoulis]
2019 Bios Theatre
Kronstande by Nikos Karouzos for Church organ
[dir. Aris Balis]
2019 Le misanthrope by Moliére for actors-instrumentalists on stage
[dir. Yiannis Houvardas]
2018 Keffalinias Theatre
The Glass menagerie by Tennessee Williams for individual loudspeakers, electronics and ensemble
[dir. Dimitris Karantzas]
2018 Athens Festival
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury for live electronics and speaking voices
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2018 National Theatre of Greece/Experimental Stage
Revolutionary ways of cleaning your swimming pool by Alexandra K* for resonant objects on stage
[dir. Sarantos Zervoulakos]
2018 Onassis Cultural Foundation/Young Choreographers Festival
Ok that’s you on the mirror for electronics [chor. Andy Xhuma-Christos Xyrafakis]
2018*** UBUNTU theatre company
Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke by Reiner Maria Rilke sound installation consisting of
recorded gamba and percussion sounds [dir. Eleana Tsichli]
2018 Bios Theatre
Medea material by Heiner Müller for voice, electronics and resonant objects
[dir. Efrosyni Mastrokalou]
2017*** Porta theatre [for children]
Chionanoi for voices, trombone and toy percussion
[dir. Sophia Paschou]
2017*** Poreia theatre
The daughter of Rapaccini for bayan, violin and harp
[dir. Olia Lazaridou]
2017*** Bios Theatre/Kursk theatre company
Lenz by Georg Büchner for speaking and singing voices, stones, a bucket of water, balloons and other objects
[dir. Haris Frangoulis]
2017*,** Marni Films
Magical Skin for ensemble
[dir. Kostis Samaras]
2016** Theseum Theatre/pro4 productions
Hashish for radio, LP turntable and several musical instruments
[dir. Akyllas Karazisis]
2016 OSMOSIS Theatre group
Relic for microphones and prerecorded sounds [dir. Euripides Laskarides]
2015** Onassis Cultural Foundation
Glaube Liebe Hoffnung by Ödön von Horvath for piano and synthesizer
[dir. Akyllas Karazisis]
2015 National Theatre of Northern Greece/Epidaurus Festival
Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides for 16 singing actors, clarinet and english horn
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2015*** Athens Festival
Arden must die for speaking voices and six melodicas
[dir. Haris Frangoulis]
2014*** Porta Theatre-Infant’s theatre
Listen for toys and several resonant objects [dir. Dimitris Karantzas]
2014*** Porta Theatre-Children’s theatre
The Mystery of the city of Hamelin for six actors singing speaking and playing instruments
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2014*** Cycladon Theatre/Kursk Theatre Group
The prayer of the girl who fell into a well and does not want to die
for clarinet, trumpet, violin and speaking voices [dir. Haris Frangoulis]
2014*** National Theatre of Greece
So it is (if you think so) by Luigi Pirandello for 6 gramophones and speaking voices
[dir. Dimitris Karantzas]
2014** National Theatre of Greece
The opinions of a clown by Heinrich Böll for voices, concertina piano and Fender Rhodes
[dir. Argyris Xafis]
2013 National theatre of Greece/Epidaurus Festival
Trachiniae by Sophocles for 16 female voices flute, saxophones and custom percussions
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2012*** Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Canada
Elektra by Sophocles for female choir 3S-2M-S-3A
[dir Thomas Moschopoulos, transl. Anne Carson].
2012*** Kursk Theater Group/Aplo Theatre
Woyzeck by Georg Büchner for voices, accordion, violin, trumpet, toys and pieces of furniture
[dir Haris Fragoulis].
2012*,*** London Film School
Beatitudes for ensemble
[dir. Aristotelis Maragos]
2011 Theseum Theatre/Lykofos Productions
When Nietzsche wept by Irving Yalom sound installation for 10 sealed jars containing loudspeakers
[dir. Akyllas Karazisis]
2010*** National Theater of Greece
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand for 10 beginner level instrumentalists
[dir. Nikos Karathanos]
2010*** Porta Theater/Children’s theatre
A soldier’s tale for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, percussion, violin and contrabass
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2010 Porta Theater-Infant’s theatre
Come on for Bass clarinet, accordion and violin
[dir. Xenia Kalogeropoulou]
2009*** National Theater of Greece/Epidaurus Festival
Alcestis by Euripides for mixed choir of actors, clarinet, bassoon, viola, violoncello, contrabass
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2008*** Porta theater-Children’s theatre
Calvino Folktales for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, percussion, trumpet and horn
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2008** Athens Festival
Bacchae by Euripides for 3 female voices speaking and singing, Bass clarinet, accordion, large set of percussions
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
2007 Athens Concert Hall
Electra by Hugo von Hofmannstahl for prepared piano
[dir. Thomas Moschopoulos]
Notable Arrangements Transcriptions and Orchestrations
2014*** Porta Theatre/Parallel Thirds
Moving Drawings - Disney Songs for string quartet and 2 voices
2013*** Onassis Cultural Foundation/Artéfacts Ensemble
Sigkatikisi on Konstantinos B electronic music for large ensemble
2012*** Athens Concert hall
Treasure Island reworking of old British maritime tunes for six actors singing speaking and playing instruments