When and how did you first come into contact with music?
I was fortunate to grow up in a family of musicians. From a very young age, I learned to distinguish composers and works and to listen to quality music. Thus, early on, I developed a critical sense for what I liked most, which performance of a great work I preferred, and with which interpreter, learning about the great legendary soloists, conductors, and symphony orchestras. Later, after many hours of listening, I began to particularly love opera, as I was greatly impressed by how so many art forms could be combined to produce such a supreme result.
Who or what prompted you to pursue music professionally?
Attending rehearsals of the Symphony Orchestra at a young age, thanks to my father, I learned how all the preparation is done to present a symphonic program to an audience on the day of the concert, and I too wanted to be part of it someday. Also, a documentary about the life of the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman was pivotal, and he soon became my idol.
Through all these experiences, I chose to become a musician. Later, when I gave my first recital and saw what it means to present great works in a packed theater, and understood the interaction between the soloist and the audience during that sacred moment, it was inevitable that I would choose the solo path. Every detail and the presentation of a work with thousands of different interpretations show how crucial each musician’s perception and experiences are when performing. If you think about it, this is, in my opinion, profound, and it shows that we increasingly need different interpretations.
All these are unique emotions and situations that are truly a blessing and a privilege to experience.
How did you choose the instrument you specialized in?
My father is a violinist and an excellent teacher. He introduced me to this instrument at a young age. From that moment, I began to discover its infinite possibilities and secrets every day. It is an instrument where the slightest touch immediately changes the resulting sound. The sound, colors, and power it holds are countless. And all this is determined by a magical, integral part of the violin called the bow. Through it, the artist presents their character and views. Also, the sound of the violin is considered very close to the human voice, giving it a significant advantage.
Where did you study and which teachers shaped you?
My teacher is my father, Panagiotis Nikolis, in whose class I graduated from the National Conservatory with a diploma at the age of 15. I then continued my studies abroad with very important musicians, such as Linus Roth, Ilya Grubert, and Jacqueline Ross. Also, legendary soloists with whom I had the privilege of taking lessons, such as Pinchas Zukerman, Leonidas Kavakos, Don Walerstein, Hrachya Harutyunian, members of leading orchestras, and others, have played a significant role in shaping my perspective and technique, which I strive to improve daily.
From each of them, I gained something different. Secrets that only someone with many miles on stage can know, as well as different playing styles. Stylistic approaches and colors, which I have now added to corresponding works in my repertoire. I feel very fortunate to have had a solid foundation, allowing me to enrich my repertoire and shape my style according to the demands of each work, without it seeming difficult or impossible.
Have you participated in competitions? Was there any one that decisively propelled you into your professional career?
The concept of competition at my age is something that excites me; it involves rivalry and, at the same time, respect for different opinions and interpretations of the same work. Lately, it’s a process I seek to engage in frequently, as I’ve seen how such a demanding challenge improves me as a musician. I am happy to be a winner in my category in international competitions, in London, Salzburg, Monaco, and the Schubert Competition, among others. However, as Maxim Vengerov says, I believe that a competition cannot push you into a musical career; that requires a love for music itself, and the competition merely serves as a process of recognition, personal challenge, and improvement. Careers and exceptional performances often emerge outside of competitions.
When and where did you make your first public appearance?
I don’t remember exactly. I must have been around 6, probably at a National Conservatory concert.
Which of your performances to date will remain unforgettable?
Certainly, touring with the European Union Youth Orchestra in the most renowned halls under the baton of great conductors is something every musician who has been a member of this orchestra remembers forever. Concerts in major theaters abroad, such as in Monaco, Venice, or a successful competition final, for example, at St James Piccadilly in London, even the concerts in my early steps at the age of 6 in cultural centers, or a concert in a sacred place like the archaeological site of Delos, are moments that I believe are never forgotten. However, every moment I experience on stage has something special, whether as a soloist or as part of an ensemble. I believe that the best moment will always be the next concert. So, today’s concert in the National Garden.
What are your preferences in choosing your repertoire? Favorite works, composers… Which repertoire do you feel suits you best?
This is a difficult question, as there are so many masterpieces or works that defined an entire era. As I mentioned before, I’ve been an opera fan since I was young, so certainly Verdi, Donizetti, and Puccini, as well as Mozart, I believe, have written the most beautiful operas. In the symphonic repertoire and in the works for violin that I choose, I am a lover of the Romantic period, mainly Brahms, Schumann, Mahler, Franck, Ysaÿe, Schubert, R. Strauss, Saint-Saëns, and Sarasate are the composers I love and enjoy performing, with Brahms being my favorite in both the symphonic and solo repertoire.
What musical dream would you like to fulfill?
I feel very fortunate that some of the goals I had are starting to be fulfilled, such as a recital at the Megaron Concert Hall, which I am pleased to tell you will take place in the Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall in November. I would certainly like to give a concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus as a soloist someday and collaborate with a great artist or symphony orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York.
How would you suggest we approach young people to get them involved in classical music?
I wholeheartedly recommend that young children be introduced to quality music as listeners from an early age, and also proceed with learning a musical instrument. I believe it will fundamentally change their way of thinking and character for the better. Good teachers exist, conservatories exist; all that remains is the will of each parent and how important they consider the promotion of classical music for their child’s intellectual development. In my opinion, it is a fundamental element that no child should miss, and no, I do not consider it, nor is it, a luxury or a sign of social class, as unfortunately many still believe today. So, I am very happy when I see, for example, children watching an opera at the Greek National Opera; it shows that things are moving in the right direction.
What difficulties does a young musician face in Greece and the world today?
Our country is quite behind in cultural matters compared to other European countries, especially in classical music. Unfortunately, as I experience daily life in Greece, I find that there isn’t much will to change this, making my recent return to Greece perhaps temporary. Education is a major issue. I believe that if I hadn’t been fortunate enough to grow up in a musical family and have all these experiences, I would hardly have had access to the world of classical music, and I see this daily in most children my age and beyond. Abroad, even a non-musician knows what a symphony concert means or has certainly heard a work by Beethoven, for example, at some point. This is an issue that, in my opinion, we must address immediately if we want future generations to utilize the talents that certainly exist, by providing opportunities. I consider it very cruel if a talented child wants to pursue this demanding path but also has to be a manager or try to gain support for a project through social events and different styles of concerts. Meeting and getting to know children of the highest violinistic level in many countries and with different backgrounds, I see that everywhere there are foundations or societies and trusts that support young musicians with instrument donations and career or study scholarships. Also, agencies deal with where each musician will play or what their next step will be, thus allowing the musician to be dedicated to their professional and personal study and improvement. So, you understand that we are still quite far behind.
Let me give you an example: I was at an event where there was a discussion about the costs of a good violin, and people in key positions, who could very easily change the situation on this matter, thought I was quoting unrealistic amounts, as they didn’t even know what an investment a violin, for example, a Stradivarius, is, or how this whole market works. But as I always say, let’s remain optimistic.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal right now is for the upcoming projects to go well, and I am very happy as they are increasingly interesting and growing in number. As I already told you, there is the concert at the Megaron Concert Hall in November. This summer, among many appearances I will make, the concert in Ayvalik for Greek-Turkish relations, following an invitation received through the Molyvos International Music Festival where I gave a recital last year, is worth noting.
Goals such as representing Greece in Youth Orchestras or a successful audition at a university or a masterclass, winning an award, or participating in major festivals by giving recitals as a soloist, as well as collaborating with a symphony orchestra, are situations I feel more than fortunate to have already experienced in my artistic career. However, in the field of music, I believe the main goal every day is to improve as a violinist and to be able to interpret the masterpieces of great composers.
BIOGRAPHY
Ioannis Nikolis has received the Best Violinist Award from the Maria Callas Awards Monaco, under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, and the Global Vision Summit award for his musical career. He is a winner of international music competitions such as the London International Music Competition, AIMA Salzburg, and the New York International Music Competition. He has represented Greece in the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), the RCO Young orchestra, and has been accepted into the GMJO Gustav Mahler orchestra and the Athens Philharmonic, undertaking world tours in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the ancient theater of Delos, and others.
As a soloist, he has collaborated with the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra and has appeared at world-renowned festivals such as the Molyvos International Music Festival, the Ibiza Concert Festival, the Talent Music Course Festival Brescia Italy, the Mousa Chios Music Festival, the Cyclades Festival, the Syros International Music Festival, Naxos Music Days, and others. He has also attended masterclasses and lessons with some of the world’s greatest names, including Pinchas Zukerman, Linus Roth, Ilya Grubert, Hrachya Harutyunyan, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Reiner Schmidt, Don Walerstein, Asi Matathias, Tosca Opdam, Jacqueline Ross, Isaac Malkin, and Arndt Auhagen.
Ioannis Nikolis recently appeared as a guest star at the Pallas Theater in George Perris’s concert, as a guest star at the Maria Callas Awards Gala in Venice, collaborating with the famous soprano Christina Poulitsi, and has given recitals in venues such as Milton Court and the Barbican Centre in London, the Philippos Nakas Hall, the Theocharakis Foundation, the Piraeus Municipal Art Gallery, the Piraeus Association, halls of the Athens Concert Hall, and cultural centers in municipalities of Athens.
Ioannis Nikolis grew up in a family of musicians. He is one of the youngest graduates (15 years old) of the National Conservatory, having studied in Panagiotis Nikolis’s class, earning a diploma with the highest honors and distinctions. He continued his studies at the GSMD in London in Jacqueline Ross’s class with an Athena Scholarship, the Guildhall Financial Prize, and the Eirini Association. Today, he is under the guidance of German soloist Linus Roth.
