Dimitri Fampas
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Dimitri Fampas (December 22, 1921- May 3, 1996) was Greece's most known and celebrated classical guitarist.
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[edit] Biography
Fampas was born in Milina of Lafkos, a small village on Mount Pelion near the Northern harbor city of Volos, Greece. As a child he played traditional music on lute and mandolin. In 1939 he pursued musical studies in Athens. He studied Advanced Musical Theory with Theodore Vavayiannis and counterpoint with Costa Kydoniatis at the Athens Conservatory. He begun his studies of classical guitar with Nicholas Ioannou, and by 1953, he received a diploma in classical guitar performance 'Com laude' from the National Conservatory of Greece. In 1955 and 1956 he received a scholarship from the Italian government to study guitar with Andres Segovia and musicology with Emilio Pujol at the “Academia Chigianna” in Sienna. In 1959 he attended classes with Segovia once more, this time at the Academy of Santiago, Spain, receiving a scholarship by Segovia himself.
Fampas' performing career spanned almost four decades. He has performed hundreds of personal recitals worldwide. He toured extensively in England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Turkey, USA, Canada, USSR and Vatican. He has also appeared in most major cities of Greece as well as in the Ancient Theater of Epidauro. He recorded wonderful guitar concertos such as the L. Boccherini-G. Cassado concerto, and he played the World Premier recording of the "Concerto Para Tres Hermanas" by Carlo Pizzini with the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Greece. He often performed live TV recitals in Greece, Spain, and USA.
Simultaneously to his performing and teaching activities, Fampas composed over two hundred solos, studies and dances, enriching the guitar literature. Fampas' own compositions raised a lot of applause wherever they were performed and they became standard guitar repertory. His music, skillfully written for guitar, often romantic and lyrical, richly dominated by Greek traditional elements, colors and rhythms, expresses his love for the guitar and for his country, as well as his passionate personality.
His work has been published by the Publishing Houses of: Ricordi of Milan - Italy, Ricordi of São Paulo - Brazil, Max Eschig of Paris-France, Columbia Music - USA, Lathkil Music Publishers of London-UK, MEL BAY – USA, Ph. Nakas and Papagrigoriou-Nakas of Athens - Greece, M. Nikolaidis - Orpheus Editions of Athens - Greece.
Besides the many personal recordings he offered us through the years, Dimitri Fampas recorded some fine theater and film music by Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Argiris Kounadis and Stavros Xarhakos. Through the 60's and early 70’s Fampas collaborated as a soloist to many theatrical and film music productions, being the first Greek classical guitarist to perform on stage and to record Theatrical music soundtracks, contributing to the guitar’s large popularity in Greece during those times.
Dimitri Fampas taught at the National Conservatory of Athens. There he created a world famous guitar school. Thousands of guitarists have been produced by Fampas and his disciples over the past fifty years. Some 38 prizes in International guitar competitions have been won by Fampas’ students. Among his most noted students are Liza Zoi, Evangelos Assimakopoulos, Evangelos Boudounis, Notis Mavroudis, Kostas Grigoreas, Kiriakos Giorginakis, Elefteria Kotzia, Markos Tsetsos, Vangelis Fampas, Dimitris Kasfikis, Kostas Tseregof, Michael Nothdurft, Eva Fampas, Yorgos Kertsopoulos, Irene Konsta, Vassilis Mastorakis, George Mavroedes, Nikos Panayiotidis, Angelos Agiranopoulos and many others. Dimitri Fampas created two guitarists orchestras, one for young players and another one for advanced guitarists, with which he made numerous concert appearances and tours in Greece during the period 1979-1989. Quite often he has been a member of the jury in International Guitar Competitions and he offered master-classes and lectures in numerous seminars and International festivals. He also lectured on the history of the classical guitar over the Greek National Radio and TV, the BBC, and several stations in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in the USA etc.
He has served as President of the Union of Conservatory Professors of Greece, as a member of the Greek Composers' Union, as a member of the Greek National Board of Music/IMC UNESCO etc.
His life and artistic contribution are mentioned in the National and International Who's Who, in the Cambridge dictionary of biographies of famous men and scholars as well as in the Guitar dictionaries and music history books of Japan, England, Poland, GDR, Italy and Greece, the Encyclopedias of Papyrus Larouse, Harris Patsis etc.
His early life is depicted in "The tales of faith" by Denis Ronda. For his artistic contribution to music and to society, he was honored with numerous awards and medals by cultural associations, music clubs and Municipalities. Audiovisual material on Dimitri Fampas has been presented and broadcasted by National Greek TV. Among these, a revealing 45’ personal interview with G. Sgourakis (Director) for the series "Monograma" which customarily focused on outstanding Greek artists and scientists. In 1999, a double cd titled Dimitri Fampas, the Guitar Album, including most of his previous recordings for Polydor, was released by Universal music/ Polydor masters in a series of Historical Recordings.
The Guitar Friends Association DIMITRI FAMPAS (member of the Greek National Music Council, and the IMC of UNESCO), is a non profit cultural society which was founded in 1999 under the initiative of the Guitarist-Professor Eva Fampas dedicated to serving D. Fampas' legacy and music, as well as to encourage and support new talented artists and promote Greek guitar music.
On January 11, 2006, Dimitri Fampas' ARCHIVES, including original music, editions, lectures, concert programmes and newspapers as well as a great collection of unpublished recordings and photos concerning his life and career, were donated to the BENAKI MUSEUM of Athens, Greece.
[edit] Works for guitar solo
- TRIPLET MEMORY to EMILIO PUJOL
- REVERIE
- VALSA de BRASILIA to Ronoel Simoes (1st version)
- VALS (2hd version - revised)
- DANSE SYRTOS
- DANSE BALLOS
- A HEART-FELT CONVERSATION, to Andres Segovia for his 90th birthday
- SUITE No 3, sur une forme ancienne.
Prelude-Bourre-Allemande-Aria Melancolique-Loure 1&2.
- JEUX D'ENFANTS (KAVATINA No 1)
- CONTE (KAVATINA No 1)
- POEME (KAVATINA No 10) to Notis Mavroudis
- DANSE IMAGINAIRE (KAVATINA No 1) to Liza Zoi
- KARAGOUNA, Greek danse
- VLACHA, Greek danse
- GREEK DANCE "SOUSTA" (1st version)
- GREEK DANSE "SOUSTA" (2nd version - revised)
- VISION
- THE COUNTRY OF CENTAURS (GREEK SUITE)
- TSAMIKOS DANSE (GREEK SUITE)
- RAVINES (GREEK SUITE)
- SYRTAKI DANSE (GREEK SUITE)
- BOLERO
- MARCHE OF SPAIN
- SUITE No 2 FOR A BELOVED FAMILY.(To Jeni-To Eva-To Evangelos)
- ADMIRATION (Kavatina No 2)
- LITTLE WALTZ (Kavatina No 2)
- SENSATIONS (Kavatina No2)
- 24 CONCERT STUDIES (1-12 to Ida Presti / 13-24 to Andres Segovia)
- 23 MELODIES for children and young guitarists.
(A DREAM, GUAHIRA DANSE, TSAMIKOS DANSE, FOR EVA, MILINA, VARCAROLA, PRELUDE, PETIT VALS, are included )... info
- ROMANTZA
- GREEK SONG
- EVGENOULA, theme with variations
- 9 sentimental PRELUDES
- SENTIMENTAL SUITE (6 SONGS dedicated to his fiancιe)
- MELODIES for young guitarists, 2nd collection
(MINUET, TENDER MOMENTS, THE GIRL IN GREEN, THE PHONE-CALL, SONG WITHOUT WORDS No1&2, A VALS FOR A GREAT WOMAN, and many others are included)... info
- A LAFKOS' FAIRE.
- SEGOVIA's PORTRAIT
- THE WINDSONG
[edit] Works for guitar duo
- FANTASY for two guitars to Evangelos and Liza
- GREEK DANSE OF CORFOU for 2 guitars
- GREEK SONG OF THESSALY for 2 guitars
- DANSE BALLOS for 2 guitars
- PETIT VALS for 2 guitars
[edit] Works for guitar ensemble
- GREEK FIESTA for 3 Guitars (A FAIR OF PILION)
- TZENI variations for 3 guitars (SUITE FOR A BELOVED FAMILY)
- THE LAYIARNI (variations on the traditional Greek song) for voice and guitar orchestra
- ODE TO PEACE for voice and 3 guitars based on the poem PEACE by J.RITSOS.
- SONGS for voice and guitar ~ Lyrics by L. RAFTOPOULOS & B. SPILIOS
