Biography
Manolis Ekmektsoglou studied composition in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece with Dimitri Papageorgiou and in the University of York (PhD) with Thomas Simaku. He also spend a year in Hannover studying acoustic and electronic music (Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover), with Professors Ming Tsao, Gordon Williamson and Joachim Heintz. He is currently Assistant Professor of Acoustic and Acousmatic composition in the Technical University of Istanbul, Department of Sonic Arts, Center for advanced study in Music (M.I.A.M.). Manolis participated in the “Labor Beethoven 2017-2020” project, funded and organized by the Berlin Academy of the Arts. The project comprised participants from Basel, Tel-Aviv and Thessaloniki. This intensive 4-year period included commissions and performances from various ensembles in Germany and Switzerland and culminated in a final performance that took place in Berlin in 12-13/04/2020. For more info enter here: https://www.labor-beethoven-2020.de/de.
His pieces have been performed in Greece (DissonArt ensemble, New Hellenic Quartet, Off Borders Festival for electronic music in Thessaloniki, Music in Motion festival for dance and music, Athens), Germany (Neues Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Earth, Sky, Space festival, Hitzacker Musiktage 2018), Italy (Soundiff project), Hong Kong (AMGA ensemble), Spain (ensemble Regards Mixtur festival 2016), Austria (NAMES ensemble, Synaesthesis ensemble, Crossroads festival), Iran (International Electronic Music Festival, Reza Korourian Awards 2017), and the UK (Kinetic nights festival, Manchester, Andersson – Gallois – De Saram trio, Diotima Quartet, Psappha ensemble). Upcoming activities comprise performance of the existing work Ripping…having…standing…oben!!, for ensemble in Versipel New Music festival, Louisiana (postponed for 2021 due to pandemics) and a premiere of a work specifically written for MISE-EN festival, New York (postponed for 2021 due to pandemics).