Profile
"It is an art to play the percussion instruments so precisely. But even more so, to keep the different levels dynamically apart, so that not everything is just played hard. And you have to understand this music like Alexandros Giovanos, and you didn't know what to admire more about him: his body control or his musical penetration." - Kultur Radio Berlin
"Giovanos makes the sound crumble, each beat resonates in seconds of silence as if Wotan was playing himself. Not a sensory sedating "stomp", but rather an appreciation of every single note that leads to a furious finale." - Der Tagesspiegel
Critically acclaimed by the german Press (Der Tagesspiegel, Berliner Zeitung & Kultur Radio Berlin) as one of the most active, experienced and renown solo percussionists of the younger generation of the Berlin Contemporary music scene, Alexandros Giovanos has been also performing under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowsky, Craig Leon, Max Renne, being a frequent collaborator of the Karajan Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Berlin, Berliner Symphoniker, Neubrandenburg Philharmonie, Berliner Kamerata, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Echo Ensemble for New Music and with virtually every major Greek Orchestra (the Athens State Orchestra, Athens Kamerata, Radio Symphony Orchestra of Greece, the Orchestra of Colors, Thessaloniki State Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of Cyprus).
His list of Contemporary Music festivals includes the Intonations-Jerusalem International, Infektion!-Staatsoper Berlin, Ultraschall, Berlin Atonal, Klangwerkstatt, Unerhörte Musik, Berlin-Art-Week, Kontakte, Pulse: Musik Aussen, Klang-Zeit-Ort, Intersonanzen, Ankuft: Neue Musik, Randfestspiele, Neue Szenen, the Athens & Epidavrus Festival, Israel Festival, Kalamata Festival, Delfi Festival, Athens Megaron, Thessaloniki Megaron, Onassis Cultural Center, Saronic Chamber Music Festival, I.P.E.W. - Croatia, Musiche in Mostra - Torino/ Italy amongst others.
Founding member of Opera Lab Berliner ensemble and percussionist of the Leondari Chamber Music ensemble since 2014, Alexandros Giovanos has been recording with "United Berlin Ensemble", K.N.M.Berlin and others in the world renown studios of Teld-x, Emil Berlin as well as in WDR Kollogne.
A native of Athens Greece, A. Giovanos was the winner of numerous competitions and a top graduate of the Athens Conservatory before completing his Masters degree with the highest mark at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music on a grant by the A. Onassis Foundation under the guidance of professors Biao Li, Rainer Seegers (Berliner Philharmoniker) and Franz Schindlbeck (Berliner Philharmoniker).
As a pedagogue, A. Giovanos continues to instruct young talents at the International Summer Academy of Corfu, the Cyprus International Percussion Academy and the Waldorf School - Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin.
Profil
“Es ist schon eine Kunst, die Schlaginstrumente so präzise zu treffen. Noch mehr jedoch, die verschiedenen Ebenen auch dynamisch auseinander zu halten, so dass eben nicht alles nur Gedonner ist. Und dazu muss man diese Musik so verstanden haben wie Alexandros Giovanos, und man wusste nicht, was man an ihm mehr bewundern sollte: seine Körperbeherrschung oder seine musikalische Durchdringung.” - Kultur Radio Berlin
“Zum Abschluss noch mal ein Stück für Solo- Schlagzeug, „Psappha“ von 1975: Giovanos lässt das Klangbild zerbröckeln, jeder Schlag hallt in sekundenlanger Stille, als würde Wotan selbst spielen. Kein die Sinne sedierendes Drauflosdreschen à la „Stomp“, vielmehr ein Wertschätzen jedes einzelnen Tons, das in ein furioses Finale mündet. Dem das Publikum sein ganz eigenes, enthusiastisches Perkussionsgewitter folgen lässt.” - Der Tagesspiegel