Biography
Stamatis Spanoudakis was born in Athens Greece. Very early on he began to occupy himself with music.
He first studied Classical music ( guitar and theory ). He later played bass guitar and keyboards in a number of bands, in the sixties and the seventies, in Athens, Paris and London where he lived and recorded his first albums.
He was later attracted again to Classical music and returned to his studies of composition, first in Wurzburg Germany with professor Bertold Hummel and then in Athens with professor Konstantinos Kydoniatis.
He was then attracted to his third love - Byzantine music, which led him to Greek songwriting and instrumental music.
Since then he is consciously trying to reconcile his three musical influences (Rock, classical and Byzantine), in his music.
He wrote numerous hit songs (words and music) for most major Greek singers.
He also wrote the music for many succesfull films in Greece, Germany and Italy, for the theater and television and has recorded so far more than fifty albums.
Since 1995, he concentrates on instrumental music, based on Greek historical or religious themes, a music that has an unprecedent appeal.
Stamatis lives in a quiet suburb with his wife Dori and their four dogs. He has his own studio where he records his music, being the composer, arranger, producer, performer and engineer of his work.
An introduction
Stamatis is a peculiarly lonesome case in today’s Greek musical reality. For years, he has been following a totally personal musical direction which, as surprising and different as it may initially sound, has been proved correct by both time and the public. He has worked with the most successful Greek singers, successfully bringing out their “other side” by both composing the music and writing the lyrics for a large number of hit songs which are still very present today.
(I akti, Pame gi’alles polities, Lathos epohi, Simera, Efiges noris, Zoi klemmeni, Kalimera ti kanis, etc) With the Soundtrack to the film “Stone Years” he brilliantly demonstrated that the clarinet is not only “for the fiestas”, but it is capable of expressing not only deeper and more demanding musical directions, but also religious (spiritual) ones as well. With his religious works, he has provided a very different perspective of contemporary byzantine music, which has kept us company and has calmed many “Holy Weeks” of our lives. (Kyrie ton Dynameon, Efta Paraklisis, Imera Triti, Earini Ora, etc). With his music for the cinema, since his first film in 1974, he has proved that music for a film can remain with you even after the film’s release and can become a part of your life. (Colours of Iris, Angel, Sudden Love, Stone Years, All in a road, Brides etc).
With his decision, in 1994, to compose instrumental music exclusively, he opened up an avenue which, up until that time in Greece, was hermetically shut. An avenue on which many other musicians travel today. He embraces our Nation’s History and battles (endeavours), lest we forget who we (really) are (Alexandros, John’s Tear, Marble King, For Smyrni, A Piece of My Soul, Moments Gone, Alexandros II, Rejoice my sea etc). Finally, with his stance within the cultural and social developments of our country, he is seen as taking a stroll, in the opposite direction of his artistic peers, thus ignoring the “sirens” of ease and of submission
For Stamatis
"Stamatis Spanoudakis is widely regarded as the most prolific Greek composer of his age. Versatile in his music for film, television, records and concerts, he uses a rich and original musical palette that conjures up different perceptions in the sphere of musical imagery. He explores both tragic and dramatic experiences with an eye and an ear for the musical representation of the perennial dilemmas and joys faced by mankind both in the past and present. To date, Stamatis has written concert works for rock groups, string orchestra, soloists and chorus. Future plans include compositions for wind, brass, tympani and percussion, adding to his fulsome output.
Concerts, including those at the George Enescu Hall (Bucharest), the Royal Albert Hall (London), and Beijin in China have proven his international reputation and set the seal on this remarkable artist’s achievement in bringing his unique brand of Greek music to the widest possible audience.
I have had the privilege of conducting some of Stamatis’ concerts and I am continually impressed by the way he considers his music as a living entity that is constantly evolving and developing and is never completely set in stone."
William Relton