Harmonia Cordis

Once described by Julian Bream as a ‘very exciting’ performer, Dimitris Dekavallas has always been considered one of the most talented guitarists of his age. He was born in Athens in 1982 and began learning the guitar at the age of 6. He was first taught at the National Conservatory of Athens. Dimitris continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens in 1998 where he studied with Angelos Nikolopoulos. He graduated from the conservatory in 2002 with 1st Prize for achieving the highest mark. The music conservatory honoured him with the ‘Haralambos Ekmetzoglou’ music Award at his graduation. From 2003-2004 Dimitris had private tuition with the Guitarist Alexis Froudarakis. In 2005 he started his 1st year of a Postgraduate Degree at the Royal Academy of Music guitar studies under Micheal Lewin, Timothy Walker and John Mills, where he won the TEBUTT EXIBITION Scholarship Prize. To enable Dimitris to study at the Royal Academy he won 1st Prize in the IKY NATIONAL Scholarship Foundation in Greece in 2004. In 2007 he received his Diploma of Postgraduate Performance (Distinction) in guitar and his L.R.A.M. Teaching Diploma (Distinction). The R.A.M. awarded him with the ‘Blyth Watson Award’ at his graduation.

Dimitris gave his first public performance when he was 9 years old at the National Concert Hall of Athens. At this point his career took off leading to a concert tour in Greece in 2004. He has also given solo performances in most major cities in Greece such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Veria, Volos, Crete, Larissa, Ioannina, Syros, Naxos and Lamia. Dimitris has also recently given a recital at Amourers Hall, ‘Bolivar Hall International Guitar Festival’, the ‘Old MaltHouse’ Music Society, the Dorset Guitar Society, the Greenwood Guitar Society, Royal Academy of Music, St Martin’s in the Field, Sheffield Cathedral, St James Picadilly, Sauthwark cathedral, and St Paul’s Covent Garden. He has been invited as a soloist in International Festivals such as Hermoupolis International Guitar festival, Volos International guitar festival, Veria Guitar Festival, Tirgu Mures International Guitar Festival and many others. He also plays as a duo with the well-known as a versatile solo, chamber and orchestral musician Marios Argiros.

He has taken part in the ‘International Festival of Volos for Classical Guitar’, ‘International Festival of Hermoupolis for Guitar’, and ‘Veria National Festival for Guitar’.

1999
1st prize in the ‘National Guitar Competition: ODE TO GUITAR’.

2000
2nd prize in the ‘Halkida National Guitar Competition’.

2003
1st prize in the ‘Veria National Guitar Competition’.
1st prize in the ‘Volos International Guitar Competition’.

2005
1st prize in the ‘Ivor Mairants Guitar Award’ – London.

2008
‘Special Prize’ and ‘Audience Prize’ in Eduard Pamfil Guitar Competition –Bucharest 2008
‘Recommended Artist status prize’ of ‘Philip & Dorothy Green’ Award – London
3rd Prize in ‘Sinaia International Guitar competition’ –Romania

Dimitris has played in masterclasses with George Hatzinikos, David Russell, Hubert Käppel, Carlos Marchione, Fabio Zanon, Kostas Kotsiolis and Carlo Domeniconi. He has also played in workshops with John Williams, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

He currently lives in London and works with the ‘Eric Heliczer Concert Direction’, the ‘Concordia Foundation’ and the Yehudi Menuhin’s Live Music Now and Making Music. He is represented by Sally Richardson of ‘Tashmina Artists concert management’.

Dimitris plays with a ‘G. Smallman’ guitar on loan from the Royal Academy.