Yiannis Glezos

Composer & poet Yiannis Glezos was born in Athens & is the nephew of the Greek poet Yiannis Ritsos & brother of Despina Glezou (Nostradamos). He started his musical career in the ‘Boîtes’ of Plaka neighborhood, during the New Wave era of Greek song (‘Neo Kyma’). There he met Mikis Theodorakis who encouraged him & orchestrated and conducted Glezos’ first song. He took piano lessons from Yiannis Papadopoulos & music theory lessons from Y.A. Papaioannou & Miltiadis Koutougos. During the Dictatorship he took refuge in USA (1973), together with the singer Fleury Dantonaki. In New York he took over the direction of the Greek Folk Choir & gave numerous concerts in many US states. After the regime change, Glezos returned to Greece & collaborated with the singer Mariza Koch, with whom he toured successfully around the world for 20 years. Yiannis Glezos has composed Song Cycles in poetry of significant Greek and foreign poets (Y. Ritsos, K. Cavafy, K. Karyotakis, O. Elytis, F.G. Lorka, P. Nerounda): "The Songs of Lorca", "Emiliano Zapata","Antonio Torres Heredia"," Charoumenos Phgaino", "Eleni tou Mai", "Perimenontas tous Varvarous". Glezos continues to set to music all those poets who move him deeply, such as "The songs of Eva" in poetry by Eva Litina & "The Roses of Pieria", in poetry of ancient Greek poets, arranged by E. Litina, with whom the composer has co-written hundreds of songs. In 2011, his last album was released, "Life is a Dream", with lyrics by Manolis Rasoulis.