Stelios Kyriakidis is a guitarist and composer whose pieces reflect his background in contemporary music as well as his classical training. Influenced by classical, neoclassical and folk elements, Stelios aims to write direct yet rich music that contains universal elements of the human condition. A performer/composer, Stelios has been interviewed and had his music featured on BBC Radio London. He has performed in places such as the 21st Century Guitar Conference (Indianapolis, USA), Vortex Jazz Club (London, UK), Handmade & Recycled Festival (Athens, Greece), King’s Place (London, UK), Inspiring Futures (Sheffield, UK), Arion Academy Guitar Festival (Lesvos, Greece) and Shelter Hall as a Sofar artist (Brighton, UK). Stelios’s music has been performed in the Vault Festival, Blue Elephant Theatre (London, UK) and the 2011 Athens Video Dance Project (official music, Greece), among others. His compositions have been published by Jellynote (France) and the UCLA library (USA). His piece ‘New Beginnings’ was recently featured in the campaign video for a car-free London by the climate action charity Possible. Stelios has released two EPs and four Singles to date with original music for solo guitar. Optica, his second EP, was released in September 2020 with Minor7th stating that “Kyriakidis has a delightful way of creating bright, shimmering melodies that you want to hear again”. A Moment and A Thousand Years, released in late 2021, received reviews such as “the piece exhibits finest playing skills along with a musicality that is glowing with talent, intent and a deep understanding of universal beauty” (Music Dances When You Sleep). The Trust the Doc blog described his 2022 piece Agalia (Embrace) as “lovingly conceived and played to perfection”. Stelios studied with Carlos Bonell and Graham Devine and holds a diploma in classical guitar from ABRSM (DipABRSM) and a Master of Music in Performance (classical guitar) from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire. He has been supported during his studies by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. He has also studied harmony and arranging. Stelios teaches classical and acoustic guitar as well as improvisation and creativity in London and online. [Instagram]: https://www.instagram.com/stelioskguitar/?hl=en [YouTube]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-ysvTvqix_sMm24NlSeJmw [Website]: www.stelioskyriakidis.com