KYRIACOS SOUROULLAS
Described as an “artist with elegance, good taste, and powerful temperament... possessing of a beautiful sound” (Juan Pinera, CMBF Radio Musical Nacional), Greek-Cypriot born pianist Kyriacos Souroullas has appeared in performances across Europe, the United States and Canada.
As a soloist he has appeared with orchestras such as the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and the Manhattan School of Music Symphony, under the direction of esteemed conductors such as Philippe Entremont and Enrique Perez Mesa among others.
Numerous prizes have included: 2nd prize winner of the 10th Panmusica international Piano Competition in Vienna, Austria, 1st prize winner of the 2010-2011 Dora Zaslavsky Koch Concerto Competition in New York. Additionally, Mr. Souroullas was awarded a monetary prize from the Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship Foundation and has played for renowned artists such as pianist and conductor Christoph Eschenbach, pianists Leif Ove Andsnes, Lorin Hollander, Massimiliano Ferrati, Jeffrey Swann, Kenneth Cooper, Ruth Hart, Martino Tirimo, Χριστόδουλο Γεωργιάδη, Άρη Γαρουφαλή.
Mr. Souroullas has also appeared as a soloist with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra alongside pianist Esra Poyrazoglou, under the direction of Spyros Pisynos in a series of performances of Camille Sain-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals." At the further invitation of Maestro Pisynos, Kyriacos took part in an educational concert organized by the Cyprus Cultural foundation. The event was recorded on DVD for future use in schools across the island.
His debut CD featuring works for piano by Cyprus-born pianist and composer Christodoulos Georgiades has been broadcasted by CyBC Radio (RIK), as part of the "Recent recordings of Classical Music” program hosted by Mr. Andreas Iacovides, New York’s WWFM The Classical Network Radio, as part of “The Piano Matters” program hosted by well-known author and pianist David Dubal, as well as by the Third Program of ERT (Greek Radio and Television).
Mr. Souroullas took his first piano lessons from his mother at the age of 5. He then continued his studies at Lykeion Ellinidon Ammochostou with Eleni Gerani and George Arvanitakis and later studied privately with Tatiana Khartchenko-Michaelides. As a young performer he won prizes in numerous competitions both in Cyprus and abroad, such as the 1st prize in the Evangelia Tziarri Piano Competition and the 1st prize in the 2nd Pancyprian Steinway Competition for young pianists. He represented his country in the Steinway Concert for Young Talents in Hamburg, Germany.
Mr. Souroullas holds a Bachelor's degree in piano performance with a full scholarship from the University of Texas at Austin, Master's and Advanced Certificate degrees from New York University, as well as the Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music. He recently completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Manhattan School of Music. As a doctoral candidate he taught private piano lessons and keyboard skills classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His teachers have included Prof. Solomon Mikowsky, Dr. Jose Ramon Mendez, Prof. Anton Nel and Dr. Betty Mallard.
“While pursuing my Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) in piano performance, I came to realize that teaching piano is something that I really enjoyed doing. In addition to finding fulfillment with helping students reach their true potential and succeed in whichever goals they set, I also realized that the act of teaching supplemented and further enriched my own playing. It is often said that piano performers don’t make the best teachers. In my lifetime, I aim to achieve a balance of both.
As an educator, the breadth of my 7-year teaching experience at MSM is a testament to my deep and varied interest in teaching. I have worked with students from all around the world, with diverse backgrounds and aptitudes. In addition to my extensive experience in private lessons, I also taught college-level group-piano courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels. As a teacher, I am committed to helping each student according to their needs, from providing strong foundational skills (basic musicianship, musical theory), to shaping them as unique artists, each with their own voice (artistic interpretation, problem-solving of various technical issues etc).
I welcome all ages and all levels of students who wish to embark on the fun and engaging journey of learning how to play the piano!”