Panayiotis Kokoras

Panayiotis Kokoras is an internationally award-winning composer and computer music innovator. He is Regents Professor of composition and CEMI Director – Centre for Experimental Music and Intermedia at the University of North Texas. Born in Greece (1974), he studied classical guitar and composition in Athens, Greece, and York, England; he taught for many years at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki (among others). 

His music has been performed in over 1000 concerts around the world by renowned ensembles, orchestras, and soloists. His compositions have been selected by juries in more than 300 international calls for music and have received 84 distinctions and prizes in international composition competitions. His music appears in 54 album compilations in print or online. He has given over 90 lectures, workshops, and presentations at festivals, conferences, and universities. His service includes participation in more than 80 juries, committees, and boards in competitions, conferences, and journals.

Kokoras's sound compositions use sound as the only structural unit. His concept of "holophonic musical texture" describes his goal that each independent sound (phonos) contributes equally to the synthesis of the total (holos). In both instrumental and electroacoustic writing, his music calls upon a "virtuosity of sound," a hyper-idiomatic writing which emphasizes on the precise production of variable sound possibilities and the correct distinction between one timbre and another to convey the musical ideas and structure of the piece. His compositional output is also informed by musical research in Music Information Retrieval compositional strategies, Extended techniques, Tactile sound, Hyperidiomaticity, Robotics, Sound, and Consciousness. More information at http://www.panayiotiskokoras.com