Countertenor Nikos Spanatis was born in Frankfurt. He has studied advanced music theory, trumpet and piano. He has a bachelor's degree in musicology and is a PhD Candidate in Ionian University Department of Music Studies in Corfu.
He has studied singing with male soprano Aris Christofelis, soprano Roza Poulimenou and soprano Mata Katsouli in Philippos Nakas Conservatory, where he was awarded with a Diploma in Classical Solo Singing (1st Prize & first class honors).
He has performed in great Concert Halls in Greece: The ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus theatre, Greek National Opera, The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, Athens Concert hall and Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Onassis Cultural Centre, The ancient theater of Dodoni, etc, and in International Festivals: Athens & Epidaurus Festival, International Classical Music Festival of Cyclades, Rethymnon Renaissance Festival, and also in Europe: Lahti International Organ Festival of Finland, Palace Music Concert Series of Estonia, Organos Santamaria of Basilica di Santa Maria of Donostia - San Sebastián, Organ Recitals 2018 at London, Junge Hunde Entrescenen Festival in Denmark, and has appeared in numerous European countries in Art Projects, recitals and Chamber Music Concerts, in Belgium, Venice, Madrid, Amsterdam, Hamburg, a.o..
He collaborates with renowned orchestra Brussels Virtuosi and and famous flutist Marc Grauwels as well as with Estonian Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta and has collaborated with Swedish Chamber Orchestra ‘Musica Vitae’ and Estonian Baroque Ensemble ‘Floridante’. He also works regularly with the Rafi Music Theatre Company.
Nikos Spanatis has collaborated with all major Greek orchestras: Athens State Orchestra, Camerata - Friends Of Music Orchestra, Ergon Ensemble, Cyclades Festival Chamber Orchestra, ERT National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Colours, Athens Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Tiberiu Soare, George Petrou, Vassilis Christopoulos, Miltos Logiadis, Nicolas Vasiliou, Michalis Papapetrou etc.
He has performed the roles of: Divine Justice ("Il Diluvio Universale" by M. Falvetti), Pouh-Bah (“The Mikado” by Gilbert and Sullivan), Carpoforos and Messenger (“Erofili” by nikos Mamagkakis), Sorceress (“Dido and Aeneas” by Purcell), Marcellien -Twin Brother (“Le martyre de Saint Sébastien” by Cl. Debussy) Nireno (“Giulio Cesare” by Haendel), Pythie ("Le calame et la lyre" by Ev. Kokoris), and Ascanio (“Ascanio in Alba” by W. A. Mozart), Baba the Turk (“The Rake's Progress” by I. Stravinsky), Oberon (“Midsummer Night's Dream” by B. Britten) at the Greek National Opera Studio.
He has performed works of Greek composers such as Giorgos Koumendakis, Dimitris Papadimitriou, Dimitris Maragopoulos, Nikos Mamagakis, Nikos Kypourgos and has done recordings for labels MDG, IDAIA, and of Dimitris Papadimitriou’s "Aesop's fables". He has collaborated and been sponsored by TV5MONDE francophone international channel and Tricolore News.
Nikos Spanatis has received warm reviews from Greek and international Press, such as, "...his velvet, hedonically dark-colored voice enchantingly conversed with the flute of Marc Grauwels..." (The Journalists' Daily), "...Nikos Spanatis has a crystal countertenor voice, which he handles with flexibility, power and wide shades". (ESS, Finland), among others.
He is Artistic Director and Singing Teacher at National Conservatory, Ymittos.
Studies
Ionian University Department of Music Studies, Corfu, Greece
(supervising professor: Rosa Poulimenou)
Diploma in Lyric Singing, 1st Prize & first class honours, Athens, Greece
(supervising professor: Mata Katsuli)
Degree Piano with High Distinction, Athens, Greece
(Professor: Kostas Tourkakis)
PhD Candidate in Ionian University Department of Music Studies (Baroque Opera), Corfu, Greece
(supervising professor: Katerina Michopoulou)
Activity
Opera Singer (countertenor)
Musicologist
Artistic Director in National Conservatory of Ymittos, Athens, Greece
Singing Professor in National Conservatory of Ymittos, Athens, Greece
Singing Professor of Postgraduate Studies in National Conservatory of Ymittos, Athens, Greece
Appearances in Greece
Athens and Epidaurus Festival - Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Greek National Opera
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
Alternative Stage of Greek National Opera
Athens Concert Hall
Thessaloniki Concert Hall
Macedonian Museum of Contemporary ART in thessaloniki
Theatre Apollon Hermoupolis Syros
Archaeological Museum of Lemnos
Onassis Cultural Center
Parnassos Concert Hall
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
The Goethe-Institut
Filippos Nakas Concert Hall
“La Divina” concert hall of Athenaeum
Concert Hall of National Conservatory
Concert Hall of the Athens Conservatory
German Evangelical Church
Historical Venue of St Paul’s Anglican Church
Catholic Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, Mytilenε
Museum of Islamic Art
Museum of Cycladic Art
Beton 7 - Music TONes
Agios Stefanos' Cultural Center
Municipal Radio 9.84 FM and Amphitheatre
Old Fortress Corfu
Corfu theater Phoenix
Municipal Theatre of Corfu
Catholic Cathedral of Sts. Jacob and Christopher / Duomo Roman-catholic church in Corfu
Corfu Achillion Palace
Museum of Asian art of Corfu
Public Central Library of Corfu
Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu
Ancient Corinth Temple of Octavia
Temple of Aphaia of Aegina
Archaeological Museum of Eleusis
Tholos Imbraim Han Fortezza Rethymnon
“Pantelis Prevelakis Hall” Conservatory - Old Town, Rethymno, Crete
Grypario cultural center of Mykonos
Municipal Theatre of Serres "Asteria"
Appearances in Europe
Basilica de Santa Maria del Coro, San Sebastián, Spain
Kadriorg Palace Art Museum of Estonia
Catholic church of the Cross Lahti, Φινλανδία
Catholic church of St. Joseph in Waterloo, Belgium
St Mark's Basilica of Venice
St Alphage, Burnt Oak, London
Università Ca' Foscari Auditorium Santa Margherita of Venice
International Festival Junge Hunde Entrescenen of Denmark
Espacio Menos1 of Madrid
Tomboer’s Hall of Amsterdam
Collaborations with Orchestras and Ensembles
Brussels Virtuosi and Marc Grauwels
I Virtuosi di Waterloo and Marc Grauwels
Esthonian Glasperlenspiel Sinfonetta
Swedish Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra
Baroque Enseble Floridante
ERT National Symphonic Orchestra & Choir
Athens State Orchestra
Camerata Orchestra
Cyclades Festival Chamber Orchestra
Orchestra of Colours
Orchestra of Patras
Orchestra and Choir San Giacomo of Corfu
Baroque Orchestra and Choir of Ionian University
Baroque ensemble of Ionian University
Renaissance Ensemble of Ionian University
Music Ensemble of Filippos Nakas Conservatory
Ionian Early Music Ensemble
Ionian Brass Ensemble
Baroque Ensemble Sinfonia
Eklipsis vocal ensemble
Nuov Arte Chamber Orchestra
Affetti Musicali
Lyrae Cantus
Roles
Pooh-Bah "Mikado" by Gilbert and Sullivan
Carpoforos and Messenger "Erofili" by N. Mamagkakis
Marcellien -Twin Brother "Le martyre de Saint Sébastien" by Cl. Debussy
Pisandro "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria" by Cl. Monteverdi
Sorceress and Spirit "Dido and Aeneas" by Purcell
Nireno "Giulio Cesare" by G. F. Händel
Pythie "Le calame et la lyre" by Ev. Kokoris
Ascanio "Ascanio in Alba" by W. A. Mozart (Opera Studio of Greek National Opera)
Baba the Turk "The Rake's Progress" by I. Stravinsky (Opera Studio of Greek National Opera)
Oberon "Midsummer Night's Dream" by B. Britten (Opera Studio of Greek National Opera)
Conductors
Tiberiu Soare
George Petrou
Vassilis Christopoulos
Miltos Logiades
William Kunhard
Nicolas Vassiliou
Stanley Richie
Nikolaos Haliassas
Antoniy Ivanov
Andreas Pylarinos
Harpsichordists
Ronan Khalil
Katerina Ktona
Panos Iliopoulos
Katerina Michopoulou
Μarkellos Chryssikopoulos
Gerard Von Vuuren
Organists
Eleni Keventsidou
Christina Antoniadou
Pianists
Lily Maisky
Dimitris Yakas
Karolos Zouganelis
Ermis Theodorakis
Harpists
Maria Bildea
Flautists
Marc Grauwels
Master Classes
Athens Concert Hall / Daphne Evangelatos
Athens Concert Hall/ Annette market
Greek National Opera / Aris Christofellis
Greek National Opera / Zanet Pilou
Ionian University / Rachel Yakar
Mantzaros Conservatory/ Michael Chance
Sponsors
TV5MONDE
Tricolore News
Specs'n'Arts
Arte Atene