When and how did you first come into contact with music?
My first contact with music essentially preceded my birth. My father, George Gavalas, was a leading figure in Greek jazz and chamber rock. The environment in which I grew up was completely permeated by sounds, rhythms, and explorations. Music was not just present in our home – it was our life.
At the same time, from a very young age, my mother chose for us to listen to operas, among other things, with Bellini’s “Norma” by Maria Callas being a dominant memory. Callas’s voice and the emotional intensity of this music had a decisive impact on my sensitivity and imagination. I can say that music was a primary experience for me, before it became a subject of study or artistic pursuit.
Who or what prompted you to pursue music professionally?
The love I have for it. I believe that music heals, and I want to contribute, with my humble abilities, to this “healing process.”
How did you choose the instrument you specialized in?
From a very young age, I tried various instruments – guitar, percussion, glockenspiel – always with curiosity and joy. The decisive moment, however, came when I was four years old: one evening, my father brought a keyboard home from his studio. And, yes, I’ll say the cliché, but only because it’s true, I was mesmerized. All those buttons that made sounds were a new world for me, full of color and possibilities. From that day on, the keyboard became the means for me to express myself, think, breathe. There was no turning back; only a journey inward.
Where did you study and which teachers shaped you?
My first steps were with Foteini Triantafyllou, from infancy. I continued with Christina Panteli. The contribution of both was significant to my studies. Now, for the past three years, I have been continuing with the unique, internationally renowned pianist and pedagogue Agathi Leimonis, at the Schola Cantorum in Paris (just last November I received the Diplôme de Virtuosité) and at the Hellenic Conservatory. It is a great fortune to be taught by her, and I am deeply grateful.
Have you participated in competitions?
I have participated in several competitions, both in Greece and abroad, among which are the International Competition “Città di Spoleto,” where I won third prize, and the 1st Piano Magic Competition, which took place last summer at the Parnassos Literary Society, where I was honored with first prize and had the opportunity to give a recital as part of the event.
Was there any one of them that decisively pushed you into your professional career?
Although competitions are a useful means of showcasing talent and gaining experience for many musicians, I personally approach this institution with some reservations. Music, for me, is a living organism of expression and communication – it can hardly be evaluated or compared in incidental terms. Some competitions did indeed offer me valuable stimuli and opportunities, yet I believe they should not be an end in themselves, nor should they function as an absolute criterion of an artist’s worth. What interests me more is development, the quality of the work, and the human imprint of the musical act.
When and where did you make your first public appearance?
Although I had appeared many times in conservatory concerts since the beginning of my piano studies, my first significant appearance was in 2012 at the Hesperides Hall of the Numismatic Museum of Athens, as part of the celebration of Museum and Monument Day. I played excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Album for the Young and the last of Sibelius’s Five Pieces, Op. 75 No. 5.
Which of your performances will remain unforgettable?
The one at Kasteel d’Ursel in Belgium in March 2025, as part of the Primavera Pianistica – Aquiles Delle Vigne International Piano Academy. It was an almost dreamlike environment: a historic castle from another era, full of silence, history, and a sense of deep concentration. There I performed one of my most beloved works, Mendelssohn’s Fantasie in F-sharp minor – a piece that carries intensity, introspection, and lyrical power.
What are your preferences in choosing your repertoire?
My preferences focus mainly on the classical and pre-classical repertoire, with particular emphasis on works that require strict control of form, clarity of style, and interpretive maturity. I am interested in composers who demand a high degree of intellectual concentration and stylistic sensitivity – such as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart.
In Bach, I am particularly drawn to the polyphony and the internal architecture of the music, which requires detailed work on phrasing, harmonic direction, and the independence of voices. On the other hand, Beethoven’s late writing, with its contemplative character and the organic synthesis of structure and expression, constitutes for me a field of continuous deepening. Mozart, finally, with his peculiar balance between the lightness of the surface and the underlying dramatic essence, constantly occupies me as a model of musical rhetoric and economy of means.
In general, I feel that works that require not just virtuosity, but also discipline in articulation, precision in sound, and depth in interpretive thought, suit me.
What musical dream would you like to fulfill?
To perform Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto – a work that, for me, represents the culmination of internal dialogue and spiritual subtlety – under the direction of Teodor Currentzis and with his orchestra, Utopia. I deeply admire his musical genius: the way he approaches the repertoire with passion, discipline, and an almost ritualistic intensity, revealing new dimensions even in works we thought we knew well. It would be a significant opportunity for me to learn and grow through such a great musical personality and orchestra.
How would you suggest we approach young people to engage with classical music?
Young people don’t just need to hear classical music; they need to feel it. To understand that it’s not something outdated or distant, but a living language of emotions that has endured through the centuries because it speaks to the heart. The music of Mozart, Schubert, Scriabin – it wasn’t written for concert halls, but for the soul. And the soul has no age.
As a pianist and a young person, I feel that our responsibility is to be a bridge: to bring this music into the hands, eyes, and ears of our generation. Not with didacticism, but with passion. Not with fear that the classical ideal might be “lost,” but with joy that it can take on new life.
Classical music does not need to disguise itself to move people. It just needs to be presented with sincerity, energy, and love – and those with open hearts will feel it as their own. Just as it happened to me.
What difficulties does a young musician face in Greece and the world today?
The path of a young musician today often resembles an uphill climb. In Greece, we start with a deep love for music, but often without the necessary institutional support. Education relies mainly on private initiative, conservatories operate with limited resources, and access to modern music studies or even simply decent instruments becomes a privilege for some.
Moving towards professional life, the challenge of survival arises. Remuneration is often disproportionate to the effort and dedication our art demands. The digital age offers us tremendous opportunities – but also a new form of pressure: to be constantly present, to produce content, to “be seen.” All this transforms the musician into a multi-talented creator-manager-advertiser.
And somewhere there, behind the notes and the stage lights, comes the most silent challenge: mental health. Many young musicians struggle with anxiety, loneliness, uncertainty. We live in a world that asks us to be “strong” and “productive,” but music is an art that demands sensitivity. Creation needs space for quiet, for failure, for silence. And these are not easy to find when the rhythm of daily life beats louder than the metronome of the soul.
And yet – amidst all this, there is something unconquerable: the very power of music. It is what unites us, heals us, and gives us a voice when there are no words. It is what makes us continue, dream, and support each other. If we manage to create communities, without sterile competition, then even the most difficult paths acquire meaning. Because music is not a profession, it is a way of being.
Besides music, what are your favorite pastimes?
I have a great fondness for photography, especially urban photography. I am impressed by human images that capture spontaneous moments of everyday life, in contrast to the staged and artificial studio images. Black and white is my preference, as I believe it elevates the sense of movement and time, giving depth and emotional intensity to every scene.
I also enjoy painting, as it is another way for me to express myself creatively.
I love walking for hours in European cities, discovering hidden places and corners. Exploring cities, visiting museums and art galleries are excellent opportunities to enrich my experiences, observe history and culture, and find inspiration for my creative pursuits.
Finally, I love reading, with an emphasis on poetry and German classical literature.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal for the immediate future is to continue my studies and acquire as many qualifications as possible. Like every young musician, I dream of a career in the solo repertoire, with creative collaborations and the opportunity for artistic expression.
However, beyond the purely interpretive dimension, I am deeply interested in the connection of music with humans and their psychology. I would like to explore ways in which music can be used as a tool for support and therapy – a field like music psychology particularly attracts me. I would like to contribute practically, through music, to the relief and empowerment of people experiencing pain or difficulty.
My goal is to offer work with real impact, both in Greece and abroad.
BIOGRAPHY
Lefteris Gavalas was born in Athens in 2004 and is a classical pianist. He holds diplomas with the highest grades and distinctions for the Diplôme Supérieur and Diplôme de Virtuosité from the Schola Cantorum de Paris, from the class of internationally renowned pianist and pedagogue Agathi Leimonis.
He has performed in many important venues, such as the Athens Concert Hall, the Parnassos Literary Society, the National Archaeological Museum and the Numismatic Museum of Athens, the Aloni Theater in Pelion, the Auditorium San Domenico in Foligno, Italy, and the Syngrou Amphitheater on the island of Poros (12th and 13th Anastasios Leimonis International Summer Piano Academy and Festival). He has participated in masterclasses by pianists Lilia Boyadjieva, Marina Pliassova, Borislava Taneva, Massimiliano Ferrati, Rafael Salinas, Raquel Boldorini, Luisa Fanti, Konstantinos Valianatos, Ching Wen Hsiao, and Thanasis Apostolopoulos, among others.
He has won awards in numerous national and international piano competitions such as “London Young Musician,” “Muse Competition,” “Great Masters Piano Competition,” and others. In June 2024, he participated in the 1st Panhellenic Piano Competition Piano Magic, where he won first prize.
In 2022, he entered the Department of Music Studies at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he studies musicology.
Additionally, he holds a harmony diploma from the class of Eleni Anagnostopoulou.
