Leonidas Kourmadas : Associate Artist
![Photo of Leonidas Kourmadas](https://awscdn.australianmusiccentre.com.au/images/par_17836_1720159241_150w.jpg)
Artist website: https://leonidaskourmadas.musicaneo.com/
Leonidas Kourmadas is a Greek-Australian composer of contemporary
classical music, born in Athens, Greece in 1958. He began to
play the guitar at the age of ten initially self-taught. He
later attended the National Conservatorium of Athens, where he
studied theory of music, traditional harmony, piano and guitar.
From 1979 to 1980, he spent one year in London taking studies in
theory, harmony of music and piano. During this period, he
worked as a freelance musician. At the end of 1980, his musical
studies were interrupted for two years to complete his military
service. After this interval, he was able to continue his music
studies with composer Michael Travlos at the Nikos Skalkotas
Conservatorium in Athens.
In 1984 he moved to Australia, where he studied at the University
of New England and graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Arts and
a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Modern Greek (Language &
Literature) and Music. At the same time, he was studying piano
privately with pianist and Associate Professor of the Music
Department at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Daniel
Herscovitch, as well as contemporary harmony and counterpoint
with composer and Associate Professor of the Music Department at
the University of Sydney, Dr Eric Gross.
He became an Australian citizen in 1993. He continued his music
studies at the Sydney Institute of Technology where he received a
Certificate III and a Diploma of Music (Contemporary). He also
holds a Certificate in Teaching (LOTE) from the University of New
South Wales (Institute of Languages). After a further period of
study, Leonidas completed his Master of Music degree in
Contemporary Composition, receiving the Master's Achievement
Award and Awards of Excellence within the School of Creative and
Performing Arts at Excelsia College (formerly Wesley Institute)
under the supervision of Dr Heva Chan. In 2022 he gained a
Fellowship Diploma of Music in Composition (with Distinction)
from the University of West London (London College of Music).
This Postgraduate diploma is the highest awarded by the
University of West London qualifications, and is equivalent to
that of a Master's degree.
Leonidas has worked on various musical genres; his music consists
of solo instruments and chamber works from diverse ensembles
through to full orchestras. His works have been published in
Australia by Wirripang Pty Ltd and the Australian Music Centre.
The music of Leonidas Kourmadas has been performed at the Sydney
Institute of Technology, the Wesley Institute Theatre and the
Mosman Art Gallery. He has performed in concerts in Greece,
England and Australia. In 2001 he performed with the St Spyridon
Children's Choir, accompanied by the Millennium Choir, and the
Western Youth Symphony Orchestra in a concert organised by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia at the City Recital Hall.
In 2005 he performed at the Sir John Clancy Auditorium at the
University of New South Wales. He has been teaching piano,
guitar, ukulele and theory of music for over 30 years in various
private, public and music schools, to individuals and small
groups.
Leonidas is a represented composer with the Australian Music
Centre. He is currently a Full Writer Member of the Australasian
Performing Right Association. He is an Accredited Music Teacher
of theory of music, composition, and piano, with the Institute of
Music Teachers and the Music Teachers' Association of NSW. He is
also a registered Music Teacher with the Australian Music
Examinations Board and from 2006-2013 he was a Member of the New
South Wales Teachers Federation.
In addition, Leonidas was a practicing Modern Greek teacher.
From 1993-2015 he was teaching Modern Greek in the Greek Orthodox
Parish schools. In 2004 and 2005 he was employed by the NSW
Department of Education and Training as a Modern Greek teacher at
the Saturday School of Community Languages. He has also worked
as a voice performer for the Listening Skills components of the
NSW HSC Online website for Modern Greek, for Charles Sturt
University and the NSW Department of Education and Training. He
lives in Sydney, Australia, and he is still very active in all
aspects of music teaching and learning.
Biography provided by the composer