Artists

Dimitris Yakas

Dimitris Yakas was born in Athens in 1957. He studied the piano at the National Conservatory in Athens , from where he graduated in 1977. He continued his education at the ECOLE NORMALE DE MUSIQUE DE PARIS ( piano,chamber music and piano coaching [formation de chef de chant] ) and had lessons in vocal accompaniment with Dalton Baldwin . In 1882 , as a result of winning a competition , he took up a position as coach at the Paris Opera , where he remained until 1991 . During this period he worked with many major conductors and singers, whith whom he gave concerts in Paris as well as other French cities and at Festivals (Tours,Pau, Strasbourg,Festival de Marmande, de Sully , du Comminges etc). He worked many times as coach at the Opera de Lyon at the invitation of Kent Nagano.

In 1990 he played at two concerts in Paris , at which the complete works of Berlioz for voice and piano were performed ( with M.Olmeda, B. Uria-Monzon etc).

In 1991 he settled in Athens and became one of the principal collaborators of the Greek National Opera and the Megaron: The Athens Concert Hall , working with conductors as M. Viotti , R.Bonynge,D.Renzetti.J.Arnel,A.Allemandi etc . He has coached the singers for the world Premieres of many operas written by Greek composers [Mikis Theodorakis : MEDEA , Bilbao 1991 , Thanos Mikroutsikos : THE RETURN OF HELENA , Athens 1993 , Arghyris Kounadis : BACCHAE , Athens 1996 etc.] and has played for Master classes of J. Pilou, Ch.Ludwig,D.Evangelatos,Anna Tomowa – Sintow , Alison Pearce etc. .He regulary gives concerts as an accompanist in Greece and abroad (M.Krilovic,J.Pilou, A.Baltsa , D.Evangelatos , D.Kavrakos , El.Vidal, A.Cognet , D.Theodossiou etc.)