Jazz4Sax Sax Quartet

The saxophone is inextricably connected with jazz music, both as a soloistic instrument with a primary role in small jazz groups (combos), as well as an accompanying and supportive instrument in groups in which the voice has the primary role. Nevertheless, there is also a remarkable gamut of jazz repertoire that is originally written or arranged for saxophone quartet, that is not so widely known.

The newly formed Jazz4Sax will perform at Technopolis 20 stage, on Thursday, 10th of September 2020, at 8pm, where they will present a wide range of original repertoire for jazz sax quartet from groups such as the World Saxophone Quartet, Itchy Fingers and others. In addition, it will also present arrangements of well-known jazz tunes such as My funny valentine, All of me, On the bright side of the street, Basin Street Blues, Spain, Don’t get around much anymore, etc. The quartet is comprised of Christos Zenios on soprano sax, Achilleas Tomasidis on alto sax, Iacovos Parpas on tenor sax and Yiannis Miralis on baritone sax. 

The quartet is comprised of Christos Zenios (soprano saxophone), Achilleas Tomasidis (alto saxophone), Iacovos Parpas (tenor saxophone) and Yiannis Miralis (baritone saxophone). All of its members are professional saxophonists with significant studies in universities in the USA and Europe and with important pedagogical and artistic and pedagogical activity in Cyprus and abroad.

The venue takes all the necessary precautions and follows the instructions announced by the government, in order to ensure your health and safety.

Entrance: 12 euro

ONLY with reservations by phone at 70002420 and presales. 

Limited number of seats available, due to the measures announced by the government to deal with the pandemic of COVID-19.

Sponsor: Deputy Ministry of Tourism

A few words about the musicians

Christos Zenios (soprano saxophone) was born in 1991, in Strovolos, Nicosia. At the age of 6 he started accordion lessons and at the age of 16 he attained a Diploma in Accordion from “Thales” Music School of Greece with Distinction. At the age of 12 he started piano lessons and a few years later he started saxophone lessons. He holds a BA in Music (Popular Music and Recording) with First Class Honours from the University of Salford, Manchester specialising in composition and saxophone performance, and an MA in Music Performance with Distinction, specialising in saxophone, during which he enrolled in music psychology and ethnomusicology classes, among others. He has been a member and director of several ensembles, (sax quarters and choirs, jazz quartets, wind ensembles, contemporary music groups and more). He took part in concerts in Cyprus and the UK (Manchester Art Gallery Ensemble, Tempo a Tiempo, Chorlton Arts Festival and Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, Salford Sonic Fusion Festival etc.) Since September 2016 he has been working as a saxophone teacher in the Music Schools of Paphos and Nicosia.

Achilleas Tomasides (alto saxophone) studied Jazz music at European University Cyprus (BM, Summa Cum Laude). He participated in various seminars (Jazz Futures by the American Embassy, Cyprus; Cyprus Jazz Workshop; and Paola in Jazz) and performed since 2010 as a leader and sidesman in various groups and venues. He teaches saxophone for the last 10 years and now works an the Larnaca Music School. 

Iacovos Parpas (tenor saxophone) studied jazz music at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His return to Cyprus found him busy in the music industry teaching and performing as a leader or sideman. He started giving lessons of saxophone, clarinet and flute. He's been teaching the music idiom in public Schools for 16 years now in Cyprus. During his career he's been on stage with many important Greek and Cypriot musicians and participated in CD recordings, theater and TV productions. Parpas was one of the founding members of the Cyprus Big Band. During his 20years offer in the music scene of the island Parpas has participated in many festivals and performed at the most important jazz clubs and main stages of the country.

Yiannis Miralis (baritone saxophone) is Associate Professor of Music Education and Saxophone at European University Cyprus. He completed his basic and advanced studies in music (BM, MM & PhD) and has given numerous chamber music recitals in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Serbia, Germany, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Canada and the USA. He has appeared as a soloist with the Ensemble Philharmonia, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet. As a member of the renowned Transcontinental Saxophone Quartet he is winner of various chamber music competitions in the USA. The quartet appeared as soloists with the Royal Belgian Airforce Band, while their CD “Mountain Roads” has received enthusiastic reviews. He is also founding member of the Mediterranean Trio with whom he appeared in Munich, Bonn, Berlin, Amsterdam and Nicosia. In addition to his performing activity he is also the conductor of the Symphonic Band of Strovolos Municipality-European University Cyprus, with whom he performed in Greece, Malta and the Seychelles. Miralis has taught at the University of Cyprus and the University of Windsor. From 2001-2004 he served as assistant professor at Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho. He is founding member of the Greek and Cypriot Saxophone Associations, board member of the European Chamber Music Teachers Association (ECMTA) and Chair of ISME’s Forum for Instrumental and Vocal Teaching.