Pianist, teacher, conductor and composer

Giorgos Thymis was born in Thessaloniki in 1924. He studied piano at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki and continued his studies with the scholarship of the Society of Macedonian Studies at the Music Academy of Vienna (1951-1954). He attended Advanced Theory and Composition with Solon Michaelidis and conducting at the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, from where he received the Conducting diploma in 1962.

He started his piano career in Greece in 1946 and continued abroad as a conductor collaborating with soloists of international prestige. His contribution as a piano teacher at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki was also remarkable, where he taught from 1954 to 1991, as a maestro (1962) and as its general director from 1971 to 1982. He also taught at the Summer Academy Mozarteum Salzburg (1958-1972). At the same time, he was the founder of the “Thessalonici Trio”, the director of the “Rotonda” string orchestra and the artistic director of the North London College of Music of the University of London.

He had placed particular emphasis on the pedagogical field, as he contributed to the development of more than 80 graduate students, many of whom are pursuing careers in Greece and abroad. As a teacher, he was extremely methodical, with particular attention to the development of the students’ technique, to the accurate reading of the score and to the respect of the composer’s instructions.

Having the dual status of a pianist as well as a conductor, he treated musical works as architectural constructions, a perception that he tried to pass on to his students. He conducted in USA, Romania, Former Yugoslavia, Austria, Portugal, Israel, Bulgaria, Germany, Venezuela, Poland, S. Korea, Philippines, Former Soviet Union, Switzerland, Japan , in Italy, France, the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary etc. In Greece, he conducted for a number of years the State Orchestra of Athens, the Symphony Orchestra of ERT, as well as the Symphony of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

Collaborated as a soloists under his direction: CI. Arrau, AI. Weissenberg, Br. L. Gelber, G. Gziffra, R. Ricci, S. Cherkassky, N. Magaloff, M. Brussolerie, R. Odnopossof, B. Ringeissen, VI. Ashkenazy, P. Badura-Skoda, R. Szidon, G. Sandor, K. Katsaris, D. Sgouros, M. Tirimos and G. Vakarelis. At the “DIMITRIA” festivals he conducted the orchestras: Philharmonia Hungarica, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Although he himself maintained that in order to deal with the subject of composition one should be able to devote himself and remain fixed exclusively on it, he achieved some compositional efforts with success. His compositional work consists of works for piano, violin and voice. During his long career, he received numerous honors.

Giorgos Thymis was undoubtedly the great musical personality of the city of Thessaloniki in the second half of the 20th century. He was a source of inspiration for the younger generations, whom he loved selflessly, he stood by their side whether they were his students or not and he left behind the initially Panhellenic and then International Competition that bears his name.

Gallery

Time Line

1946

Ηe studied piano with Loris Margaritis and Athanasios Kontos at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (1946, Soloist Diploma and First Prize)

He commenced his pianistic career giving recitals in Greece and abroad, and continued his worldwide career as a maestro.

1951-1954

Studies with a scholarship of the Society of Macedonian Studies at the Music Academy of Vienna (Diploma of virtuosity).

1954-1991

Piano teacher at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki.

1955-1959

Establishment of “ROTONDA” Chamber Orchestra

1958-1972

Piano teacher at the Salzburg International Mozarteum Summer Academy.

1962

He took courses in Advanced Theory and Composition with Solon Michaelides (Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue), and studied conducting at the Salzburg “Mozarteum” Academy with internationally acclaimed maestros, such as Markevitch, Matacic, Leinsdorf, Dorati and others.

Assistant Conductor at the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra

1971-1982

General Director of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.

1983

He was invited to Poland as a member of the Jury at the “FITELBERG” International Conducting Competition in Katovice.

1991-1996

Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki branch of the North London College of Music (London Thames University).

2002

Beginning of “Giorgos Thymis” competition (Greece).

2011

Beginning of “Giorgos Thymis” competition (International).