While his musical course runs through decades, an
significant moment of his career was his collaboration with Dimitris
Papaioannou and George Koumentakis, for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic
Games of Athens 2004, where he holded the role of the drummer in the place
of Ancient Olympia and recorded with his percussion most of the music themes of
the opening ceremony.
Petros Kourtis was born on the island of Lefkada in
1969. He has been engaged in the art of percussion since he was twelve years old.
His educational journey starts in 1990 with first
stop the Brazil. Afterwards he studied classical percussion in the Municipal
Conservatoire of Zografou (Athens). He continued his studies at the Βerklee
College of Music where he studied "Ethnic Percussion" next to leading
musicians like Jamey Haddad, o Glen Velez, o Giovanni Hidalgo and others.
Since 1994 he teaches percussion in the
Conservatoire "Philippos Nakas", in the departments of Modern and
Traditional music. He wrote two books about learning percussion instruments,
which are published by "Filippos Nakas" publication.
Since the inception of his career Petros
collaborated with the most distinguished Greek composers, musicians and singers
(G. Dalaras, El. Arvanitaki, X. Alexiou, and other). He has toured abroad with
almost all Greek leading musicians, singers but also with dancing groups,
participating in musical meetings and international festivals.
Some artists of international music scene, with who
Petros occasionally has collaborated, are: Loorena Mc kenit, Al De Meola, Omar
Farouk Tekbilek, Dulce Pontes, Eddy Napoli, Mira Anwar Awad, Macarena Giraldez
Losada, Sezen Aksu, Bulgarian Vocal Trio, Zohar Fresco, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Ara
Dinkjan.
He has participated in more than 200 productions,
with various types of music, included the soundtrack of the cinematographic
success by Tasos Mpoulmetis, "A touch of spice" (Politiki kouzina).
In the summer of 2007 he contributed with the Τhessaliko Theatre, where, he
composed the music for the ancient tragedy of Euripides, "Iphigenia at Aulis”,
directed by Sotiris Hatzakis
He is founder member of the music ensemble "Iasis”
and of the percussion group "Krotala”.
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