THANOS MITSALAS

Greece

concert
master classes
jury

Thanos Mitsalis was born in Naoussa, Greece. He is steadily gaining recognition as one of the leading world-class performers of his generation. Through his extended devotion to the study and performance of the idiomatic music of Sergio Assad, Thanos achieved to be regarded by the great Brazilian master an ideal interpreter of his works. Among several premieres of Assad's compositions, Thanos has recorded his three guitar concertos in collaboration with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra and distinguished Greek fellow musicians.

Mitsalas graduated with the highest honors from the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki (class of C. Cotsiolis), Hochschule für Musik in Cologne (class of T. Muller Pering), and the Juilliard School in New York (on a full scholarship in Sharon Isbin's class). He initiated his international career at a young age, becoming the youngest winner in the history of competitions such as the Volos International Guitar Festival & Competition (Greece, at 15 years old), Silesian Guitar Autumn (Poland, at 16 years old), and Carrefour Mondial de la Guitare Martinique (South America, at 18 years old). Since then, he has successfully performed in numerous major artistic events and venues worldwide, including the Lincoln Center of NY, Merkin Hall (NY), Hancock Auditorium (Los Angeles), Queen's Grand Theatre of Zhengzhou (China), and Athens Megaron of Music, among others. He has toured repeatedly throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America.

In addition to his performing activities, Thanos teaches at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and serves as a guest professor at many international music festivals and summer music academies (such as The Juilliard School, ESMD Monterrey, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Cologne, Zhengzhou University, University of Arizona, and others). He held the position of artistic director at the Municipal Conservatory of Naoussa, Greece, for ten years. Many of his students have pursued successful careers as performers or pedagogists of the guitar. Thanos is also a founding member and Vice President of the European Guitar Teachers Association in Greece. He has recorded for labels such as DaVinci Classics, ClearNote, and Naxos.