Biography

George Paterakis is widely regarded as a leading figure in the field of contemporary experimental music. His compositional work is frequently featured in major retrospectives, analytical essays, and press headlines, and numerous radio broadcasts have been dedicated to both his oeuvre and his significant initiative to bring music to a rapidly expanding audience through the String Theory music platform, of which he is the founder.

He studied piano as a scholar at the Athens Conservatory and counterpoint, orchestration, and composition under Yannis A. Papaioannou. He continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London in the class of Philip Fowke and, as an Onassis Foundation scholar, at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest under Kornel Zempleni.

Until the early 2000s, his career focused exclusively on solo performance. This period included international and domestic concerts, solo recitals, appearances as a soloist with Greek and foreign orchestras, chamber music, Liederabend, and recordings for ERT’s Third Program. Notable highlights include international tours with the ERT Choir under Antonis Kontogeorgiou and collaborations with the ERT Symphony Orchestra under Miltiadis Karydis.

In 2011, he founded String Theory, which has evolved into one of the most original, multifaceted, and technically proficient musical collectives in the industry. Functioning as a hub for musical, educational, and artistic activities, it comprises small instrumental ensembles, a chamber orchestra, vocal ensembles, and two mixed choirs. Beyond its performance aspect, it serves as a social space where new music is born and where enthusiasts can experience the production of a musical performance from its initial conception to its final presentation.