Spyros Tzekos

Greek clarinetist Spyros Tzekos began his musical education at the “Mantzaros” Philharmonic Society in Corfu before continuing at the “Philippos Nakas” Conservatory of Athens, where he studied with Eustathios Kiosoglou. He graduated with the highest grade and first prize honors upon receiving his clarinet diploma.

He subsequently pursued advanced studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Mons with Ronald van Spaendonck, supported by a scholarship from the Athens Megaron “Friends of Music Society”. He later continued his studies at Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Tilburg with Walter Boeykens on a scholarship from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation.

During this period, he also attended the course “Contemporary Music through Non-Western Techniques” at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he explored extended clarinet techniques alongside the principles of South Indian classical music and ways of applying them to Western contemporary music creation and performance.

He has participated in numerous master classes with distinguished clarinetists including Michel Arrignon, Walter Boeykens, Alessandro Carbonare, Romain Guyot, Ralph Manno, Andrew Marriner, and Aurelian Octav Popa among others, enriching his musical perspective.

Spyros has collaborated with Greece’s leading orchestras and cultural institutions, including the Athens State Orchestra, Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra, Athens Camerata, Orchestra of Colors, Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Greek National Theatre, Athens Megaron, Benaki Museum, Onassis Cultural Centre, French Institute of Athens, Chios Music Festival, International Music Festival of Cyclades, Triethnés International Music Festival and many more. He has also appeared as guest soloist with the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, the Athens State Symphony Orchestra, and the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra.

Alongside his orchestral career, he develops interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with artists from diverse artistic backgrounds. He explores extended techniques of the clarinet and processes sound using analogue tapes, synthesizers, and effect units. He demonstrates a strong interest in collecting and performing works for clarinet and electronics, particularly through his solo projects under the title #klarineto_stin_priza.

A dedicated chamber musician and contemporary music performer, he is a founding member of two of Greece’s leading ensembles: ARTéfacts ensemble (est. 2008), devoted to commissioning new works and presenting contemporary repertoire and Ventus ensemble (est. 2005), a wind ensemble formed by principal musicians of the Greek National Opera Orchestra and the Athens State Symphony Orchestra. Both ensembles are based in Athens and present numerous performances in Greece and abroad.

Since 2007, Spyros Tzekos has been principal clarinetist of the Greek National Opera Orchestra and is a clarinet professor at the Athens Conservatoire College of Music, Palaio Faliro Conservatory and guest professor at the Chios Philharmonic. He performs on Buffet Crampon Légende and Festival clarinets.