Ethnic Meets Jazz

June ends at Technopolis 20 garden in Paphos with a jazz concert not to be missed on Wednesday the 29th, at 8pm. The well-known jazz trio of Irineos Koullouras (double bass) with some of the most experienced jazz musicians in the island of Cyprus, George Krasides (saxophone, clarinet) and George Koulas (drums) will be joined by the world-famous Israeli jazz guitarist and oudist Amos Hoffman, known worldwide as a pioneer in fusing the rhythms and melodic themes of the Middle East with Modern Jazz. 

The title of the concert are three words that describe the simplicity of the meeting of jazz music and the improvisation with traditional elements and the improvisation of the Middle East Music. 

Amos Hoffman search for new musical experiences led him first to Amsterdam, and then to New York City, where he played jazz with both established musicians and up-and-coming talents. To date, Hoffman has recorded 5 solo albums, while in 2013, he was awarded one of Israel’s most prestigious prizes – The Landau Prize for Arts and Sciences for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Jazz. Now based in the U.S., Hoffman looks forward to creating new musical adventures and reaching an even larger audience.

Entrance: €15 / €7 (students)

Reservations are necessary.

Reservations, Tickets & Information: 70002420

A few words about the musicians

AMOS HOFFMAN is an Israeli Jazz Guitarist & Oudist known worldwide as a pioneer in fusing the rhythms and melodic themes of the Middle East with Modern Jazz. 

Hoffman started playing guitar at the age of 6, and the oud a few years later. He studied guitar privately, and later attended the prestigious Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. His search for new musical experiences led him first to Amsterdam, and then to New York City, where he played jazz with both established musicians and up-and-coming talents like Jason Lindler, bassist Avishai Cohen, and Claudia Acuna.

To date, Hoffman has recorded 5 solo albums: The Dreamer (1999), Na’ama (2006), Evolution (2008), Carving (2010), and his most recent release, Back to the City (2015).  He has also contributed on dozens more for artists in Israel and worldwide including Avishai Cohen, Kiko Berenguer (Spain), and Jan Mlynarski (Poland).  

In 2013, Amos was awarded one of Israel’s most prestigious prizes – The Landau Prize for Arts and Sciences for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Jazz. Now based in the U.S., Hoffman looks forward to creating new musical adventures and reaching an even larger audience.

https://amoshoffman.com/

Ireneaos Koullouras was born in Limassol in 1965. From 1975 to 1991, he worked as a bassist in Cyprus, England and Germany. Ιn 1994, he moved to USA to enrol at the Berkley College of Music where he obtained a BA in Professional Music. He, concurrently, studied with Ron Carter, Charlie Banacos and Ed Barker, performed with well-known musicians such as Ofer Ganor, Amos Hoffman, Avishai Cohen, Christos Rafaelides, Steve Hass, Walter Smith, Asaf Uria, Rea Bar Ness, and Bruno Piroth and, regularly, performed in Boston and New York with jazz bands. In 2001, he moved to Athens - Greece where he worked with professional musicians such as Haris Alexiou, Christos Leontis, Nikos Xydakis, Nena Venetsanou, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Pantelis Thalassinos, Socrates Malamas, Alkionoos Ioannides, Phivos Delivorias, as well as with foreign musicians such as Arturo Sandoval, Larry Harlow, Ofer Ganor, Avishay Cohen and others. In 2009, he obtained a Diploma in Bass Performance from the Athens Conservatory (class of Tasos Kazaklis). During his stay in Greece, he taught contrabass at the Nakas Music School and worked as a session musician in recording studios. In 2010, he returned to Cyprus where he regularly works and develops projects with several Cypriot musicians and cultural bodies such as Evagoras Karageorgis, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. He founded the “Trio Koullouras” together with George Krasides and George Koulas.

Giorgos Krasidis. Cypriot Wind Ensemble Conductor, Saxophonist and Clarinetist. Mr. Krasidis studied at Berklee college of Music and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and graduated Summa cum Laude. Mr. Krasidis is among the most potent and influential jazz instrumentalists in the island of Cyprus with an active career for three decades. He is the conductor of Limassol Municipality Philharmonic Wind Orchestra and the founder and director of Jazzologia Cyprus Big Band. As an educator he teaches at the ARTE Music Academy in Nicosia and at the State Music Schools of Cyprus. Mr. Krasidis shared the stage both as a performer and educator with jazz leading figures, including Dr Gene Aitken, Dave Glenn, Damian Erskine, Denny J. Eupraset, J. Kyle Gregory, Alex Sipiagin and many others. He has also collaborated with prominent music personalities of Greek music such as Stavros Xarchakos, Mario Fragouli, and Niko Xydaki.

George Koulas (drums) comes originally from Evrychou, Cyprus, born in 1966. He studied for two years in Germany (Bonn University) and than continue his studies in Boston, U.S.A. He lived there for four years and took lessons with: Alan Dowson, Jon Hazila, Skip Hadden and Dave Dicenso and performed with various local artists in different styles. 

In 1995, George relocated in Holland, where he has graduated from the Rotterdam Conservatory (BA, MA). During his studying years he was performing and recording with local and international artists like: Annelies de Jong, Ed Verhoeff, Ben van den Dungen, Paulino Vieira, Claudio Roditi, Larry Harlow, etc.